But they're perfectly easy! This Christmas dinner party recipe page is full of simple, scrumptious, stylish recipes that will impress your guests to no end. Big on taste and pretty in presentation, these main course recipes are festive, fun, and simple to prepare, leaving you plenty of time to celebrate with your guests.

This Christmas dinner party recipe collection is so great it will make your average Christmas turkey look like... well, a big boring turkey.

Yep.

Made you look! No, these chicken breasts aren't stuffed with candy canes. Rather, the red and green filling gives the completed dish a festive look that makes it a perfect Christmas dinner party recipe. Makes 6 servings.

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Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 tbsp. fresh basil, sliced
8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
1 purple onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Slice each chicken breast partway in half with a very sharp knife. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Open chicken breast (sort of like a book) and flatten slightly with a mallet. Meat should be about 1/2 an inch thick.

3. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper to taste.

4. In large frying pan, heat olive oil. Add onion, pepper, and garlic. Saute three to five minutes, then add the mushrooms and sauté until veggies are tender.

5. Stir in chopped spinach and basil. Cover until spinach wilts.

6. Remove from heat. Stir in the feta. Add salt and pepper (to taste).

7. Place one-sixth of cheese mixture on each chicken breast. Neatly roll the breast into a tube. Secure with toothpicks or string (string is generally more secure). Bake (don't allow them to touch) in a greased casserole dish for 20-25 minutes. Slice before serving.

8. Try this recipe pre-sliced as a pretty and festive Christmas buffet main dish (see photo). And check here for some creative buffet table setting ideas.

This is a wonderful, elegant Christmas dinner party recipe from Bon Appetit. Even those who don't like or have never tried duck will love it -- or they shouldn't get any Christmas presents. The light crispness of the citrus and tea is the perfect accompaniment to the richness of the duck. Plus, it sounds way fancy. Your dinner party guests will quack with enthusiasm. (Sorry. That was my last duck joke.) Makes 4 servings.

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Ingredients:
2 boneless duck breast halves (Muscovy is best) (1 3/4 lbs total)
3/4 C. shallots, chopped
2 1/4 C. chicken broth
1 1/2 C. fresh orange juice
4 1/2 tsp earl grey tea leaves (equivalent of about 5 tea bags)
1 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. butter, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
peeled orange segments (garnish)

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Using fork, pierce duck skin all over (this will allow most of the fat to render while cooking-- you don't want to eat it all). Sprinkle both sides of breast with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Heat large skillet over high heat. Place breasts, skin side down in dry skillet and cook without turning until skin is browned, four minutes.

4. Flip breasts over, cook two minutes more. Remove skillet from heat.

5. Transfer breasts to rack of roasting pan. Roast duck to desired level of doneness. (This will be 20 minutes for medium-rare, which is the best way to eat duck breast. Cook longer if desired, but be careful not to overcook.)

6. While duck bakes, heat remaining duck fat in its skillet on medium heat. Add shallots. Sauté about 5 minutes, until they begin to brown.

7. Remove shallots to a small bowl. Pour drippings from skillet and discard.

8. In same skillet (don't bother to wash it) pour broth, orange juice and tea leaves. Add shallots. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 C. This should take 15-20 minutes.

9. Strain mixture into a bowl using a fine mesh metal strainer. Press with back of spoon to extract more liquid. Discard solids.

10. Return strained sauce to the skillet. Add the honey.

11. Bring sauce to a simmer, then whisk in the butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

12. Remove duck from oven and thinly slice crosswise.

13. Divide among four plates, fanning slices or placing in a row. Spoon sauce over, around, and/or next to duck. Garnish with orange. This flavorful Christmas dinner party recipe is made to impress!

This wonderful pork roast is ridiculously easy, delicious, and can be made ahead-- which makes it the perfect Christmas dinner party recipe. Most of the work is done ahead of time, then the roast just sits in the oven. All you have to do is baste every half-hour or so. The finished pork roast is flavorful and wonderfully moist, and the prosciutto coating makes a wonderful, crisp crust.

Even if you're tempted to, don't salt the meat-- the prosciutto, parmesan, and butter are salty enough. Be ready to be impressed.

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Ingredients:
1 boneless pork loin roast (2 to 3 pounds)
3 tbsp. butter, softened
3 oz prosciutto or Spanish jamon, finely-chopped
2-3 tbsp. garlic, finely minced
2-3 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 to 2 C. dry white wine

Instructions: 1. Combine butter, prosciutto or jamon, garlic, parmesan, rosemary, and black pepper. Set aside. (A food processor makes chopping the prosciutto, parmasean, garlic and rosemary a cinch.)

2. Clean roast of most of its visible fat. With a sharp knife, cut LOTS of slits into top and sides of roast (not bottom). Slits should be about an inch long and about half an inch or so deep.

3. Spread prosciutto mixture over and into roast. Use your fingers to get mixture deep into the slits. This will give moisture and flavor to the roast as it cooks.

4. If desired, you can wrap the roast in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator overnight or up to one day at this point.

5. To cook: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place prepared roast in roasting pan (a large casserole dish works, too) and pour wine gently over the top. Roast for approx 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours (depends on size of roast), basting with drippings every 20-30 minutes.

6. Remove roast from oven, move to a carving board, and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for about 15 minutes. If desired, spoon away extra fat and thicken remaining pan drippings with flour to make a gravy while the meat rests.A suprisingly easy and elegant Christmas dinner party recipe!