Christmas is a little over two weeks away (can you believe it!). As is tradition, I’m hosting my family and a few friends for Christmas dinner. It’s one of my favorite meals to prepare. I’ve learned over the years, the key is planning a menu with easy, full-flavored holiday recipes.
While the elves and I put the final touches on the main meal, Linda Dalton’s (Stoughton, MA) Grilled Pineapple and Bacon Blue Cheese Bruschetta is the perfect appetizer to tide over my guests. I can make most of this recipe ahead of time and assemble once everyone arrives.
“[These have] lots of flavors and are sure to wake up all your taste buds,” explains Linda. I love the combination of blue cheese and bacon. Adding grilled pineapple and cranberries gives the spread a touch of sweetness. These are great!
During the holiday’s one of the questions I’m most asked is how to cook a prime rib. When you’re spending that much money on a cut of meat, you want to make sure it’s done perfectly. I recommend they try Linda Franklin’s (Roanoke, VA) No Fear Prime Rib.
Linda’s deliciously smoky recipe puts deliciously done prime rib within everyone’s cooking repertoire. The one key is to make sure your oven is clean. By cooking initially at a high temperature, the juices are sealed in creating one moist prime rib. This is an ideal holiday pick!
Baked ham is another Christmas favorite and Monica Keleher’s (Methuen, MA) Whiskey Wild Cherry Coke Glazed Ham will make a great addition to a table.
“This ham is such an incredible hit at our house,” says Monica. “[My] boys devour it!” The mix of Cherry Coke and whiskey make for an incredible ham. Basting about every 15 minutes also helps to intensify the flavor.
The flavors in Melissa Snow’s (Hillsboro, OR) Rosemary-Blue Cheese Potatoes are spot on. “[This is] a nice side dish to go with prime rib,” notes Melissa. I think it will pair nicely with a baked ham too. The cheese and rosemary are flavorful, but not overpowering. These have become a favorite in my house.
“My kids insist on having this Corn Casserole every Christmas as one of our traditional side dishes,” shares Muna Escobar (Knoxville, TN). Honorary Kitchen Crew Member Gail Herbest (Bangor, ME) taste-tested this recipe and gave it two thumbs up. “It doesn’t have the usual texture of corn shuffle, but rather a moist cornbread texture,” thought Gail. This easy side dish is satisfying and really good!
It’s always nice to end the evening sitting around the fire recapping the day with my friends and family. Nor M.’s (Western, MA) Skinny Eggnog is the perfect way to cap off the day. “This is really good,” states Nor and I would have to agree! Eggnog is a Christmas favorite of mine and this recipe is so good you will enjoy all the flavors of traditional eggnog.
These are a few easy recipes to provide inspiration for your Christmas dinner. Need more inspiration? Check out our Festive Feasts recipe collection. You’ll find new favorites and long-lost classics!