Christmas Dinner ideas?

[amez74]

last year we had my husbands family down for an earlier Christmas dinner. I brined and cooked a really good turkey, green beans rolled in bacon, sourcream and chive potatos, lots of deserts etc. a really good meal.

 

My dh wants me to outdo myself this year :) Which is okay cause I love cooking, but I wanted to hear some new ideas to dazzle all the inlaws. Any ideas? It will probably be about 20 people of various ages. They will be staying at the house all weekend.

 

thanks

Amy

[Kanyon71]

You could do a roasted duck, roasted salt/parm quartered potatoes, steamed fresh veggies and so forth. We normally just make a simple dinner for Christmas eve things like Lasagna, Roast Beef and such. I like todo a nice Christmas Day Brunch though, usually end up making a Gran Marinier French Toast, Chesse Baked Hashbrown Casserole, Eggs, Biscuits, Gravy, Sausage, Bacon, Canadian Bacon, Warm Maple Syrup and other condiments to go with it. This year I'm thinking about stuff the French Toast with an orange/cream cheese stuffing.

[nnmfam]

I do a roast and make lasanga . I also do a fruit salad , roasted parsley potatoes , fruit sald and homemade rolls. Plus loads of cookies. I love to cook

[zim05]

My family's Christmas Eve dinner is very easy. After Church (around 6 or so) we put in a Lasagna (from the store that you just take from the freezer and into your oven) and some cheese bread. Well that is baking, usually a hour, we start opening presents or watch a Christmas movie. Very simple and delicious!

 

Christmas Day dinner we go to Grandma's house and have basically a 'Thanksgiving' type dinner with an array of deserts.

[steph3306]

You might check out www.foodnetwork.com for some ideas. They always have something fancy for holidays.:)

[bugsette]

standing prime rib

[dramaqueen72500]

I am not big on cooking but last year I had Christmas dinner at my house and I made these twice baked sweet potatoes-everyone loved them. I know it doesn't sound like anything special but I promise you they look beautiful and taste even better.

[tokanm]

I usually make a ham but this year I may do lasagna instead.

I also do Monkey Bread for breakfast every year

 

Christmas Eve is Chinese Food as a rule

 

I always make broccoli with cheese sauce and for dessert a chocolate trifle

[mgmckny]

Christmas dinner at the Chinese Restaurant again! It was yummy and nobody had to cook (well in my family anyway) or do dishes. We did Easter there this year too! Come to think of it, we did my ds11's bday there also..... I think we like chinese food.

[arci122]

A roast or something of that nature so I can spend time with the kids while it is cooking away.

[abentley]

I order a meat and cheese tray from a local deli, boneless hot wings, rolls and such for Christmas eve. A lot of snack type food for all to enjoy through out the day. We pull out the chocolate fountain too. Sometimes we do a big dinner on Christmas, and I try to have a breakfast casserole ready. We save the prime rib for New Years!!!

[siczlo]

The great thing about lasagna, is that you can make it ahead of time. Toss a salad and bake some garlic bread and you're done! No messy kitchen on Christmas day, and you can spend your time with the family instead of in the kitchen! Oh, and Christmas Eve we do potluck. Everyone brings a dish and we eat like pigs on (very nice) paper plates! LOL

[ashemgra]

I have done both these recipes and they are YUMMY!

 

Stuffed Pork Chops with Gorgonzola and Apple serves 2

 

INGREDIENTS

 

* 1 tablespoon butter

* 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme

* 1/2 cup chopped Granny Smith apples

* ground black pepper to taste

* 1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese at room temperature, crumbled

*

* 2 thick cut pork chops

*

* 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

* 2 cloves garlic

* 1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese

* 3 tablespoons dry sherry

* 1/8 cup heavy cream

* 1/2 cup chicken broth

* salt and pepper to taste

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. To make the apple stuffing: In a saute pan or skillet on medium heat, melt the butter and saute thyme, chopped apples, salt and pepper together until the apples are completely softened; about 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Place the apple mixture in a bowl and mix in 1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese. The cheese should liquefy into the stuffing within a couple of minutes.

4. To prepare the pork chops: Butterfly the pork chops by slicing them parallel to the plane of the chop from the fat side to the bone. Stuff each one with about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the apple mixture.

5. Bake the chops for about 1 hour. Place the chops on a rack with the two stuffing sides pressed together to hold the stuffing inside the chops.

