watermelon Christmas tree cutouts on cutting board

Can’t figure out what to serve at this year’s holiday dinner? We’re here to help! We’ve put together a delicious and nutritious four-course watermelon-themed holiday dinner that is sure to impress and delight even the toughest relative. 😉

A Holiday Cocktail

This tasty cocktail is sure to help guests warm up from the cold winter air. Made with watermelon juice and peppermint liquor, it’s sure to get people in the holiday spirit(s). 

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Appetizers 

As your guests arrive, these watermelon canapes are a great dish to pass around the party. They’re equal parts salty and sweet. Since they’re made with only three ingredients, you can easily whip up more if they get eaten up too quickly. 

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Start With Salad

Your main course is finishing up on the stove, so let’s start dinner with a tasty, fresh salad. This watermelon pomegranate toss salad is so simple to put together and uses tasty winter produce like citrus and pomegranates. 

 The easy-to-make recipe

Main Course

Cooking for a crowd can be tricky, so finding an easy entree recipe that you can make in bulk is key. Our watermelon chicken with a balsamic glaze is a great, flavorful recipe sure to please any crowd and can easily be made on the grill or grill pan. The glaze for this recipe can be made three days ahead of time to help you spread out your party prep. 

This amazing recipe was created by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD, dietitian and blogger at fANNEtasticfood.com.

Step-by-step directions here

Watermelon Chicken with Balsamic Glaze

Time For Dessert 

Finally, to finish a delicious, watermelon-packed meal, wow your guests with your ability to use the whole watermelon and bring out this beautiful watermelon rind cake. Similar to carrot cake, this spiced dessert is a great alternative to overly sweet holiday cookies. 

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Having watermelon at your holiday festivities? Show us on social media! Tag @WatermelonBoard so we can share with others.