Food is what brings Filipino families together, especially during holidays. At family reunions, it is common to bring your specialty with you, be it tinolang manok, or your aunt’s recipe of leche flan. And. potluck parties are best since everyone brings in different types of food and you’ll have a wider range of choices thus, equating to more fun.
Not only are Filipinos known for eating, they are also fond of cooking. Here are the top food items you surely wouldn’t want to miss during Noche Buena; an added plus is that these are perfect potluck items, suitable to the tastes of the young and the older ones:

1. Filipino/ Sweet-style spaghetti

Putting emphasis on sweet-style, Filipinos love to serve sweet-style spaghetti simply because most of the kids love it. As they say, Christmas is for the children.
Another good thing is that this comes in packages at the grocery stores for around P200― making it one of the most affordable potluck dishes on our list. Be careful though, because saucy dishes tend to spoil more easily than the fried and dry ones.

2. Fried chicken

Fried chicken is also a classic favorite of kids. One cannot resist the crispy and juicy fried chicken. Whether it is homemade or store-bought, kids will surely love this dish. Dip the chicken in flour, eggs and seasoning, and this is surely a big hit. This is budget-friendly as it doesn’t need a lot of ingredients. The secret to best-tasting and crispy fried chicken is right timing on the frying pan and right amount of batter dipping.

Contrary to the western style of dipping fried chicken on gravy, we Filipinos prefer to dip it on ketchup or soy sauce and vinegar combination with an added kick of chili. Definitely a merry and unique Christmas, isn’t it?

3. Barbecue

Prepare your grills as we put some pork belly or chicken on it. There are a lot of barbecue recipes on the Internet, and here’s a good one by Cook the Story.
What’s good about this dish is that aside from being budget-friendly, it is easy to prepare. You’ll just have to endure the grilling part and you’re good to go!

Save some room for dessert! Here are the dessert items that made it on our list:

4. Macaroni/Fruit Salad

Another classic dish served during holidays― the macaroni/fruit salad. This is also perfect for moms who want to prepare something healthy for their kids.

With the right amount of condensed milk and the right amount of chilling time in the fridge, your salad will surely be a big hit. Aside from being budget-friendly, this is also very easy to prepare as you only need to mix all of the ingredients in a big bowl. For beginners who are hesitant to make their own macaroni salad, here are recipes by Mr. Food that you can choose from.

However, just like spaghetti, salads also tend to spoil easily. Just be cautious on the utensils you use in scooping the salad, and remember to use a dry serving spoon.

5. Maja Blanca (Coconut Pudding)

Maja blanca makes it to our list as it is one of the most budget-friendly Filipino desserts. This dessert is mainly composed of coconut milk, cornstarch, condensed milk, sugar, and sweet corn kernels. With its sweet and smooth texture, Filipinos of all ages surely love this dessert.

Here’s an easy recipe by Panlasang Pinoy. The challenge in making this dessert is patience and endurance in mixing all of the ingredients in one hot pot. Note that the mixture needs to be mixed consistently to prevent burning and it tends to get stickier over time.

6. Bibingka, Puto and Biko

Surely, Filipinos wouldn’t want to miss lola’s kakanin― bibingka, puto, and biko. Perfectly paired with a warm cup of sikwate or our version of hot chocolate, the kakanin and sikwate combo is surely a perfect treat to stay awake on Christmas Eve.

No matter what type of food is on the table, the spirit of Christmas will always live on in a home where love rises above everything else. Have a merrier Christmas, with love!