<3my3babies Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 This year I am doing dinner at my house on Christmas Eve. I have NEVER done this before. Never made a turkey.....anything. I can do desserts, but any pointers or suggestions for the dinner would be extremely helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansieDZ Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Depends on how many people will be there: adults/children. Have you considered making ham for dinner? Really easy and the leftovers are very versatile. You might want to go to a recipe site.Allrecipes.com is my favorite. If it helps,ask folks to bring a side dish. Just remember the spirit of the evening and you'll be fine :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starbeck96 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 I agree with HansieDZ..allrecipes.com is great and to ask everyone to bring a side dish. I usually do turkey breast and put it in the crockpot. I just rub a little garlic powder, salt and pepper on the outside. Then just add water and butter. I usually put mine on Christmas morning for dinner that night. Dressing is really easy also, and you can mix it up the day before so all you have to do that day is put it in the oven for about an hour. Deviled eggs, slaw, and mac-n-cheese are very easy side dishes. I have Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner here every year so i have plenty of ideas if you want them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkrbel Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 we used to do a whole pig, then downgraded to ham and now we alternate between a ham or stuffed turkey breast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokanm Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 We always used to do a buffet, ham, meatballs, pasta dish, deli platter, rolls, sides, desserts etc. Everyone usually brings a dish too. It works out great as everyone is tired, they serve themselves, disposables make easy clean up too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgmckny Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Christmas eve when I was growing up was finger foods and cheese balls etc. My mom would make a crockpot of 13 bean soup with chicken and good sausage in it, think kind of like a gumbo but no okra.. Since a lot of families are doing multiple dinners it was a way to not overload on turkey or ham. As we got older we started having seafood and meeting at a local restaurant for some local shrimp, etc. Now I tend to do a soup for my family or chili and finger foods, not a lot of extended family comes now, everyone is busy with their own and in-laws or jobs preclude the travel. A friend is italian and at Christmas does seafood but for THanksgiving they do a big lasagna instead of a traditional american turkey. Like a buffet this would be fairly easy, make a salad bar while the food is cooking or an antipasta tray or both and then Lasagna and desserts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockfordmom Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 Buy one of those oven bags for turkey, start defrosting the turkey by putting it in your refrigerator 3 days ahead of time. When you're ready to cook the turkey remove the bag of giblets & anything else from the turkey cavities, and put the turkey in the oven bag. Follow the directions for Stovetop stuffing (I use chicken stock instead of water) and fill the turkey cavities with cooled off stuffing. You can rub butter on the outside of the turkey and some salt, but I used to not add anything and just cook it in the bag and it turns out perfectly every time. I think turkey is 15 minutes per lb & count on a few extra minutes, so a 12.36 lb turkey takes about 3 hours 15 minutes, cook at 325*. Most turkeys have a timer thing that pops out when the turkey is cooked. Let turkey sit out of the oven 20 minutes before cutting it. The oven bags keep it moist and from drying out, they come out perfect every time when you use the oven bags. Just make sure you give yourself a little extra cooking time and sitting time in case the turkey takes a little longer to cook, you can always take it out of the oven and not cut open the bag until you're ready to cut it. It's really easy to make a turkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrgeek68 Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 good luck! I just usually cook for close family! Ideas that i do...celery with cream cheese and olives..i had this growing up and have incorporated it into our holidays...my hubby loves them..he ask every year if he can have them early... always have pickles of every kind.....beet, dill, sweet, dilly beans etc...we usually purchase our pies at a local restraurant...however this year with money being tight...i am gonna try...cough cough....again good luck...you will do fine... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dealluvr Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 i put the turkey in breast side down one year and the white meat was the moistest i have ever had.now people are saying to do it that way. making homemade cranberry sauce is way cheaper and ever so good.follow directions on package and it turns out awesome look for recipe for buttermilk pie. i never even drank buttermilk but buttermilk pie is like very heavenly custard pie i am trying out a recipe i thought of today.i am rroasting potatoes and sweet potatoes and adding a onion/apple sauce tor put over them. trying iot out today for thanksgiving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockfordmom Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 good luck! I just usually cook for close family! Ideas that i do...celery with cream cheese and olives..i had this growing up and have incorporated it into our holidays...my hubby loves them..he ask every year if he can have them early... always have pickles of every kind.....beet, dill, sweet, dilly beans etc...we usually purchase our pies at a local restraurant...however this year with money being tight...i am gonna try...cough cough....again good luck...you will do fine...you just reminded me, growing up we always had budding beef spread with cream cheese and rolled up & cut into little pieces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peppysfireball Posted November 13, 2011 Share Posted November 13, 2011 At our house, turkey and cranberries are thanksgiving only. At xmas my mom makes a ham and mash potatoes. I bring homemade chicken and noodles and homemade dinner rolls. We have other assorted sides, which I don't pay attention to since I don't eat vegetables. For desert it's xmas salad and lemon lush and maybe a pie or angel food cake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
