We asked PA Eats’s savvy lineup of writers and photographers to share with us long-lasting, food-centric traditions that they—without fail—tackle each Christmas season with their families.
Whether it’s crafting a specific soul-warming dish, taking a delicious trip to New York City, or whipping up grandma’s cookie recipes, you’ll want to devour their seasonal, gorging blisses, many of which you too wouldn’t ever want to compromise on. Be sure to share with us your family’s food traditions in the comments below, too! Happy holidays to you.
Town Dishers favorite food-themed holiday traditions are as follows:
My family strives to incorporate a variety of celebrations into our holiday cookery. This year, I (the chef of the clan), married two seasonal favorites—matzo ball soup and Italian wedding soup—making them one hearty repast. In lieu of meatballs, I sprinkled the matzo meal with parmesan cheese prior to molding into balls while adding escarole to my simmering broth. The final result was a uniquely flavorful combo that would surely make any bubby & nonna proud — Ken Alan
Every Christmas morning, my family breaks open the Baileys! It isn’t Christmas without a tiny bit of Irish Creme liqueur while we open presents! — Sarah Gagliardo
When we were kids, my mom would let us stay up till midnight on New Year’s and after we watched the ball drop, she’d make what she called “international coffee”. First, she’d smear lemon juice on the rim of a wine glass and dip it in sugar. Then she’d pour a shot of Kahlua and we’d marvel as she’d light the liquor on fire, and burn off the alcohol, crystallizing the sugar on the edge. Then she’d add coffee (decaf) and some cream. It was a thrill for me as a kid staying up late to have that drink, seemingly full of things I wasn’t normally allowed. — Jason Tremblay
Naughty or Nice, Corn Fritters have made an appearance every Christmas Eve, and even though it started with my grandfather, my older brother took on his legacy. That, and my mom keeps having birthdays then, too. — Kevin Dragone
My wife and I started ours 5 years ago with our three kids. We head up to NYC for the weekend, see the lights, eat our way around town and stay over night, wake up and repeat. The highlights usually include lunch for the kids at M&M’s World (I didn’t say it was healthy) then dinner at Fish in the village. I get the 6 oyster and Pabst for $8 and the kids get a lobster feast for under $20. — Jeff Schaller
In my family Christmas Eve is just as big Christmas morning and the tradition stems from our Norwegian heritage. On Christmas Eve we open the presents we received from our relatives in Norway and eat a full spread of easy to make, easy to eat, finger foods. This year the menu includes crackers with local Toma cheese from Cherry Grove Farms, bacon wrapped asparagus, cherry tomato and fresh mozzarella ball skewers, samosas, Lahmahjoon (Armenian pizza), Chinese pork buns, and I will be making bulgogi and bacon cheeseburger fried dumplings. Of course this wouldn’t be complete without pulling some special beers out of the cellar. — Arne Morin
I like to bake something while we’re decorating the tree, usually chocolate chip cookies. As a kid, I recall the house always smelled nummy when the tree and ornaments came out. Since assembling the tree takes some time (don’t hate, several of us are allergic to trees so a giant, needle-dropping allergen in the house for several weeks makes no sense), cookies became the reward for a job well done. And, yes, I squirrel a few away to enjoy after the lights, ornaments and garland are hung. Reward, round two! Cheers! — Nina Malone
It’s not Christmas with my family until we watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the Dr. Seuss version—of course) and eating the cookies my grandmom used to make for her kids when they were young. I look forward to getting a tin of these cookies every year. — Shannon Smith
Let’s see my fave family tradition recipe would be my Mom-mom’s rolls. Over the years we’ve always called them Mom-mom’s rolls, because she was the only one who could make them, and she ALWAYS made them by memory. Ten years ago I asked her for the recipe and we attempted to get a recipe written down. Since then my Mom-mom has passed away and the simple recipe has become so much more. We make it every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas and we always make it as a family! — Sarah Kudlack
Every year for Christmas, I go to my sister’s house to fill up on her pecan pie and watch Elf with my niece and nephew before Santa arrives. The next day, (after presents are opened) my brother-in-law, the kids and I take my dogs, (Piper and Waffles) on a “nog jog with the dogs” which is basically a glorified walk with thermoses of egg nog (that may or may not be spiked.) The entire Bigham family doesn’t gather for celebrations until the weekend after Christmas, and that’s when we have my mom’s famous sugar cookies and a lovely Sunday brunch alongside some much-needed family time. — Mary Bigham
Although there is a definite focus on food—from the gigantic morning breakfast whipped up by my dad and consumed before unwrapping chaos ensues to the relaxing early dinner enjoyed with several bottles of homemade wine—the most important part is, it’s just us. It’s one day where we have nowhere to be, nobody to entertain and no need to filter our weird sense of humor, which becomes particularly odd while relishing our food comas in the ridiculously heated living room. A lengthy board game session is always in the mix and, occasionally, a trip to the movies as well. — Angela Corrado
The Dewey family is an interfaith family, celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas. Every year for the last 13 years we have gone out for a “traditional Jewish” Christmas dinner at Margaret Kuo’s Mandarin in Malvern. We enjoy family time while feasting and it is one of my children’s favorite parts of the holiday season. — Ronna Dewey
In my family, stuffing is a staple at every holiday dinner, and Christmas is no exception. Our stuffing recipe was passed down from my grandma, but probably originates from many generations before her. We’re very particular in my family that stuffing has five ingredients: butter, onion, bread, egg, and salt. No celery! We prepare stuffing the night in advance, its cooked again inside the bird the next morning. The result is a fluffy texture, and a simple, savory flavor that balances out our meal. — Kellyn McNamara
Every Christmas Eve after church, I make mush for my family. It’s an Amish-Mennonite food made of cornmeal that my dad grew up eating every morning. We eat it hot on Christmas Eve night as a bedtime snack, then fry it up and eat it with eggs and King Syrup for breakfast after the barn work is done on Christmas morning. — Lisa Yoder
Our one holiday tradition is watching the movie Christmas Vacation several times throughout the season. The whole family knows so many lines from this movie that we often quote it even during summer, basically “it’s the gift that keeps on giving all year long.” We also make our 20- and 18-year-old sons wait at the top of the stairs on Christmas morning so I can make sure Santa came—and they always pull the gifts out of their stocking before diving head first under the tree. — Jim Breslin
Without a doubt, every Strauss party is rounded out by my grandma’s cherished dessert recipes—from Sticky Buns and ShooFly Pie, to her iconic Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies, simple sugar cut-outs and layered Red Velvet Cake, because if we can’t be with her, at least we can relive the incredible, forever-addicting tastes of what she did best. But, my immediate family puts our PA Dutch traditions on the back seat for Christmas Eve, when we craft my guilty pleasure—from-scratch deep-dish cheeseburger pizzas. They’re gluttonous and grand, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. — Amy Strauss
