When you know that you are going to spend your Christmas Day whipping up a fabulous feast, it is easy to fall back on a McDonald or Chinese takeout for dinner on Christmas Eve. However, if you are looking for something easy and yummy at the same time, there are a million dishes you can prepare without spending too much time in the kitchen. To make your life easy, we got you Christmas Eve dinner ideas all of which take 30 minutes or less to make.

Citrus Shrimp and Quinoa Salad with Feta

If you want to keep things on the lighter side, try this shrimp salad. Start with preheating the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium saucepan, add two cups water and a cup of quinoa and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until tender for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit. Meanwhile, toss the shrimp with the oil, salt and smoked paprika on a baking sheet. Roast until the shrimp turns bright pink. Add the shrimp to the quinoa bowl, along with grapefruit or clementine, feta and olives. Gently toss to combine. Now top the salad with slices of lime and serve. Christmas 2019 Dinner Recipes: Yummy Dishes That You Would Want To Make Again and Again!

Cheese Plate with Roasted Grapes

Serve a cheese platter and call it your Christmas Eve dinner. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange green and purple grapes in clusters on the baking sheet. Now toss the grapes with olive oil, salt and pepper and nestle thyme and rosemary among the vines. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes until the grape skins are blistered and wrinkled. Transfer the grapes to the centre of a large board. Arrange the ricotta, white cheddar, almonds and figs around the grapes. Relish the platter with crackers. Christmas 2019 Recipes: 5 Healthy Cookie Recipes to Make Your X-Mas Sweet Yet Fit

Pomegranate-Maple Glazed Lamb Chops

These lamb chops are a sweet and sour delight. Heat your grill or grill pan over high heat. In a small bowl, whisk together two tablespoons each of olive oil, pomegranate molasses and maple syrup. Now grate one garlic clove into the mixture and add a teaspoon of dry mustard. Whisk to combine. Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper and brush both sides of each lamb chop with the glaze. Grill the lamb chops until well charred, flipping once and brushing with the reserved glaze, about four minutes per side. To make the salad, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss in spinach, mint leaves, red onion, pomegranate seeds and almonds. Garnish chops with chopped mint and serve with the salad. Rum Cake Recipe For Christmas 2019: Step-By-Step Guide To Bake Golden Rum Cake At Home (Watch Video)

Cacio e Pepe

If you are looking for a classic Italian recipe, try this four-ingredient pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for eight to ten minutes until al dente. While the pasta cooks, mash four tablespoons unsalted butter with a tablespoon of olive oil and a quarter cup of pecorino cheese to form a paste. When the pasta is tender, drain the water, reserving  half cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the spaghetti directly to the bowl with the butter mixture. Toss well to coat, adding the pasta water as needed to make a thick, creamy sauce. Season with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

Score major points this Christmas Eve with this decadent three-ingredient brownie. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter four 5-inch cast-iron skillets. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and chocolate-hazelnut spread such as Nutella. Then stir in half cup flour and kosher salt until fully incorporated. Transfer mixture to prepared pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Whatever you end up making, we are sure it will be delicious because everything always tastes better with friends and your loved ones around on Holidays.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 24, 2019 11:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).