German Meal Ideas and Menus

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares German recipes rooted in family tradition.

When someone asks me what to make for a German dinner, my first thought is: what kind of meal are you looking for? A weeknight supper can look very different from a party menu, and sometimes the most German answer isn’t a cooked meal at all. Abendbrot, with good bread and cheese or cold cuts, is a perfectly normal evening meal.

This page is here to help you choose without overthinking it. Use the choices below to pick the kind of meal you’re planning, then go straight to the menu or meal plan that fits.

A German meal doesn’t have to follow one set pattern. What goes on the table depends on the occasion and the dishes being served.

What Kind of German Meal Are You Planning?

We'll be adding more German menus and meal ideas here as we create them, so you’ll have even more ways to put together a meal that fits the occasion.

Here’s a closer look at the German menus and meal plans that are ready for you now. We’ll add more choices here as new menus are published.

Weeknight German Meal Plan

Use the Weeknight German Meal Plan when you want German dinners that fit a busy workweek without turning every evening into a big cooking project.

Five easy German weeknight dinners, already planned to take the guesswork out of what to make each night.

It includes an abendbrot night ... a traditional German cold evening meal ... plus my free 5-Day German Dinner Kit to print and keep handy.

30-Minute German Meals

Sometimes I don’t need a plan for the whole week. I just need dinner  and preferably before hubby starts asking when it’ll be ready.

A few of my favorite quick German meals, all ready in about 30 minutes or less.

The 30-Minute German Meals gives you quick German dinners to choose from when time is short, from hoppel poppel to schnitzel and potato pancakes.

Dinner Menu Ideas

Sometimes I don’t need a whole meal plan ... I just want to know what goes well together.

Ready-made German dinner combinations, from easy family meals to more traditional dinners for company.

The German Dinner Menu Ideas page gives you complete dinner combinations, from an easy soup supper to a traditional rouladen dinner.

Oktoberfest Menu Ideas

The Oktoberfest Menu Ideas page is for when you want choices rather than one set menu.

Choose from nine Oktoberfest recipes to create a menu that suits your gathering and the number of people you’re feeding.

It brings together Oktoberfest-friendly recipes and shows you different ways to combine them, so you can choose what works for your family or the number of people you’re feeding.

Oktoberfest Party Menu

If you’d rather have the menu already planned for you, my German Oktoberfest Party Menu gives you one complete Bavarian meal instead of a list of possibilities.

One ready-made Oktoberfest menu, from pretzels and obatzda to warm apple strudel.

I’ve done the pairing for you, along with make-ahead and serving tips so you can enjoy your Oktoberfest gathering instead of spending the whole time in the kitchen.

Budget Oktoberfest Party Menu

Hosting Oktoberfest without letting the grocery bill get out of hand? The Budget Oktoberfest Party Menu gives you a complete menu for 10 using familiar dishes that will still make the table feel wonderfully festive.

You’ll see how much food to prepare, along with realistic cost estimates, so you can plan before heading to the grocery store.

A complete budget Oktoberfest menu for 10, from homemade pretzels and bratwurst with sauerkraut to German potato salad and apple streusel cake.

This menu is especially helpful when you want to serve a proper Oktoberfest spread without buying far more food than you need. I’ve also included a practical shopping list and a short preparation plan to help keep everything manageable when party day arrives.

Christmas Dinner Menu

The German Christmas Dinner Menu takes you through both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, because the two meals are quite different in many German families.

German Christmas meal ideas for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, from a simple potato salad supper to roast duck with dumplings and red cabbage.

Christmas Eve is traditionally the simpler supper, while Christmas Day is the time for a fuller meal. I’ve included complete menus for both, along with a make-ahead plan so you can see what can be prepared before the holiday and what needs attention on the day itself.

More German Meal Ideas Are Coming

For now, these are the menus and meal plans I have ready for you, but this page will keep growing as I add more. Whether you’re planning a simple weeknight dinner or something special for a holiday, my goal is to help you put dishes together in a way that makes sense at the table.

I hope you’ll come back as I add new menus. And if you’re ever wondering what really belongs with a German main dish, this is exactly the place to start.

What’s for Dinner?

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.