Our Traditional Christmas Eve Dinner: Beef Tenderloin
The showstopper of our Christmas Eve Dinner is the spicy beef tenderloin that is so delicious. It’s a really special treat.
This recipe has become a family favorite for a delicious holiday meal. I along with my siblings make this for many special occasions. Years ago I found this Spicy Beef Tenderloin recipe in one of my Southern Living Cookbooks.
Beef Tenderloin
Beef tenderloin is a large rather pricey piece of meat. When cut into steaks you know it as filet mignon.
Because it’s not cheap, we start looking for sales before the holidays. Once we find our roast, we freeze it until a few days before Christmas. Many people swear by Costco’s beef tenderloin. We’ve bought ours there a few times but it’s never a deal.
If you buy a beef tenderloin that hasn’t been trimmed by a butcher, there will be a silver skin on the roast.
Using a sharp knife get the tip of the knife under the skin and gently run it under the skin until you have cut it away from the roast.
We marinate it the day before we are going to cook it. I’ve found that 2 gallon bags work best. We turn the bag over every once in a while so the marinade can marinate the whole roast.
Spicy Beef Tenderloin
Equipment
- 2 Gallon Ziplock Bags
Ingredients
- 1 cup port wine, (see note)
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried whole thyme
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 5-6 pound whole beef tenderloin, trimmed
Instructions
- We order our beef tenderloin from a butcher but you can also get it from your local grocery store. If you order ahead of time, ask the butcher to trim the fat and membrane off of the tenderloin.Typically there is a tail on the tenderloin, you should wrap that under and tie it with kitchen twine so that the roast has a more consistent size throughout.
- Combine the first 8 ingredients; mix well. Place tenderloin in a large shallow dish; or 2-gallon ziplock bag. Pour the wine mixture over top, and cover tightly. Refrigerate for 8 hours, turning occasionally.Take out of refrigerator a few hours before your going to cook to bring up to room temperature.
- Uncover tenderloin; drain off and reserve marinade. Place tenderloin on a rack in a pan; insert a meat thermometer, making sure it does not touch fat. Pour reserved marinade into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 425° for 45 to 60 minutes or until the thermometer registers 140° (rare). Bake until the internal temperature is 150° for medium-rare or 160° for medium. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. SEE Notes
Notes
Christmas Eve Menu
Charcuterie Board
We are going to start with individual charcuterie boards. I first made these for my harvest dinner that you can read about HERE.
A small charcuterie board can be made with with the following:
- Cured Meat (2 pieces)
- Hard Cheese (several slices)
- Spread (Boursin or Fig Jam)
- Crackers (6)
- Fruit
- Nuts
French Onion Soup
I love to make french onion soup for Christmas Eve. It’s a labor of love and one of “Handy’s” favorite things to have with Beef Tenderloin or Prime Rib. My recipe is adapted from Julia Child’s Recipe.
If you become a friend of Living Large in A Small House you will also find my Christmas Eve Grocery List along with all of my other FREE Printable’s in the Resource Library.
Swedish Potato Sausage
While this is something that wouldn’t be on the menu of many traditional Christmas Eve Menu’s, it’s on ours. My family has been making our homemade Swedish Potato Sausage for our whole lives, my parents learned how to make it from my Mom’s parents. And I’m sure their parents before them. To read how we do it, click on the button below.
Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole
My cheesy mashed potatoes are a great make-ahead recipe that allows for one thing to make preparing our Christmas Eve Dinner a little less hectic. This is a family favorite that we’ve made for Annie’s Wedding, Thanksgiving and also Christmas.
Vegetables & Greens
This year I’m making Caesar Salad and classic green bean casserole. We all love Caesar salad and green bean casserole is one of our Annie’s favorite.
Sometimes I mix things up with asparagus and hollandaise or roasted Brussel sprouts.
Dessert
For dessert, I’m making a simple cheesecake topped with sugared cranberries. I’m also going to make a specialty cocktail. This Cran-Rasberry Sparkling Martini will be a fun drink to toast to a fun Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve Table Setting
I really love to set a special table for Christmas Eve dinner and it’s never the same twice. My theme is typically inspired by what I do with my tree. This year I’m using vintage blue and white china with the ribbon from the tree tied around my napkins.
I’m layering my table with clear beaded chargers, white dinner plates, and Johnson Brothers Vintage “Coaching Scenes” Salad and Dessert plate. I’m using the simple “Sterling” China with two green banded plates as my bread plates. My silver is similar to Wallace Queen but it’s a little different and I can’t find the exact match anywhere. The footed goblet is vintage Fostoria “Meadow Rose”. My “Kincora” Waterford Crystal wine glasses are also part of my table setting.
Why Cloth Napkins?
I always use cloth napkins even if we are just having grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. It psychologically elevates the meal while also being environmentally friendly. I throw the cloth napkins in with my towels each week to wash. It’s just so easy
I will iron them when we are having company or I’m setting a special table but typically they don’t really need to be ironed if you take them out of the dryer as soon as they are done and fold them.
Christmas Day Meal Plans
Christmas Day is a lazy day for us. We watch Christmas Vacation for the 10th time and hang around a fire in our Christmas PJ’s. I wish for snow on Christmas Day but we rarely get it. It seems to wait until January and then we get dumped on.
For breakfast, I usually make an egg and ham casserole or a frittata with fresh fruit on the side. We usually don’t eat until around 11 so it’s really Brunch. Then we have an early grazing dinner of heavy appetizers. This is what I have planned
- Hot Buffalo Wings
- Dumplings
- Cheese & Crackers
- Beef, cream cheese & pickle rolls
- Swedish Meatballs
My wish for you this holiday season is to have a beautiful day. If you’re celebrating alone or with friends and family. Take out the good dishes, use a cloth napkin and enjoy the holiday meals that you have prepared.
Peace and Love,
If you make a turkey for Christmas and are looking for some ideas for leftovers, you can find them HERE
Meet Me
My name is Lynn. I live in the suburbs of Chicago in a 1,300 sq. ft. home with my Handy husband, Keith.
I’m an open book about my life on my blog. You can find out more about me by visiting my About page.
We use cloth napkins to and we have for years! I don’t even buy paper napkins unless we are having a large gathering. Merry Christmas Lynn!! You must be excited to have everyone home!
Your Christmas Eve dinner sounds lovely! I use cloth napkins too – they are cheaper in the long run, I never run out and they make the meal special. Thanks for sharing and I hope you had a nice Christmas! 🙂
Once again! Great minds…. Our Christmas Eve dinner was lovely even tho it was just us and Grandma.
What a lovely meal you have planned! So many delicious dishes! YUM! Merry Christmas, Lynn!
Hi Laura – We will be putting the roast in the marinade tomorrow. Merry Christmas!