This Christmas Vacation movie party menu is a fun idea for a Christmas party theme foods, casual Christmas party snacks for holiday movie night, or a Griswold’s holiday dinner party!
National Lampoons Christmas Party Food Ideas Christmas Vacation Menu Ideas and Fun Party Foods
What did they eat for Christmas dinner during the Christmas Vacation movie?
The Christmas Vacation movie menu included:
- Dry roasted turkey
- Turkey gravy in gravy boat
- Veggie Tower (the tall thing): Asparagus Tower with a cherry tomato “star” on top and pearl onions, green olives, and small red pepper garnish decorations
- Aunt Bethany’s Green Jell-o with a Secret Ingredient decorated with a carrot ribbon (or a sweet potato ribbon) – the infamous Christmas Vacation green jello!
- Seven-tier cake (it’s in the background of the dinner scene behind Clark)
- Croquembouche Christmas Tree dessert (also behind Clark, on a dessert tray)
- Various desserts – maybe a tiramisu (on dessert tray) – ? it’s hard to tell from the dinner party movie scene
- Random Creamy Jello Salad (white thing on the table shaped like a bell with a red “ribbon”)
- Salad, which is really just large lettuce leaves with cherry tomatoes in the movie
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Broccoli and tomato vegetable tray with white dip in the middle
- Bowl of cooked broccoli
- Bowl of fresh fruit (apples and pears)
- Rolls
- Crackers
- Milk
- Water
- Wine
- Meister Brau beer (which is now Miller Lite)
But, don’t worry, you can easily recreate some of these foods and more Christmas movie-themed party snacks for your Christmas party! READ ON TO LEARN HOW!
What is around Aunt Bethany’s Jello mold?
Aunt Bethany’s Jell-O mold is probably one of the most famous desserts in a Christmas movie (aside from the dried poof of turkey dust).
The Jello dish in Christmas Vacation is Aunt Bethany’s “special” recipe:
- green Jell-O (from a round mold)
- decorated with dry, crunchy cat food
- and also what appears to be either a raw carrot or raw sweet potato ribbon around the edge
For your Christmas Vacation themed party, you can use Cheerios, other dry cereal, or even chopped nuts to represent the “cat food.”
Christmas Vacation Themed Food Ideas
You don’t necessarily need to have a sit-down Christmas Vacation dinner party, like in the Christmas Vacation movie with the Griswolds and their family.
Instead, do some fun theme foods from the movie, finger foods, and desserts for an easy Christmas party buffet using iconic foods from the movie!
Place signs by each dish with fun theme names and/or quotes from the movie or a Christmas Vacation dinner menu board for the National Lampoon party food.
Here are fun National Lampoon’s Christmas Party ideas for food and Griswold Christmas theme party dinner…
Christmas Vacation Party Food Ideas
Cousin Eddie’s Wife Catherine’s Turkey
Instead of making a whole turkey, use turkey jerky instead to imitate the dry, overcooked turkey like the movie.
Put the jerky like this in a bowl and label it Catherine’s Dried Turkey.
PRO PARTY TIP: If you want to add something a little more substantial, you can make different kinds of chicken wings and label them “Catherine’s Dried Turkey Wings.” Serve with turkey gravy in a gravy boat (like in the movie) and other dipping sauces.
MOVIE QUOTE FOR THE SIGN: Clark: “Catherine, if this turkey tastes half as good as it looks, we’re all in for a real treat!” Eddie: “Save the neck for me, Clark!”
Another iconic scene from the Christmas Vacation movie is when cousin Eddie is dumping his RV’s waste into the street drain and exclaims to Clark, “Sh*tter’s full!”
You can make this homemade hot chocolate served in these hilarious poo jars for a Christmas hot cocoa bar or hot chocolate board.
MOVIE QUOTE FOR THE SIGN: Sh*tter’s Full Hot Chocolate
Aunt Bethany’s Green Jello
Make green Jell-O in a mold like this.
Sprinkle the chilled Jello with chopped nuts or Cheerios cereal for the cat food — bonus points if you put a raw carrot or sweet potato ribbon around it!
MOVIE QUOTE FOR THE SIGN: Aunt Bethany, does your cat eat jello?
Eggnog In A Punch Bowl
Make or buy your favorite eggnog and put it in the punch bowl.
Serve it with the moose mugs from the movie (or give the mugs awayas a game prize for someone!)
MOVIE QUOTE FOR THE SIGN: “Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?” -Clark to Cousin Eddie
Griswold Asparagus Tree
This isn’t talked about in the movie, but there is a fabulous 80s-like asparagus tower on the Christmas dinner table in the movie.
It looks like lightly steamed asparagus (still firm) tied together like a Christmas tree and decorated with pearl onions, tomatoes, green pimento-stuffed olives, and red pepper strips as make-shift Christmas tree decorations.
Place it on a serving platter with additional asparagus around it on the platter.
if you don’t want to make a tower, try this asparagus salad.
Griswold Family Salad
There is the most basic, 80s-looking green salad on the table during dinner with:
- Iceberg lettuce
- Rings of green and red bell peppers
Ol’ Roy Dog Food
There’s a really funny scene where Clark and Cousin Eddie goes to the store and they buy these huge bags of Ol’ Roy Dog Food.
You can easily turn this into a fun snack mix idea.
- Grab some old-school brown lunch bags and write Ol Roy Dog Food on them.
- Roll down the top so that it makes a small bag.
- Fill it with snack party mix like this Dill Pickle Chex Mix for the “dog food”!
Clark’s Cranberry Jelly Of The Month Dip
I’m sure you’ve seen the movie if you’re here planning a Griswold Christmas party, but just in case you haven’t I won’t ruin it for you.
But, a Jelly of the Month Club plays an important plot twist in the movie, so you’ll definitely want to include it in your menu.
Make this cranberry “jelly” dip for Clark’s cranberry jelly dip.
Serve with crackers, rolls, hearty breads and cheeses. You can even add Catherine’s Turkey Jerky for a full Christmas meat and cheese platter.
MOVIE QUOTE FOR THE SIGN: Clark : “It’s a one year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club.” Eddie : “Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.”
Squirrel Cookies
If you don’t remember, a squirrel is in the Griswold’s fresh-cut Christmas tree, which leads the family and the party guests (along with Aunt Bethany’s cat) on a wild chase during the holiday party.
Make squirrel Cookies (grab this cookie cutter and use this recipe for no-spread cookies) and fried cat cookies to recreated that scene.
MOVIE QUOTE FOR THE SIGN: “Squirrel! “-Clark Griswold, Sr.
Other Party Foods Ideas for a Christmas Vacation Movie Party
- Clark candy bars
- Yule Log (QUOTE: “Yule log. Not a log, I don’t have a log, I mean, you know…If I had a log. Not in the sense that you think I said I did…”)
- Edible Christmas Lights (QUOTE : Art: “The little lights aren’t twinkling.” Clark: “I know Art. And thanks for noticing.”)
ANOTHER FUN CHRISTMAS MOVIE PARTY THEME: Christmas Story Party
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
I hope you have fun with this Christmas Vacation movie party menu for your holiday party!
