Christmas Buffet Menu Ideas: 3 Complete Menus for a Crowd

If you’ve already saved a dozen Christmas recipes and still don’t know what to serve together, start with the kind of party you’re hosting. A drop-in party calls for food people can eat with one hand. A family lunch is easier with one hot main and sides you can make ahead. And if everyone’s coming for dinner, a ham buffet gives you the full Christmas meal without having to plate it.

Each Christmas buffet menu below gives you a complete spread for 12 or 24, plus a plan for what to do the day before and what to leave until party day.

Which Christmas buffet menu should you make?

Choose this buffet	Best for	What to plan around
Finger-food buffet	A drop-in party near dinnertime	Two substantial bites and plenty guests can eat standing up
Make-ahead buffet	A family lunch or casual supper	One hot main and sides you can finish ahead
Hot Christmas dinner buffet	A full meal with everyone eating around the same time	Oven space and a final reheating plan

The amounts below are starting points for a mixed group eating a meal. For each dish, the first amount serves 12 and the second serves 24. The quantities are for food ready to serve unless the item specifies a package or bone-in weight. When you pick your recipes, check their yields against the amounts below before you shop.

1. Christmas finger-food buffet for a drop-in party

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Ham and Swiss sliders and cranberry meatballs make this spread substantial enough for dinner. Caprese skewers and vegetables with dip bring something fresh to the table, and guests can eat the whole meal from a small plate.

• Ham and Swiss sliders 18 sliders for 12 / 36 for 24.
• Cranberry cocktail meatballs 36 small meatballs for 12 / 72 for 24. Put cocktail picks next to the serving dish.
• Caprese skewers 18 skewers for 12 / 36 for 24.
• Crunchy vegetables with ranch dip 6 cups of cut vegetables and 1½ cups of dip for 12 / 12 cups of vegetables and 3 cups of dip for 24.
• Cranberry-orange shortbread 24 small cookies for 12 / 48 for 24.
• Cranberry-lime sparkling punch 3 quarts for 12 / 6 quarts for 24, plus water on the side.

The day before: Bake the shortbread, make the meatball sauce, and wash and cut the vegetables. Chill the punch base and keep the sparkling water separate.

On party day: Assemble the skewers and sliders. Warm the meatballs while the sliders bake, add the sparkling water to the punch just before serving, and bring out the skewers and dip in small batches.

If most guests have already eaten, make fewer sliders and meatballs. For a party specifically on December 24, this Christmas Eve grazing buffet has more ideas for guests arriving at different times.

2. Make-ahead Christmas buffet for a family gathering

A baked pasta main gives you a generous family meal with just one oven dish to think about at a time. A crisp green bean salad and a bright slaw go well with the rich baked ziti, and the dessert is ready in the fridge when you need it.

• Spinach and ricotta baked ziti One deep 9-by-13-inch pan that yields 12 main-dish portions / two pans that yield 24 total. Check the recipe yield since pan depth varies.
• Lemon green bean salad 6 cups for 12 / 12 cups for 24.
• Apple-cranberry cabbage slaw 6 cups for 12 / 12 cups for 24.
• Bakery rolls 12 rolls for 12 / 24 for 24.
• Gingerbread cheesecake cups 12 individual cups for 12 / 24 for 24.
• Apple cider with orange slices 3 quarts for 12 / 6 quarts for 24.

The day before: Assemble the ziti if your recipe has make-ahead instructions. Make the cheesecake cups, prep the green beans, and shred the cabbage. Keep the dressings separate and save slicing the apples for party day.

On party day: Allow the time your recipe specifies for baking the chilled ziti. While it’s in the oven, slice the apples, toss both salads, and set out the rolls and cider. If you’re baking two pans, check they fit on your racks before you commit to using one oven.

If guests ask what they can bring, hand off the rolls, drinks, or dessert. The Christmas potluck ideas roundup has more dishes that travel well.

3. Hot Christmas dinner buffet for a crowd

Build dinner around maple-Dijon-glazed ham, creamy potatoes, and two vegetables. The cranberry relish gives the plate a bright, tart bite, and an apple crisp can go into the oven once dinner is on the table.

• Maple-Dijon-glazed spiral ham About 7–8 pounds bone-in for 12 / 14–16 pounds total for 24. Two smaller hams may be easier to fit and serve for a bigger group.
• Slow-cooker mashed potatoes 9 cups for 12 / 18 cups for 24. Check your slow cooker’s capacity before doubling.
• Roasted carrots 6 cups for 12 / 12 cups for 24.
• Green beans with lemon butter 6 cups for 12 / 12 cups for 24.
• Cranberry-orange relish 1½ cups for 12 / 3 cups for 24.
• Apple crisp with vanilla ice cream 12 servings and 1 quart of ice cream for 12 / 24 servings and 2 quarts for 24.
• Sparkling cranberry spritz 3 quarts for 12 / 6 quarts for 24, plus water on the side.

The day before: Make the relish and ham glaze, trim the green beans, peel and cut the carrots, and make the crisp topping. Check the ham package directions and work backward from serving time.

On party day: Plan the oven around the ham. Use the slow cooker for the potatoes and the stovetop for the beans. Roast the carrots when the ham comes out if the dishes need different oven temperatures, and bake the crisp while guests eat dinner.

How to set up a buffet table that’s easy to serve from

Put plates first, then the main dish, sides, and sauces. Set drinks and dessert on a separate counter so guests coming back for a refill can skip the food line. For 24 guests, put out a second serving utensil for the most popular dishes and keep spare platters handy for refills.

Set out the empty platters and serving utensils the night before, with a slip of paper naming the dish that goes in each. If you want the table to feel festive using what you already have, see these simple Christmas table decoration ideas.