December dinners need a different kind of plan. Between holiday parties, school events, shopping, and everything else going on, figuring out what to make for dinner can feel like one more thing on an already endless to-do list. That’s why I created this December Dinner Survival Guide, with easy meal ideas for whatever kind of night you’re having.
Instead of giving you another strict meal plan, I’ve organized this guide around the different kinds of nights we all experience in December. You know, the nights when you have 15 minutes to throw something together, you’re rushing out the door to a school Christmas party, or you simply cannot cook one more thing.
My advice? Read through the guide and think about what your December actually looks like. Look at your calendar, figure out which nights will be the busiest, and plan your meals accordingly.
You can also use the table of contents to jump straight to the type of night you need help with. A little planning now can save you a lot of time and decision fatigue later!
5 Ways to Make December Dinners Easier
The 15-Minute Night
This is a night where you really only have 15 minutes to make dinner. Below are some tips and then keep scrolling for some recipe ideas!
For these nights, it’s essential to have a few convenient staples on hand. Some ideas are a rotisserie chicken, frozen grains that you batch cooked earlier in the week, frozen vegetables, or microwaveable rice packets.
Many of the ideas below call for cooked chicken, but you can substitute shelled edamame or chickpeas.
- Think in meal formulas. You don’t always need a recipe. A protein + grain + vegetable + sauce can make a satisfying dinner with very little planning.
- Don’t underestimate convenience foods. Microwaveable rice, bagged salads, and refrigerated tortellini are all perfectly reasonable shortcuts, especially in December.
- Naan High Protein Flatbreads (shown above). Three of these delicious flatbreads, using naan, require leftover chicken. One is vegetarian and the other is an Italian sausage version! Other than that, these come together quickly for a really satisfying and delicious dinner option.
- Asian-Inspired Chicken and Rice Bowls (using pre-cooked chicken).
- Rotisserie chicken wrap board, with easy sides like a salad kit, coleslaw, avocado slices, and a Greek yogurt sauce.
- Mediterranean chicken bowls. Precooked chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, feta, chickpeas and Olive Garden Italian dressing.
- Rotisserie chicken quesadillas. Shredded chicken, cheese, canned black beans, and tortillas. Serve with salsa, avocado, or whatever vegetables you have.
- Shortcut tortellini bowls. Refrigerated tortellini tossed with pesto, rotisserie chicken, and spinach.
- Breakfast for dinner. Scrambled eggs, whole-grain toast, fruit, and avocado.
- Buffalo chicken wraps. Rotisserie chicken, buffalo sauce, bagged slaw, ranch, and tortillas.
- 15-minute fried rice. Leftover rice, frozen mixed vegetables, shelled edamame, eggs, and soy sauce.
Keep These 6 Things on Hand
- Rotisserie chicken, frozen Bare chicken, or another ready-to-eat protein.
- Microwaveable rice or refrigerated pasta.
- Frozen vegetables.
- Canned beans.
- A favorite sauce or dressing.
- Shelled edamame.
The Crockpot Night
December evenings fill up quickly, and sometimes the best dinner is one you barely have to think about. Get everything into the slow cooker earlier in the day, and come home to a meal that’s practically ready to eat.
Some recipes you can assemble ingredients in the slow cooker the night before, refrigerate safely, and start cooking in the morning. These are great options for the days when you know you won’t have the energy to make dinner later.
- Creamy Coconut and Tomato Chicken with Chickpeas. Creamy, hearty, fiber-rich. Easy to prep ahead.
- Buffalo Chicken Crockpot Pasta. Cheesy, spicy, protein-packed. This one has to be cooked on low for 4-6 hours so the cottage cheese sauce doesn’t curdle.
- Slow Cooker Pepperoncini Chicken. Tangy, tender, versatile. Very low maintenance, prep ahead, but requires additional sides.
- Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken (Haute and Healthy Living). Nutty, savory, creamy.
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili (The Oregon Dietitian). Spicy, creamy, comforting.
- Crockpot Beef and Broccoli (Living Chirpy). Savory, tender, takeout-inspired.
The “Dinner in Shifts” Night
Between sports, holiday concerts, school activities, and everything else, sometimes dinner happens at 4:30 for one person and 7:30 for another. Instead of trying to coordinate everyone’s schedules, plan a meal that works whenever they’re ready to eat.
Plan around reheating, not serving time. Choose meals that can be portioned individually or assembled whenever someone is ready to eat. Keep warm and cold ingredients separate so dinner is just as good for the last person eating as it is for the first.
- Build-your-own bowls. Set out a protein, grain, vegetables, and toppings. Everyone assembles their own when they’re ready.
- Taco or burrito bar. Keep the filling warm and let everyone customize their dinner. Try this Family Style Taco Bar from What’s Gaby Cooking.
- Baked potato bar. Prep the potatoes and toppings ahead of time, then reheat individual servings. Get some inspiration from this Baked Jacket Potato Bar Toppings post from Ain’t Too Proud to Meg.