<3my3babies Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share Posted November 13, 2011 Thank you for all the suggestions so far. My parents divorced a few years ago and I am having my Dad over with my family and my sister. My Dad's gf and her family will be here as well. I invited them here this year because I am tired of dragging my kids to 3 different places on Christmas day (my grandmas, my Dads, and my FILs). I think I will try to keep it simple, but any suggestions are welcome. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreaInNC Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Don't be afraid to ask people to bring a dish especially if its family. I wouldn't expect to show up at my sister's house and not bring something. If you are doing it Christmas eve and are afraid to cook your turkey then order one. Grocery stores are open normally until 6pm on 12/24 so you can pick it up that day. Turkeys aren't that hard to cook but they are scary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgmckny Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 Don't be afraid to ask people to bring a dish especially if its family. I wouldn't expect to show up at my sister's house and not bring something. If you are doing it Christmas eve and are afraid to cook your turkey then order one. Grocery stores are open normally until 6pm on 12/24 so you can pick it up that day. Turkeys aren't that hard to cook but they are scary!That's what I've decided to do for THanksgiving.....My publix makes a dinner that surprisingly didn't go up in price from last year.....I will add other stuff to it but pick it up Wed night and just reheat on Thursday. My issue is space to defrost the Turkey or store it if I buy it in advance, the big freezer is what I miss most from the old house. But no room in the apartment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyfrog Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I would suggest sitting down with paper and pen/pencil. make a list of what you would like to eat. ask the inhouse family members what THEY would like to have. then since you've got folks invited to attend - delegate out a dish to each person to bring - one can bring the green bean casserole thing, another can bring dinner rolls/corn muffins/whatever starch it is you are into, etc. since you said you like to bake desserts - i'd bake the pies (keep it to 3 varieties or less!) - you can bake 2 pies at once - some ovens can fit a third pie in at once - but don't cram tight need airflow. the day before to 3 days before. if they need fridge - and space is limited - either put outside ina cooler if outside temps are around 40ish *F or add ice to that cooler and put pies in, inside. lol. (not sure where you live). i put the cooler in my car actually to keep any critters from being able to nibble their way into the cooler. - oh yeah, if you have less than 12 people total - i'd keep it to no more than 2 pies of any one variety. some folks will want this, some will want that, some will want none, and some will want one of each - but you're still going to end up with 2 pies extra if you make 6 total (3 varieties). i freeze all my cheesecakes after i bake them - and those i bake severael weeks/month in advance - whenever the mood hits me to bake a cheesecake i do it - so i always have one/three in there - just thaw and serve if you want a heavy rich dessert as well. :) definitely making a list, then seeing what you can make in advance/reheat/cook day of - with times marked next to each item so you can get it all finished at same time. defnitely ask your family what their 'must have/favorite' dishes are. what you think you 'need' and what they WANT may actually be different and their suggestions may be less than you were planning. i know that was true for my family. then save that list year to yaer so you just pull it out and use it again next year. :) (and this way, you can note next to the item what were hits/misses - and who did a good job on whatever dish - and ask them to do it again - or give them different dish in future - or none!, lol.) because it is your first time doing it - i'd even note down the pans planned on being used - because you may find you need an extra saucepan to get all burners on stove in use at same time. :) that reminds me - i have a single burner electric unit thing that i use for holidays. gives me a 5th burner on my counter to cook something that didn't fit on stovetop. blessings,bettyann ps a friend suggested something brilliant this year to me - she's having everyone bring an EMPTY fridge storage container - to take leftovers home in. so everyone can eat hearty on friday and she won't have as much leftovers to deal with. This year I am doing dinner at my house on Christmas Eve. I have NEVER done this before. Never made a turkey.....anything. I can do desserts' date=' but any pointers or suggestions for the dinner would be extremely helpful.[/quote'] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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