Christmas, December 25
Christmas Food: Stollen, Gingerbread, and Roasts
Plan stollen aging, same-day gingerbread, roast chicken, and beef Wellington in the right order for December 25.
Cooking and building the meal
Put aging time on the calendar first
Stollen is designed to rest after baking rather than be eaten only on the same day. Gingerbread dough can be chilled ahead. Roast chicken and beef Wellington should be timed around the Christmas meal itself.
Choose one main dish
Roast chicken is simpler and easy to divide. Beef Wellington requires control over beef doneness, dry mushroom duxelles, and pastry temperature, so allow more oven time and preparation experience.
Preparation order
- Bake or buy stollen 1 to 3 weeks ahead.
- Prepare gingerbread dough and trim main-dish ingredients 1 to 2 days ahead.
- On the day, roast the main and finish cookies or sides while the meat rests.
Eating out and choosing a restaurant
Bakeries with verified stollen menus
Stollen appears in the reviewed menu information for these bakeries. It may be seasonal, so confirm reservations, pickup dates, and sellouts with the shop.
Restaurants to compare
Recipes to continue with
Frequently asked questions
When should I prepare stollen?
Check the recipe's aging period. Baking or buying it 1 to 3 weeks before Christmas lets you taste how it changes over several days.
Should I make both roast chicken and beef Wellington?
Both fill the role of a main dish, so one is normally enough. Choose according to guest count, oven time, and the cooking difficulty you want.