6. To make the sauce: Heat the oil in a saute pan or skillet on medium heat, then saute the garlic until transparent, and the cheese until slightly melting. Immediately add the sherry, let cook for a minute until combined, then add the cream and 1/4 cup of the chicken stock, salt and pepper. Stir until well blended. Stir occasionally and reduce the liquid on medium high heat until the sauce begins to toast/caramelize and turn darker brown. Add the remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock, reincorporate the cheese and continue reducing until there is just 1/4 to 1/2 cup of thick liquid remaining.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Rosemary-Scented Pork Loin Stuffed With Roasted Garlic, Dried Apricots and Cranberries and Port Wine Pan Sauce serves 16 easily

 

INGREDIENTS

 

* 3 tablespoons olive oil

* 16 whole peeled garlic cloves

* 2 tablespoons minced garlic cloves

* 1 (8 pound) whole boneless pork loin, patted dry, at room temperature

* Salt and freshly ground pepper

* 3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary (snip with scissors), divided

* 16 dried apricots (or similar amount of your favorite dried fruit)

* 1/3 cup dried cranberries

* Heavy kitchen string or twine

* 1/4 cup apple jelly

* 1/4 cup port

* 1/2 cup chicken broth

* 2 tablespoons apple jelly

* 2 teaspoons cornstarch

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add whole garlic cloves and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; reserve oil.

2. Turn pork loin fat-side down. Slit lengthwise, almost but not quite all the way through, to form a long pocket, leaving a 1/2-inch border of unslit meat at each end. Brush cavity with some of the reserved garlic cooking oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and 1 Tb. of the rosemary. Line cavity with sauteed garlic and apricots; sprinkle in cranberries. Tie loin together with kitchen twine or heavy-duty string at 1 1/2-inch intervals.

3. Brush with remaining oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Set roast, fat-side up, diagonally or curved (so it fits) on a large, lipped cookie sheet or jellyroll pan. Warm 1/4 cup apple jelly along with the minced garlic and remaining rosemary. Brush mixture onto meat.

4. Roast until a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 125 to 130 degrees. (Start checking at about 1 1/2 hours.) Remove from oven; raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush loin with pan drippings, return to oven, and continue to roast until the loin is golden brown and a meat thermometer stuck into the center registers 155 to 160 degrees, about 20 minutes longer. For even more attractive coloring, broil until spotty brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

5. Let roast rest 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to a carving board. Stir juices around pan to loosen brown bits. Pour through a strainer into a small pan, and stir in port, chicken broth and remaining 2 Tbs. of jelly; bring to a simmer. Mix cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of cold water; whisk into sauce. Simmer until lightly thickened. Slice pork and serve with a little sauce.

 

FOOTNOTES

 

*

If you opt to roast a portion rather than a whole pork loin, select the more flavorful rib end. A 4-pound roast will serve 8.

 

*

This recipe was originally featured in the USA WEEKEND article A Simple Christmas Dinner on December 14, 2003.

*

Find the Perfect Recipe from Pam Anderson.

*

Pam Anderson is the author of four cookbooks, including her latest, Perfect Recipes for Having People Over.

*

Copyright 2004 USA WEEKEND and columnist Pam Anderson. All rights reserved.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Garlic Red Potatoes serves 4

 

* 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered

* 1/4 cup butter, melted

* 2 teaspoons minced garlic

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1 lemon, juiced

* 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place potatoes in an 8x8 inch baking dish.

3. In a small bowl combine melted butter, garlic, salt and lemon juice; pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over potatoes.

4. Bake, covered, in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Glazed Carrots serves 8-10

 

* 2 (16 ounce) packages fresh baby carrots

* 1/2 cup butter or margarine

* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

* 2 (1 ounce) packages ranch salad dressing mix

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1. Place carrots in a saucepan; add 1 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside.

2. In the same pan, combine butter, brown sugar and salad dressing mix until blended. Add carrots. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5 minutes or until glazed.

Edited September 13, 2008 by ashemgra

[luvwdw]

We have done Filet Mingon and Crab Legs with baked potatoes, green beens with almonds and cranberries and salad for the past few years. My husband couldn't care less if there was another Turkey Dinner ever! He will eat turkey once a year for Thanksgivong and that is about it. Fine with me, steak and crab legs is much easier to cook than an enitre tureky or ham dinner.

