Christmas Dinner ideas?

[KittySkyfish]

I try to make as many 'do ahead' dishes as possible so I can avoid being locked in the kitchen all day. Some great dishes that I do the day before are lamb and rice stuffed cabbage rolls, which can be reheated in an electric roaster. And as a plus, they taste BETTER when they are reheated as the flavors and spices mellow.

 

Also, gratin potatoes do well when made a day early and reheated in the oven.

 

I love pies but prefer cakes for Christmas because - again lol - they can be made early. My favorite cakes are lemon cream and carrot cake, but I do have brownies as a backup for die-hard chocolovers.

 

Roasts are a great idea since they are fairly simple to work with. For a larger crowd, pair a brined pork or ham and a roasted turkey breast.

 

I do a lot of baked pineapple because it goes so well with ham - it's a custard of canned crushed pineapple, eggs, sugar and cinnamon. Very easy to make, too!

[rebecca7675]

A make a really easy and awesome whole beef tenderloin (if you want the recipe let me know) and homemade lasagna (I am half italian), Garlic redskin potatoes, veggies, tons of apps and desserts. Sometimes I make a few different potatoes or veggies, mac & cheese. I love to cook.

[MonsterMutts]

Seriously, What a terrific thread!!!

 

Great ideas everyone!

[elena_398]

Whats a good homemade mac and cheese recipe? I've always wanted to try to make if from scratch, but never found a good recipe (prefer if someone has tried it.. lol)

[dealluvr]

i boil elbow macaroni just about when its done i pour off the water and add about 1/2 stick butter margarine whatever you have i then add about 1/4 c milk and about 1/2 pound colby cheese or any real cheese continue cooking on the lowest setting possible keep stirring east as is or pour into buttered dish and bake a little bit

[tokanm]

Can somebody share a tried and true lasagna recipe..perhaps with and without meat?

I am going to try to make lasagna for Christmas instead of ham this year

 

Also other than salad and garlic bread..what do you serve with it?

 

I will be all set for desserts..trifle..strawberries..whipped cream, angel food cake, vanilla

pudding all layered

[Illinoismom]

being Italian , We do not do meat on Christmas eve, so it's all seafood, fried fish and shimp, then some type of pasta with seafood, bread, salads, and what nots, Then Christmas day it's left overs

[rebecca7675]

being Italian , We do not do meat on Christmas eve, so it's all seafood, fried fish and shimp, then some type of pasta with seafood, bread, salads, and what nots, Then Christmas day it's left overs

We used to do that back in the day but my sister and I never liked fish when we were younger so my mom came up with the lasagna idea. And since we still do not the lasagna tradition sort of stuck.

[rebecca7675]

Can somebody share a tried and true lasagna recipe..perhaps with and without meat?

I am going to try to make lasagna for Christmas instead of ham this year

 

Also other than salad and garlic bread..what do you serve with it?

 

I will be all set for desserts..trifle..strawberries..whipped cream, angel food cake, vanilla

pudding all layered

I like this one you can use the meat or not it is good both ways. Just make sure you leave enough time to make the sauce.

 

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

3/4 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

12 lasagna noodles

16 ounces ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

DIRECTIONS

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

[rebecca7675]

Whats a good homemade mac and cheese recipe? I've always wanted to try to make if from scratch, but never found a good recipe (prefer if someone has tried it.. lol)

I like Martha Stewarts not a fan of hers but I like the recipe. I use Panko bread crumbs instead of making my own. The cheese is pricey though.

 

Serves 12

6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish

5 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar

2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano

1 pound elbow macaroni

 

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

 

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.

