One of the things that makes Christmas and the holiday season so special is all the good food we get to enjoy over those few weeks. Every family, it seems, has its own traditions and meals that they bring out once every year during this time. Some families cook up a giant ham or a turkey, while others carve a roast and serve it up with a side of mashed potatoes. Others opt for a Christmas lasagna full of cheese and tomatoes.

But one of the most exciting things about the winter holidays is how much diversity there is among food. While dishes like lasagna might be common among Anglo-American households, the United States is a large country with people of every culture, country and origin, and all of them have their own traditional holiday recipes as well. An excellent example of just one of these pockets of diversity is the Creole culture of the Deep South and Louisiana.

Have you ever sampled some of the delicious tastes of a traditional Creole Christmas menu? If so, then you know how tasty they can be, and if not, then this year is the perfect time to broaden your horizons and give them a try. To help you navigate the world of Cajun Christmas traditions, we’ve selected a few of our favorite recipes for you to sample this holiday season.

1. Shrimp and Sausage Boil

If there’s one thing you can count on with Cajun-Creole cooking, it’s that it’s big on seafood. This doesn’t change over the holiday season, so we’re starting off this list of Cajun Christmas recipes with a yummy Shrimp and Sausage Boil. This recipe is traditionally all boiled together in one dish, so get out your largest pot, pull together these ingredients and get busy whipping up this Creole Christmas dinner staple.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Start-to-Finish: 90 minutes

You Will Need

• 1 3-ounce bag of shrimp or substitute a crab boil if you prefer
• Old Bay Seasoning, 3 tablespoons
• 2 ¼ to 3 pounds new potatoes
• 4 to 5 ears of corn, husked and cut into 1.5- to 3-inch sections
• 1 to 2 pounds kielbasa, andouille or your favorite smoked and spicy sausage, sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces
• 3 to 4 pounds shrimp, unpeeled with the heads on
• 3 to 4 lemons, halved
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Garlic mayonnaise
• Cocktail sauce

Instructions

In your biggest pot, preferably at least 12- to 16-quart size, bring 2 gallons of water to a boil. Add your shrimp or crab meat and the Old Bay seasoning and reduce the heat. Allow this to simmer with the lid off for about 10 minutes. A few at a time, add in the potatoes while the pot keeps simmering for another seven to 10 minutes, or until the shrimp begin to be tender. Add in the pieces of corn and simmer for another five minutes. Add the sausage and keep simmering three to five minutes.

When the shrimp are opaque — but not overcooked — and the sausage is thoroughly heated, drain the entire mixture through a strainer and transfer it onto your largest platter. Toss the halved lemons into the mix and sprinkle the platter with parsley for a garnish.

For the best results, serve this platter while it’s still hot and use garlic mayonnaise and cocktail sauce for topping or dipping. This particular recipe serves six to eight people, but you can feel free to double it if more family is coming over or you want leftovers for the day after.

2. Oysters Rockefeller Sourdough Stuffing

What could be more holiday-themed then a nice batch of stuffing? Only we bet that if you’ve never been down south for the holidays, you’ve never tasted a stuffing quite like this. This Oysters Rockefeller Sourdough Stuffing is bursting with flavor and is a perfect example of some of the Creole Christmas traditions that we enjoy down in Louisiana.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Bake Time: 45 minutes
• Start-to-Finish: 1 hour 15 minutes

You Will Need

• 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach, drained and thawed
• 4 slices bacon, cut into quarter-inch pieces
• 1 cup shallots, finely chopped, about 8 shallots
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup Pernod
• 2 teaspoons crushed dried chervil
• 10 cups sourdough bread cubes, dry
• 2 cups shucked oysters, drained and chopped, about 28 oysters
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 14.5-ounce can chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Drain your thawed spinach, being sure to squeeze out any excess liquid and set it aside. Grease a rectangular 3-quart baking dish and set it aside as well.

In a frying pan, cook your strips of bacon over medium heat until they’re nice and crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to drain it and set it aside on paper towels, being careful to leave about two tablespoons of drippings in the pan. Add the chopped shallots and garlic into the pan and cook for about five minutes until they’re tender. Add the Pernod, spinach and chervil, and stir the entire mixture together, scraping up any crusty bits that might be sticking to the pan.

Use a large bowl to combine your bacon pieces, spinach mixture from the pan, oysters, bread cubes, salt and pepper. In another smaller bowl, pour together the broth, melted butter and hot sauce, mixing well before pouring this mixture over top of the stuffing. Toss the entire thing together gently to make sure the sauce is well integrated throughout the stuffing. Transfer the whole mixture into the baking dish and cover it with foil.

Bake your stuffing for about 30 minutes with the covering on. After this time, pull it out, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top and pop it back in the oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. If you like your food extra spicy, feel free to add another dash of hot sauce on top before serving.

This recipe makes about 10 servings, making it an excellent option for large family dinners, and is sure to be a big hit with anyone looking for some southern Christmas dinner menu ideas.

3. Pancake Bake With Cinnamon Streusel

Of course, what would a Christmas be without a tempting Christmas breakfast to enjoy amidst the flurry of wrapping paper, stockings and laughter? A Cajun holiday menu for Christmas breakfast might consist of any number of things, but today we want to recommend this mouthwatering Pancake Bake with Cinnamon Streusel. The best part of this recipe? You’ll prepare most of it the night before, meaning that you’ll be freer to enjoy Christmas morning with your family instead of spending it in the kitchen.

• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Chill Time: 8 hours
• Bake Time: 1 hour
• Start-to-Finish: 9 hours 45 minutes

You Will Need

For the Pancakes:

• 2 2/3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 3 eggs
• 6 tablespoons melted butter

For the Casserole:

• 6 eggs
• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup flour
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup butter, cubed
• Maple syrup

Instructions

Make the pancake batter by stirring together the sugar, flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. Use a separate bowl to whisk together the buttermilk and eggs before pouring this mixture into the dry ingredients and mixing together. Stir the butter in gently, and the batter should take on a lumpy appearance. Let this sit for about five minutes.

Use this batter to make pancakes on your griddle, using about 1/4 cup for each pancake. This amount of ingredients should yield roughly 30 pancakes by the time you’re finished.

Once you’re finished making the pancakes, it’s time to prepare the casserole. Grease a 13×9 baking dish and cut each pancake in half. Carefully arrange these pancake halves by placing the cut sides down and allowing the halves to overlap slightly in three rows that start at the long end of the dish.

Once the pancakes are in place, whisk together a mixture of eggs, cream, milk, vanilla and sugar. Pour this mixture over the pancakes, cover the dish with plastic wrap and chill the entire thing overnight to allow the egg mixture to soak into the pancakes.

In the morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the streusel by combining flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and salt. Add cut butter until the mixture gains a crumbly texture. Bring your casserole out of the fridge, uncover it and sprinkle the crumbly streusel over the top. Bake the entire thing uncovered until the center has set, which should take about 50 minutes to one hour. Remove from the oven and let it sit for about five minutes before serving.

This dish serves about 10 people and for the tastiest results, should be enjoyed with maple syrup.

4. Pork Loin Roast With Carolina Apple Butter Compote

So you want to try a traditional Cajun Christmas dinner, but you’re not sure you want to stray too far from your comfort zone, which usually features a main meat course? We understand that, and we think this pork loin roast with Carolina apple butter compote might just fit the bill.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Chill Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Start-to-Finish: 4 hours 5 minutes

You Will Need

• 1 boneless pork loin roast, about 3 pounds
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons salt
• ½ tablespoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons Canola oil
• 2 pounds unpeeled Gala apples
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cup apple cider
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2 ½ tablespoons orange zest
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Ground cloves
• Kitchen string

Instructions

In a bowl, combine a mixture of minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Rub your pork loin with this mixture, making sure it’s thoroughly coated and seasoned. Tie the pork with kitchen string, secured firmly at intervals of about 1 inch. Cover your pork and let it chill for about 2 hours.

After the chilling is completed, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. While this is preheating, brown the roast in a frying pan with oil over medium-high heat. Continue this for two to four minutes, making sure to brown every side evenly. Remove the pork from the pan and transfer it to a roasting pan lined with foil. Let this bake for an hour or until the center of the pork reaches 150 degrees. Once it’s done, remove it from the oven, cover it with foil and set aside for about 15 minutes before slicing it.

While the roast is cooking, cut the apples into bite-sized pieces and cover them in lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Using another skillet over medium heat, mix together cider, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest. Stir these together and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Then, add the apple chunks and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every so often.

Once the apples have softened and most of the liquid is absorbed, stir in the butter and remove the pan from heat. If the pork released any additional juices during cooking, add these to the apple compote. Serve the apple compote immediately with the pork, which should be cooled and sliced by now, and enjoy. This recipe yields eight to 10 servings.

5. Cajun-Seasoned Vegetarian Gumbo

Looking for a holiday meal for the vegetarians in your family that still packs a satisfying amount of southern flavors? Try this Cajun-seasoned vegetarian gumbo. It’s easy to prep before popping it in the crock-pot or slow-cooker and just letting it simmer all day. You’ll hardly have to do any work at all to enjoy this tasty holiday treat.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Slow Cook: 6 to 8 hours

You Will Need

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 28-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 1 16-ounce package frozen onions, sweet peppers and stir-fry veggies
• 2 cups frozen cut okra
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

Instructions

Get out your crock-pot or slow-cooker and combine the beans, tomatoes, veggies, okra and Cajun seasoning. Place the cover on the pot and set the heat to low. Then, simply let it cook for six to eight hours. Alternatively, if you’re in more of a hurry, you can turn the heat on high and let it cook for three to four hours.

Serve this gumbo either plain or over brown rice and sprinkle with fresh chives or basil if desired. This recipe yields about six servings.

Visit the Gregory for More Creole Holiday Favorites

As delicious as home-cooked Creole or Cajun meals are around the holiday season, there’s nothing quite like food prepared by the professionals. If you’re ready for traditional Creole winter meals prepared by experts, then be sure to plan a visit to the Gregory this holiday season. We’re located in Downtown Baton Rouge and serve everything from upscale brunch to lunch and dinner.

Curious about the different traditional dishes we serve? Check out our menu and start planning what you want to eat when you visit. And while we serve Deep South favorites all year round, don’t forget to swing by our dining room during the holiday season as well, as you never know what Christmas specials we might be cooking up. So the next time you’re in town, be sure to give us a visit. We can’t wait to introduce you to the authentic tastes of Louisiana.