The 12 Meals of Christmas - Traditional Christmas Dinner Menus

The problem with most "Christmas menu" posts on the web is that they are too specific.  For instance, they offer just one main dish, 2-3 specific sides, and a specific desert.  Given the thousands of delicious options, this approach seems unnecessarily limiting!

I'm more the type that likes to keep my options open: thus, the following post, which includes a mix of traditional holiday foods and very basic, simple suggestions (inspired by regional traditions and cuisines) that can be used as inspiration.  Simply pick a few that sound good and *then* go looking for recipes ... so much more efficient! 

The 12 Meals of Christmas

Name	Appetizer	Meat	Soup	Vegetables	Stuffing/Bread	Fruit	Desert	drink
The Charles Dickens. A feast fit for Scrooge himself!	Sweet-meats	Roast goose, oysters		onions	Yorkshire pudding	Oranges, lemons, Figs	Mincemeat pie	Smoking bishop, hot buttered rum
The Olde England. A menu featuring U.K. holiday favorites.	cheeses	Rack of lamb with mint jelly	Onion/ leek soup	Roast potatoes, brussel sprouts	Yorkshire pudding	Fruit trifle	Plum pudding	Spiced Christmas tea
The Colonial  Williamsburg. Focused on authentic colonial dishes.	meringues	Game pie	Peanut soup	Root vegetables	Sally Lunn bread	pineapple	fruitcake	Mulled wine
The Virginian. A traditional feast, heavy on indigenous  American fare.	cheese crackers	Turkey with gravy	Mushroom soup	Mashed potatoes	Sausage & apple stuffing	Fried apples	Pumpkin pie	wassail
The New England.  A menu that blends old world and new.	candied fruits	Roast beef/ prime rib	Oyster stew	Corn, squash	Mushroom & wild rice stuffing	Cranberry sauce	shortbread	Christmas punch
The Gloucester. Highlighting the New England’s nautical roots	shrimp	Lobster	Seafood bisque	Potatoes	Oyster stuffing	Blueberry compote	Christmas cake (ex: stolen)	Mulled wine
The Blue Ridge.  A menu with woodsy charm	Mixed nuts	Venison	Carrot soup	Peas, Pearl onions	Apple/ cherry stuffing	pears	Apple cake	Apple cider
The Pacific Northwest. A relatively light, seafood based meal.	grapes	Fish (ex: salmon)	Corn chowder	Root vegetables	Soda bread	berries	Bread pudding	Seasonal coffee
The Pioneer.  The sort of feast any farm family would be pleased to sit down to.	cheeses	Pork rib roast	Pumpkin bisque	Carrots, green beans, parsnips	cornbread	Baked apples	Gingerbread cake	Hot chocolate
The Southern Living. A menu with southern charm	Candy-coated pecans	Ham with mustard	Sweet potato soup	creamed spinach	Cornbread stuffing	applesauce	Pecan pie	Eggnog with brandy
The Francophile. For those interested in a more Continental  approach to the traditional holiday meal.	pate	Boeuf en croute (beef in pastry)	Cauliflower soup	asparagus, artichokes	French bread	Poached pears	Buche de noel	champagne
The Vegetarian. For those who intend to enjoy all the tradition without all the meat.	cheeses	Tofu turkey	Root vegetable bisque	Cauliflower gratin	barley stuffing	cranberries	Mincemeat pie	Apple cider