 

4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

 

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

[tokanm]

thanks sounds yummy i will try and make it Christmas Eve and eat it on Christmas Day

 

[turtle_elf]

We always do a Ham for Christmas, which is much trickier since we moved here. But we still accomplish it. We sometimes also add a turkey. Not often though, as we do turkey for Thanksgiving and the two holidays are close together. Usually when we are having a lot of people for dinner, than we do it. Candied sweet potatoes, butternut squash casserole (taste more like a dessert), mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, green beans with pearl onions, glazed baby carrots, corn, cranberry relish, homemade baked loaves of bread and rolls, homemade cheesecakes (the baked kind), potato salad, coleslaw, a vegetable tray, fruit tray, and a tray with a variety of pickels and olives, rum sweet potato casserole, asparagus with holandaise sauce, and I always make up a rum raisen sauce for those that like to put it on their ham. And always some kind of fruit cobbler. We pretty much go all out. Plus if we have guests, they usually bring something to add to the huge spread.

[Princess7915]

These are the BEST ever pork chops but you have to buy thick chops -like 1.25 inches from the butcher or a good grocery store - not pre-packaged. I use Craisins for the dried cranberries and it worked great!

 

 

Bobby Flay’s Grilled Pork Chops Filled w/ Sundried Cranberries

 

 

Cranberry Filled Pork Tenderloin:

4 pork chops, 1-inch thick

Salt and freshly pepper

Cranberry filling, recipe follows

Cranberry sauce, recipe follows

Olive oil

Garnish:

Dried cranberries

Toasted pine nuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut a pocket into the side of each pork chop going 3/4 of the way through. Season chop with salt and pepper and stuff the pocket with the cranberry filling.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium oven-proof saute pan over high heat. Add the pork chops and sear on both sides. Add 1 cup chicken cranberry sauce. Place the pan in the oven and roast until the meat is firm to the touch, about 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon the chicken-cranberry sauce on a plate and top with pork chops. Garnish with dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts.

Sundried Cranberry Filling:

1 cup sundried cranberries

2 tablespoons pinenuts, toasted

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon cascabel chile powder

Salt

Place the cranberries in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water, let sit 30 minutes to rehydrate. Drain and reserve soaking liquid. Place cranberries and remaining ingredients in a food processor with a 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid and process until smooth. Pass through a fina strainer. Season with salt.

Chicken-Cranberry Sauce:

4 cups homemade chicken stock

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup cranberry juice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon chipotle puree

Salt

Place chicken stock in a nonreactive medium saucepan over high heat and cook until reduced to 2 cups. Add, wines, cranberry juice, brown sugar, peppercorns and chipotle puree and continue cooking until thickened to a sauce consistency. Season with salt.

[DramaQueenLucy]

Christmas Eve is our traditional pizza...lol Yes it is a tradition, started back on my oldest sons first Christmas, we had a hard time putting all the crap together....so we ordered pizza, I love it...lol Christmas dinner we go to a friends house I bring death by chocolate and broccoli cheese casserole

[tokanm]

Anyone have a recipe for stuffed shells. Also do they sell the precooked shells (I know they

sell precooked lasagne noodles)

[debbha]

All of the recipes above sound wonderful. Thanks to all for sharing. I might get the nerve to try a few during the holidays. Coming from the BBQ capital of the US [OK..one of them!], my family usually goes to a local BBQ joint Xmas eve and picks up a variety of sliced meats, coleslaw, potato salad and corn/ham casserole. I spend a little time baking a couple of cakes, a sweet potato pie and other desserts and the rest of the time is spent with family and friends.

[Illinoismom]

they do not sell pre cooked shells. What are you wanting to stull them with

[siczlo]

Can somebody share a tried and true lasagna recipe..perhaps with and without meat?

I am going to try to make lasagna for Christmas instead of ham this year

 

Also other than salad and garlic bread..what do you serve with it?

 

I will be all set for desserts..trifle..strawberries..whipped cream, angel food cake, vanilla

pudding all layered

I think salad and garlic bread is enough, but some other ideas maybe an antipasta salad, rotini noodles and red sauce for the young kids, and tiramisu for dessert.

[vbamother]

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

 

Ok, I want to come to your house for Christmas Eve. For Thanksgiving I did the traditional southern meal...turkey, ham, chicken with dressing, pecan pie, greenbean casserole etc...I'm in the mood for something completely different for Christmas!