Published: · Modified: by Kristi · This post may contain affiliate links.
Looking to bring a fresh and modern approach to this year's Christmas Eve Smörgåsbord? I've got you covered. I've put together a simple, elegant menu which both honors tradition and brings some new dishes to the table:
A Modern Christmas Eve Smörgåsbord
Roasted Salmon with Brown Sugar and Butter
Swedish Meatballs (prepared without gravy)
Creamy Mustard Dill Sauce
Celery Root and Potato Puree
Spicy Pickled Beets
Fresh Pickled Cucumbers
Stirred Lingonberries
Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Pecans
Everything on this menu goes together beautifully. Both the roasted salmon and the meatballs benefit from a spoonful or two of the Creamy Mustard Dill Sauce, and the Celery Root and Potato Puree provides a velvety rich base. The Kale Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash and Pecans brings a fresh burst of green and orange to the plate, and the Mushroom Gratin a delightful mix of creamy mushrooms and crispy, buttery breadcrumbs. The Spicy Pickled Beets, Fresh Pickled Cucumbers and Stirred Lingonberries round everything out with a bit of spicy, briny and sweet. And for dessert, a luscious Lingonberry Skyr Mousse which somehow manages to be both light and decadent at the same time.
Christmas Eve is a time to gather with family and friends and enjoy each other’s company. For that reason, I intentionally designed this menu with several make ahead options so that when the guests arrive, most of the work is done. Even those of us who love to cook want to relax and revel in the holiday festivities. This menu allows you to do just that.
My family and friends enjoyed Christmas dinner in October several weekends in a row as I tested these recipes. While everyone had their favorites, the Celery Root and Potato Puree (“more delicious than mashed potatoes”), the Mushroom Gratin (“I love the contrast between the creamy mushrooms and the crispy, buttery breadcrumbs”), and the Lingonberry Skyr Mousse (“I would eat this every day if I could”) were clear stand-outs.
Christmas carries with it many expectations. Our loved ones expect to see certain foods on the table each and every year prepared in exactly the same way. Change, when it comes to the holidays, is not always welcome. If that’s the case for you, maybe offering one or two new dishes alongside your tried and true favorites is the best way to go. You certainly don’t have to do a whole new menu all at once. Or maybe you are ready for something modern and new, a complete overhaul of your Christmas routine. The choice is yours. Either way, I hope you give one, several or all of these recipes a try. I wish you the happiest and most delicious of holidays!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Marie
Hej, Great recipes. Everything looks very good on the pictures too. Marie USA
I made this as a replacement for Thanksgiving and a practice for Christmas and I AM IN LOVE! Best meal I've ever made, and feeling so much closer to my Scandinavian heritage. Can't wait to make for my family once the COVID era passes. Thank you!
Reply
Kristi
Hi Alana,
I'm so glad you enjoyed this meal! And I loved what you said about connecting with your Scandinavian heritage. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave me a comment. It's greatly appreciated.
Kristi
Reply
Mary Holoun
My sister made your entire Julebord Menu after seeing it in the Dec. 3 NorwegianAmerican paper. Everyone loved it! Susan also adjusted the meatball recipe for her vegan daughter-in-law, leaving out the eggs. Susan especially loved the kale salad, which doesn't wilt! She's making it again for the Sons of Norway meeting in Bozeman.
Reply
Kristi
Hi Mary, So good to hear from you! I'm glad the julbord menu was enjoyed by all. It's such a delicious meal. Thanks for leaving me a comment and letting me know! Kristi
For dessert, rice pudding with whipped cream is the Norwegian classic on Christmas Eve, whilst cloudberry cream is common in the north. Other important features in the culinary Norwegian tradition this time of year include clementines, nuts, herring, and pickled pork with mustard.
The holiday version of the meal, called a julbord, is traditionally served on Dec. 24 and features an endless array of fish, bread and cheese, cold meats, hot dishes and dessert. Ask any Swede and they'll tell you that a smörgåsbord table without herring is (gasp) unthinkable.
On Christmas Eve, or Julafton, Swedes celebrating Christmas attend church services. They return home to a traditional family dinner,r including a buffet dinner (smörgåsbord) with ham, pork, or fish, and a variety of sweets. After the festive Christmas Eve dinner, someone dresses up as Tomte.
In a restaurant the term refers to a buffet-style table laid out with many small dishes from which, for a fixed amount of money, one is allowed to choose as many as one wishes. A traditional Swedish smörgåsbord consists of both hot and cold dishes. Bread, butter, and cheese are always part of the smörgåsbord.
The most popular Christmas Eve dinner is the ribbe (pork ribs or pork belly, bone in), but lutefisk (cod cured in lye), pinnekjøtt (dry-cured ribs of lamb), boiled cod, ham roast and turkey are also common dishes.
The buffet-style smorgasbord ('julbord') is a medley of Swedish Christmas food and is served on Christmas Eve, the main day for celebrating Christmas in Sweden.
Christmas presents are under the lighted tree, candles shine brightly and the smorgasbord (or smörgåsbord, as it's written in Swedish) has been prepared with all the classic dishes: Christmas ham, pork sausage, an egg and anchovy mixture (gubbröra), herring salad, pickled herring, home-made liver pâté, wort-flavoured ...
Julmust (Swedish: jul "Christmas" and must English: 'must' "not-yet-fermented fruit juice") is a soft drink that is mainly consumed in Sweden around Christmas. During Easter, the name is påskmust (from påsk, "Easter").
The story behind Jultomten, who is much like Santa Claus is known for bringing gifts, but rather than cookies left as an offering, the Jultomten expects porridge with a healthy portion of butter. A Yule Goat (Julbocken) is often seen with Jultomten as they are both characters in the tale of Scandinavian gift giving.
Swedish Santa: Now let's talk about Santa, the original Santa in Sweden is called Tomten and is not like the big Santa that you know. This guy is more like a small gnome, and he would go to your house and leave presents all over it.
In short, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark are all Nordic countries with Scandinavian roots, but typically, you will only find Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish people referring to themselves as Scandinavian.
Many eat yoghurt ( either natural or flavored) or fil ( Cultured buttermilk), with cereal, fruit, berries or jam. Many eat sandwiches, with a variety of toppings; cheese, eggs and various cold cuts are all common. Both soft and hard bread is popular.
Rice porridge can be served as a dessert, but often it is eaten on Christmas morning or on the morning of Christmas Eve. Glögg, glogg, mulled wine, or gluhwein is familiar to many Europeans and it's common also in Finland. It's served everywhere on Christmas and for a few weeks before it.
We Norwegians are serious about our Christmas traditions. Here are some of the most common dishes during the holiday. Roasted pork belly, usually served with sauerkraut and boiled potatoes, Christmas sausages, meatballs, and gravy.Salted, dried, and sometimes smoked lamb ribs.
Just like other Danish Christmas traditions, the Danish Christmas food has not changed much over the years. Among the Danish favourites are æbleskiver, risalamande with cherry sauce, crispy Christmas duck, and caramelised potatoes. Below you will find carefully curated Christmas favourites from the Danish kitchen.
Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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