[booga12345]

Christmas Eve is always a mexican buffet. Homemade tamales, tostada, and posole. Christmas dinner is always the traditional. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, etc.

[mgmckny]

Christmas Eve is always a mexican buffet. Homemade tamales, tostada, and posole. Christmas dinner is always the traditional. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, etc.

Can I come to your house for Christmas Eve? LOL!

[catzone2001]

Christmas Eve is always a mexican buffet. Homemade tamales, tostada, and posole. Christmas dinner is always the traditional. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, etc.

What time do want me to come over.LOL

[catzone2001]

I order a meat and cheese tray from a local deli, boneless hot wings, rolls and such for Christmas eve. A lot of snack type food for all to enjoy through out the day. We pull out the chocolate fountain too. Sometimes we do a big dinner on Christmas, and I try to have a breakfast casserole ready. We save the prime rib for New Years!!!

I do the same thing on for Christmas Eve is order meat and cheese platters to.

[dd50]

When the kids were small I always made lasagna the day before so on Christmas I only had to put it in the oven and make salad. Sometimes I had a ham and other times not. Two years ago I made prime rib and have been having that. Love it and easy to make. I like to feel like I can have most of the day off too.

 

Christmas eve I usually make shrimp and crab legs.

[ohitsunshine]

I am not big on cooking but last year I had Christmas dinner at my house and I made these twice baked sweet potatoes-everyone loved them. I know it doesn't sound like anything special but I promise you they look beautiful and taste even better.

Ok, I love love love sweet potatoes...more info please!

[Rockfordmom]

Terduckin (duck stuffed in a chicken that stuffed in a turkey)

[trbarginhunter]

Christmas Eve is a huge buffet, everyone brings something, hosts do the main course...it's at my sister's this year so likely to be ham. Christmas snack is usually shrimp or mushroom puffs or something (it's about lunch time), then we open gifts Christmas dinner is ravioli, sausage (homemade if my Dad feels like it), salad, ham, chessy potatoes, sweet potatoes (crock pot), some vegtable that I cook and no one eats, and lots of desserts at both. I don't know why I cook the vegtables, I just think they should be there.....

[chefswife]

I like to do a huge antipasto display for Christmas Eve. Grilled artichokes, olives, salami, peperoni, pepper ham,stuffed cherry peppers, italian cheeses, really good breads,canolis, candies and christmas cookies ect... . You can really have a good time with this and it looks so festive when displayed well. Oh and don't forget most importantly the wine. This works wonderfully for us since it can all be put together ahead of time and everyone can find something that they like. The clean-up is so easy too!!!!!! It is also great when you have guests arriving at different times. We usually have 20 to 30 people .

For christmas dinner I almost always do a prime rib, roasted yukon golds, a roasted vegetable assorment, yorkshire pudding, horseradish sauce, and a white chocolate creme brule. This mealy is easy and delisious and can be made for a lot of people without a lot of effort.

[AndreaInNC]

I second the Turducken. Last year I found premade ones at Harris Teeter. No one has to be the wiser as far as I'm concerned.

 

Or a deep fried Turkey .. easy as it only cooks for less than one hour. And you season it the day before so not much to do that day. And hubby can stand outside over the fryer.

[sherril]

I make this every Thanksgiving and Easter and its a fmaily fav

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36279,00.html

also Hummingbird cake, yummmmmmmmm

[Turtle Mommy]

Last year for Christmas Eve dinner I made

-prime rib

-mashed potatoes

-corn

-butternut squash

-rolls

-homemade sauce(meat balls, sausage)

-macaroni

-warm Italian bread

 

This year Christmas Eve will be the same but my Dad is cooking a turkey(stuffing and gravy too) instead of the prime rib.

 

Christmas day/dinner is only my family of 4 so we normally have left overs or Chinese. I am trying to talk Dh into going to Disney World that day so dinner will most likely be at the Mouse's House.

[bugsette]

I want to try the glazed carrot one

[noehlp]

Amazing ideas!!!

[Stowasser]

Well, on our Anniversary which is the 23rd, we usually do Mexican dinner with enchiladas, chili relenos (sp?) and tacos. Christmas Eve I do a Saurbraten (which marinates for at least 7 days) with dumplings (german dish) and Christmas dinner is traditional ham, potatoes, etc. Its a fun time, all the food suggestions here are wonderful

[BabyBear24kGold]

my mom does

ham

turkey

stuffing

beans

gravy

mac and cheese

rolls and tea