Easy ideas for Xmas dinner

Connie · Post by **Connie** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 11:20 am

Need help friends. Already starting to panic.

I'm kind of tired of the typical ham and turkey, so I was thinking a stuffed pork roast instead.

I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen and stressing out, so I'd rather make most of the side dishes ahead of time.

Please, any ideas are welcomed. We're having about 10-15.

PA Girl · Post by **PA Girl** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:28 pm

Here is what I am doing -

Lobster bisque (purchased) as a starter

Whole tenderloin with some sort of rub
green salad
baked potatoes

My group is smaller but watching me cook gives my mother all sorts of anxiety. I can prep it prior to their arrival.

Connie · Post by **Connie** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:37 pm

That would work for me, but my Mom is pushing for me to do the traditional ham and turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, carrots, gravy, stuffing, cole slaw, yams, you name it. I respect my Mom, but I just can't do that.

My thought is to have the pork, scalloped potatoes and a grilled vegetable plate. Will make a big deal on the desserts.

I plan to do some appetizers too. Shrimp cocktail, a cheese and meat plate and a dip of some sort.

shoemak38 · Post by **shoemak38** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:48 pm

tell MOM
Whole tenderloin with some sort of rub is also a Xmas meal and it's easy, however for 10-15 it will be about $100 - 150 in meat. Costco always sells during this time of year

Lindy · Post by **Lindy** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 2:01 pm

You could do a crown roast of pork with stuffing in the center. Easier that butterflying, rolling and tying a tenderloin. And it just LOOKS like Christmas too! The scalloped potatoes would be a great side, or homemade twice baked which are really pretty easy and can be made the day before. ( I mash the potato innards with butter, sour cream, half & half and chives, scoop it back into the jackets and then top with cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon. If you refrigerate them, you may want to add the cheese and bacon after they've had a chance to get warm in the oven first then continue baking until the cheese is melty. Don't worry - your mother will get over it.

mbw1024 · Post by **mbw1024** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 5:14 pm

I make " make ahead" mashed potatoes if you are interested. One more thing you can do in advance.

cocosmom · Post by **cocosmom** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:01 pm

A friend of mine makes the most delicious prime rib. You cook it for 1 hour and turn off the stove and leave it for 2 hrs! Here is the link http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/main- ... freda.html

Only problem is you CAN NOTopen the stove, so your sides need to be stovetop or grilled.

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:24 pm

We like to keep it really simple. We do Swiss Fondue with a wilted lettuce salad. The cheese can be grated a few days in advance and the only thing to make at the last minute is the salad and the bacon dressing that you make from the bacon drippings.

Obviously for that many people, of which we have had, two large fondue pots and a triple recipe will be needed. Depending on your seating arrangement, a pot at each table or all pots spaced out at one table. It still works!

It's fun and keeps the conversation flowing and takes awhile to eat.

Then, of course, chocolate fondue for dessert with fruits and a variety of other things to dip. I serve the fondue pot on either the kitchen island for folks to walk up to and fix a plate or on the coffee table in the family room and keep it going for awhile so folks can graze.

It's very festive and fun.

waterguy · Post by **waterguy** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 2:41 pm

My go to is Prime rib and peel and eat shrimp

Lindy · Post by **Lindy** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:29 pm

Hey Waterguy - peel and eat shrimp must be a Wisconsin thing. I haven't seen it at all since we moved from Milwaukee out to the East. They don't know what they're missing!!! Everyone here just boils them in water without the pickling spice. Pretty bland.

chicagoans · Post by **chicagoans** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:35 am

Connie, I hope your guests help a bit! We usually have over 20, but I don't get too stressed with my side of the family because everyone brings something, from appetizers to dessert. So I'm usually on the hook just for the meat and some beverages.

I've done a pork crown roast a few times - easy and yummy. Also have done beef tenderloin and that's easy too. (Once I made beef Wellington for about 25 and frankly that was a pain.)

I think a stuffed pork roast sounds wonderful. Baked pototoes - easy and good, and you can have a bunch of add-ons to make them fun (cheese, bacon, green onions, etc.) Mashed pototatoes or mashed sweet pototatoes you can make ahead of time and put in a slow cooker. Big green salad and rolls on the side. Roasted veggies are great too (red, green, yellow and orange peppers; squash / zucchini; asparagus; carrots and anything else you want to throw in. Toss with olive oil, sea salt and rosemary and bake/roast until tender. Can make ahead of time and re-heat.) Or go healthy and have a big tray of fresh veggies - colorful and tastes good.

Do you have a Trader Joe's near you? They sell butternut squash already peeled and cubed. Get a few boxes of that and bake in a pan tossed with some real maple syrup and walnuts. Yummy. (Spray the pan with oil first.) Also easy: get the little potatoes (I like the ones that come in bags with many colors of potatoes), toss with olive oil, sea salt and pepper, roast until tender. Can make ahead and reheat.

Have fun!

waterguy · Post by **waterguy** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:37 pm

I like to use pickling spice and some cyanne pepper to give it a little more kick

GidgetPicklebrain · Post by **GidgetPicklebrain** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:38 pm

My family really doesn't care for turkey (we roast a large chicken for Thanksgiving), and I don't go for ham, it's just not "special." enough. Our traditional Christmas dinner has always been a standing rib roast. We like green beans with toasted almonds, sauteed mushrooms, and garlic mashed potatoes with gravy (I use Heinz beef or mushroom gravy and add the pan juices from the roast when it's done cooking) as sides. All easy and quick to prepare.

momto3boys · Post by **momto3boys** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 4:27 pm

We are from Maryland but moved to Kansas City 5 years ago. One thing you cannot get made well here is Maryland crab cakes. Last year we ordered crabmeat from our local grocer and made crab cakes and had steam shrimp to go with it. Can't remember what else. I believe it was dips and and things. Our family wants the same this year. No more traditional ham dinner for us it looks like.

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