what about eggplant parmesan or a lasagna?

Christmas dinner is such a tradition-laden meal. There's no way you can replicate that unique meal for another family. (Reference that great Friends episode with the myriad kinds of potatoes as proof.)

I'd say that gives you complete freedom not to try adhere to any particular paradigm. Yours is a wonderfully touching gesture, and anything you might do that's sumptuous and festive will fit the bill! Turkey, beef, cornish game hen, fish, risotto....

I will say that sauteed green beans and red pepper strips with pine nuts is one of my favorites - wonderfully seasonal red and green makes a nice addition to the table. http://www.food.com/recipe/Sauteed-Green-Beans-Red-Bell-Peppers-and-Pine-Nuts-81304

Good luck, and Happy Hanukkah!!

Beef Bourguignon is my go-to for make ahead dinner parties and I have done it for Christmas before. Great, one pot meal that you can make up to a few days ahead of time. Just needs to be reheated with a loaf of fresh bread and you have a rich, satisfying meal that never dissapoints! I have sent it to peoples homes in the past with a good bottle of red wine and a good box of chocolates for dessert.

Lasagne Roll-ups are another great choice. For a holiday, I would spruce them up a bit with spinach and artichoke filling. A tray of pre assembled stuffed mushrooms is a great addition for them to pop in the oven. Make sure to send it with a salad and extra sauce, great for leftovers. Would be nice with a loaf of panetone and a cheesecake for dessert.

Can I suggest that whatever you make be flexible, easily reheated, etc? It's such chaos in the first week, especially. Also, though it's so, so nice that you're doing this, don't get overly invested in making something fancy. If their experience is anything like mine, on the one hand, any offering at all will be intensely appreciated and, on the other hand, life is so topsy-turvy with a new babe that your friends probably won't truly savor whatever you send along. In this case, the fact of being taken care of will far outweigh the particular contents of the help.

As someone who is now post-due, I would also say helping them find a back up plan for celebrating with another set of friends so they're not twiddling thumbs waiting for baby to arrive on Chirstmas eve because baby decides not to show up on time.

I was about to suggest the same thing. Beef Bourguignon is festive, tasty, and only gets better as it sits in the fridge. I would add a nice salad and I agree about the bread.

Why don't you make them a brisket? That's a delicious meal that you are familiar with.
Loaf of good bread as the other poster said and some rice or potatoes.
Very nice of you to offer.
Shana Tova and Merry Christmas
irina

How truly thoughtful!

Maybe something not too heavy. I remember in the days before labor that heartburn was triggered by heavy foods. Do they have any suggestions for you? Or maybe you can just hang out and cook with them?

And bringing a couple of DVDs would help them pass the nervous waiting time.

Oh, I didn't give a suggestion. Homemade raviolis and butternut squash soup. They both freeze beautifully, aren't too heavy or spicy, and can be eaten before or after, depending on when the baby is due.

My family's Xmas dinner is basically a reprise of Thanksgiving, if that helps with ideas. I'm chuckling at the gift of a nice dinner, though, because the night my brother and SIL planned to do that for me was when their niece decided to make her appearance! The leftovers were great, though -- for some strange reason, I was ravenous after the whole having a baby thing...

How traditional does the menu need to be? I have a few recipes that are easy to make and/or freeze well...roasted red pepper dip, pesto, roasted root veggie mash, pesto quinoa salad, and you can never go wrong with frittata! You can check them out at bitesforbabies.com. Good luck! ;-)

I'd stay away from broccoli or cruciferous veggies as they can cause some breast-fed babies to have a tummy ache.

Thanks so much everyone for the great suggestions!! I don't think the meal has to be super-traditional, as both of their families typically do Christmas different ways. I just want them to be able to enjoy the holiday without any stress :-)

As tacky as it may seem, please bring/serve the food in disposable containers. Otherwise one sleep deprived parent cleans dishes for an hour or the dishes stack up next to the sink.
A roast would easily reheat and would be nice for the holidays. And maybe some almost all the way baked potatoes so they an just throw them in the oven.
Desserts of any kind are great but cookies would do double duty as easy snacks for a few days after.

Any dinner you bring would be thoroughly appreciated. What's more important is the sentiment behind this incredibly thoughtful gesture. So I second- Shana Tova and Merry Christmas!