Name: Stress-Free 3-Course Christmas Menu
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 56 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Cuisine: Italian

Jule’s Menu Verified

January 26, 2026

This Stress-Free Christmas Menu is a thoughtfully composed three-course holiday meal designed to minimize last-minute work and let you enjoy spending time with loved ones. It features a winter salad with field greens, bacon-wrapped dates, pomegranate seeds and creamy cheese, a showstopper main course of herb-crusted salmon served over lemon-infused pasta with roasted butternut squash, and finishes with a festive Spekulatius-spiced tiramisu layered in individual glasses. The menu balances bright, seasonal flavors with approachable, make-ahead components so most of the effort happens earlier in the day, leaving the evening relaxed and delicious.

Stress-Free 3-Course Christmas Menu cover

From the Cook

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Stress-Free 3-Course Christmas Menu

Jule’s Menu Verified

Ingredients

WarningMilk and 6 other allergens identified

Instructions

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Tiramisu Preparations (in the morning)

Place the mascarpone, quark, and powdered sugar in a bowl. Crack the eggs and add the yolks to the remaining ingredients (set the egg whites aside for the main course). Briefly mix all the ingredients with a hand mixer or whisk until smooth.

Brew an espresso, set aside two cookies, roughly crush the rest and place them in a bowl. Pour the espresso over the cookie crumbs and mix well so the cookies absorb the liquid.

Place a layer of cookies in each dessert glass and top with a layer of mascarpone cream. Repeat this process once more (finishing with a layer of mascarpone cream). Cover the glasses and refrigerate for at least three hours or until ready to serve.

Salad Preparations (in the morning)

Halve the bacon slices and roll the dates in them. Place the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar, seal, shake well, and set aside. Peel the pomegranate and place the seeds in a bowl or jar. (It's best to cut the pear or apple into thin wedges just before serving.)

Wash the lamb's lettuce thoroughly and spin dry. To store it in the refrigerator, place it in a food storage container and put a damp paper towel between the lettuce and the lid.

Main Course Preparations (in the morning)

For the pumpkin, peel the butternut squash, halve it, remove the seeds, and cut it into 1-cm cubes. Peel and finely dice the garlic. Place it in a bowl and mix with the oil, salt, pepper, and sage leaves. Cover and refrigerate.

For the herb crust, wash the herbs, shake dry, chop finely, and place in a bowl. Wash the lemon, finely grate half the zest, and add it to the herbs. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice from one half over the herbs. Finely dice the garlic and add it to the other ingredients along with the Parmesan, panko breadcrumbs, and the remaining egg whites from the tiramisu. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate.

For the pasta, grate Parmesan cheese and store it covered in the refrigerator.

Salad Preparations (in the evening)

Fry the dates over medium heat for about 5 minutes until crispy on all sides. Meanwhile, put the lettuce, pomegranate seeds, and dressing in a salad bowl, crumble half of the cheese with your hands, add it, and mix well.

Divide the salad among four plates. Crumble the remaining cheese and sprinkle it evenly over the portions. Remove the dates from the pan and place five on each salad.

Main Course Preparations (in the evening)

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) using conventional oven settings (top and bottom heat). Peel the garlic for the pasta and slice it thinly. Arrange the butternut squash on a baking sheet and roast in the preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a cold pan and add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Zest the lemon and add it to the oil; let it infuse. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into a separate bowl; set aside.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with a little oil. Wash the fish fillets, pat them dry, and place them on the baking sheet. Spread the herb crust over the fish fillets and press it down lightly; set aside.

After the pumpkin has been in the oven for about 20 minutes, bring a pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the boiling water and add the pasta, then set a timer according to the package instructions. After about 30 minutes in the oven, move the baking sheet with the pumpkin to the lowest rack and place the baking sheet with the salmon fillets on top, then move it to the middle rack. Set a timer for 10 minutes.

Five minutes before the pasta is done, heat the pan with the garlic-lemon oil over medium-high heat and lightly brown the garlic. Meanwhile, crack the eggs into a bowl, whisk them with a fork, and stir in slightly more than half of the Parmesan cheese.

Once the pasta is al dente and the garlic is golden but not yet brown, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the pasta directly from the pot to the pan using a ladle. Stir well and add the lemon juice. Slowly pour in the egg and Parmesan mixture while stirring. Continue stirring the pasta with tongs until the sauce thickens nicely. Now gradually add a little pasta water, stirring continuously, until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. If needed, thicken with additional Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Remove the butternut squash from the oven and mix it into the pasta. Then divide the pasta among the plates, garnish with some fresh sage, and place a fish fillet on top of each.

Serve Tiramisu (in the evening)

Finely crush the remaining cookies in a bowl, a freezer bag, or a food processor and mix with the cocoa and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cookie crumbs over the tiramisu glasses and serve.

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About the Cook

Jule’s Menu

Hi, I’m Julia, and I’m the recipe developer, photographer, and author behind Jules’ Menu. I’ve spent the last eight years perfecting healthy everyday recipes so they strike the perfect balance between healthy and nourishing, simple and practical, and gourmet-level delicious.