- Soup or chili. Easy to portion, refrigerate, and reheat without sacrificing quality.
- Pasta bakes or casseroles. Make once and reheat individual portions. Check out my 6 Cozy Casserole Recipes.
The Cozy Night
As the weather gets chilly, and the holidays draw closer, those cozy food cravings increase. Warm, hearty soups and cheesy casseroles have never sounded better! I have a few really great recipes that you can try below!
These recipes also double as meal prep, because most make 6 servings (so, usually there are leftovers).
The Night Before the Holiday Chaos
The night before a big holiday event usually means wrapping presents, prepping food, cleaning, or getting everything organized for tomorrow. The last thing you need is a complicated dinner that leaves your kitchen a mess!
Keep things simple with fresh, satisfying meals that require minimal prep and cleanup, so you can focus on everything else that needs to get done. I listed some lighter options, too, since you will likely be eating heavier meals the next day.
- Mediterranean Chicken, Cucumber and Tomato Salad. Essentially, you’re chopping some vegetables and using up pre-cooked chicken with Olive Garden Italian dressing. On the lighter side, but nutritious and filling!
- Greek Chicken Protein Bowls with Garlic Yogurt. Similar to the previous recipe, this bowl requires very little cooking and includes a high protein, flavorful garlic yogurt.
- Southwest Chicken Bowls (The PCOS Nutritionist Alyssa).
- Customizable Sheet Pan Dinners. Three easy options: BBQ ranch, honey mustard, and Mediterranean. Throw it all on a pan lined with aluminum foil so there is essentially no dishes. Pair with rice that you pulled from the freezer or add potatoes to the sheet pan to make it more balanced.
The “I Cannot Cook One More Thing” Night
These options require very little cooking, and I mean very little. My balanced, strategic snack plates are filling and simple with examples like apples and Greek yogurt pumpkin dip, roasted carrots and veggies with hummus, cottage cheese and pears with granola, or savory Mediterranean cottage cheese snack plates.
- Snack Plates. Five customizable dinner snack plates with protein, fiber, and healthy fats to keep you satisfied. Perfect for nights when cooking feels like too much, but you still want a filling, balanced meal.
- Cozy Snack Plates. Four easy, fall-inspired snack plates with at least 20 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber each. Mix and match ingredients like cheese, fruit, hummus, crackers, and convenient proteins for a satisfying dinner without turning on the stove.
- Chicken and a salad kit.
- Greek yogurt parfaits.
The Feed a Crowd Night
Easy dinners for when family is visiting, friends stop by, or you’ve got extra kids at the house.
- Easy Sheet Pan Lasagna (The Oregon Dietitian)
- Epic Beef Nachos Supreme (Haute and Healthy Living)
- Street Corn Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas (Living Chirpy)
- Dutch Oven Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Simple and Fraiche)
Useful tips for feeding a crowd
1. Choose meals that are easy to scale. Pasta, chili, taco fillings, and casseroles are generally easier to double than recipes that require cooking individual portions.
2. Make it a DIY dinner bar. Taco bars, baked potato bars, and customizable rice bowls let everyone build their own meal without you having to prepare several different dishes.
3. Stretch the main dish with easy sides. Add garlic bread and a bagged salad to pasta, or rice, beans, and tortillas to fajitas. You don’t necessarily need to double every component of dinner.
4. Don’t underestimate disposable pans. Especially when you’re hosting during the holidays, using a disposable aluminum baking pan for a casserole can make cleanup a little easier.
5. Calculate portions before shopping. Check the recipe’s actual serving yield rather than assuming one casserole feeds everyone. A recipe that serves four may need to be doubled or tripled for guests.
The Leftover Transformation Night
Take your leftovers and use them to make something quick, easy but different from what you had the night before.
- Leftover chicken or turkey –> Quesadillas, enchiladas, chicken salad, or rice bowls
- Roasted vegetables –> Frittatas, grain bowls, or flatbread pizzas
- Extra rice or quinoa –> Fried rice, stuffed peppers, or skillet bowls
- Leftover taco meat –> Loaded nachos, taco salads, or baked potatoes
- Holiday ham –> Breakfast casserole, ham and bean soup, or sliders
- Mashed potatoes –> Potato pancakes or shepherd’s pie
Practical survival tips
- Think ingredients, not leftovers. A container of roasted vegetables doesn’t have to be reheated as a side dish. It can become the filling for a quesadilla or the base of a grain bowl.
- Keep a few ingredients that bring leftovers together. Tortillas, eggs, shredded cheese, canned beans, and microwaveable rice make it easy to create something new.
- Have a leftovers night before grocery shopping. Check your refrigerator before making another meal plan. You might already have most of what you need for dinner.
- Freeze what you won’t use. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and generally use them within 3–4 days, or freeze them for later.
Need More Help with Dinner Planning?
Check out my free High Protein and Fiber 5-Day Meal Plan. Or, my theme night dinner system Dinner Plan-Ish for maximum organization!
Here are more ideas as well: