When you think about Christmas dinner what comes to mind? To every family this means different things. It could mean goose, ham, roast beef, or even roasted turkey for the main course. But there is one thing that all dinners have in common - the appearance of family favorites on the dinner table, shared with the ones you love the most. This article will offer tips and advice on how to cook a classic Christmas dinner.

• Don't stress!

• Always have a backup plan just in case.

• Make the preparations as simple as possible while still tasting great.

Before you get started, it helps to know what you define as a classic Christmas dinner. It could mean different things to different people. Some people may look forward to eating roasted turkey with all the trimmings. Others may expect a Christmas ham and their Nana's apple pie. When it comes time for you to cook the dinner it helps to determine which essentials you want on the table.

The first step is to thoroughly plan the menu. Do this at least a week before big meal. However, two weeks before is even better because it allows you time to look in the stores to find the best deals possible. Also, people often ask what you would like them to bring when they come over.

Here are some menu suggestions.

1. Appetizer- Cheese and crackers, vegetable sticks and dip, bruschetta
2. Main Meal - Some kind of meat dish, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables,
3. Dessert - Apple pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate cake, cheesecake, holiday cookies.

The next step is to purchase the ingredients for the things you will be cooking. You can do the purchasing in stages. Things like beverages and other non-perishable items can be purchased well in advance whereas perishable items need to be purchased several days or a day before the meal.

There are some items that can be made in advance and even frozen, such as holiday baking. You can either make the dough in advance and freeze it, or make the desserts themselves in advance and freeze the finished product. You can also do the same with appetizers such as chicken wings and even mini-pizza bites. Your goal is to cook things in advance as much as you can. Even mashed potatoes can be cooked the day before or so.

On the morning of the dinner, give yourself plenty of time to put things together. If you are roasting a turkey start preparing it to go into the oven at least an hour in advance just in case the turkey is partially frozen. You want to allow yourself plenty of time to not only prepare the food but to also fix any problems.