What's on your Holiday Menu??

[TigerLilly]

My menu is going to consist of whatever my ds & ddil are cooking for breakfast.
Then, it's whatever the ex-fil & his female friend are cooking for an early supper!
I'm kinda likin' this not-having-to-cook-thing on the holidays...

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Sausage chowder?? Recipe??

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I am also in the K.I.S.S. camp of Christmas cooking. It's just going to be me, Mister, & the kiddos. All Mister wants for Christmas is to catch up on some sleep, he's been working 60-80 hours a week. I've been keeping busy with all my regular things, plus things Mister is too busy to do now, and Christmas things. I want a day to relax & enjoy being with my family. The kids will want to play with their new toys. The chickens, ducks & geese will still need to be tended.

Who really wants to fuss with extra cooking?

I'm making waffles & bacon in the morning. In the afternoon I'll prepare a bonfire in the fire pit using the empty gift boxes & ripped wrapping paper as a base. At sundown we'll light the fire and sit around it, roasting hot dogs, making s'mores, & drinking hot chocolate.

Merry Christmas!

 

[coltssuperbowl83]

Chicken enchiladas (sorry guys)

and we'll probably have a ham also.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I'm quasi experimenting this year-

Rib roast, I had it seasoned by the deli so it's all set to go! They had a seasoning (Santa-something, sounded spanish) but it was 95% what I normally season with with a few nice adds. I've never had this roast before but the deli worker said it's an awesome cut! I'm really hoping my dad especially likes it; he loves higher end beef cuts but can't really afford them anymore. He got 'downsized' about four years ago and was never able to find someone to rehire him. He was 'overqualified' for everything. So I may have gone a bit overboard on this one but oh, well.
Mashed potatos; I'm thinking whole reds. ie, skin and all.
I'm thinking corn on the cob for the vegi but I haven't decided yet.
Pilsburry cresant rolls
Desert: Fruit topped cheesecake. I'm picking it up from Whole Foods Christmas Eve day. It has strawberries, blackberries and blueberries arranged on top. Glorious!

I like keeping my cooking simple but I rarely get the time to go all out on a meal. Most days I end up eating something that was canned, frozen or reheated. So just having the time to do this and get the family in on it will be awesome.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:

I think that's great, and what a special way to bless your dad too. I do love to cook, wholesome and basic, but not when I feel pressured for time. I think big meals are nice when you have a big group to help prepare, eat, & clean up after it.

But I don't think it's right for an individual or a few people to feel obliged to conjure up a big fancy meal for a bunch of others who contribute little other than mouths to shovel the food into. Especially if it means that the cooks miss most of the day's opportunities to enjoy their holiday & their company. If a person has the resources & the motivation to do it by themselves, then by all means go for it! But not if you really would rather do something different but feel compelled to do otherwise.

Mister grew up with the tradition of having a big traditional holiday dinner with all the trimmings, and especially enjoyed the tradition where the menfolks & children watched football on TV and played with toys until the time when they were called to the table.

So he has great expectations about what the holidays should look like, but no idea of the enormous amount of effort required to make it all happen.

I'm sorry to hijack this thread, it's supposed to be about all the delicious & interesting things folks are serving for their Christmases. If I had the time I would have made a lasagna. But we here will enjoy our waffles & our cook-out dinner, I hope you all enjoy yours!

 

[arabianequine]

Ham
Green bean casserole w/cheddar fried onions
Scalloped potatoes home made
Rolls

thats all I have decided on so far

 

[Mahonri]

We have had a Honey Baked Ham for the last umpteen years.

This year we'll have a small turkey the day after Christmas for our Sabbath meal.
Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes and gravy.
Cooked peas, carrots and broccoli. (perhaps corn)
Texas Rolls.
Icecream and pie

 

[Lotsapaints]

My home grown turkey stuffed with my DH's favorite dressing, cauliflower,yam and apple bake, whole cranberry sauce,rolls and homemade apple and pumpkin pies....our regular feast no matter who comes or doesn't as I never know until the last minute who might show up and we don't really care everyone is welcome I've yet to run out of food.....

 

[Kim_NC]

Quote:
Funny...we made turkey enchiladas last night and thought they were the perfect thing....something different before all that typical holiday food.

DH is going to smoke meats for us today. All from our own pastured pork....a netted ham, bacon, bratwurst. All of them have been brining in the refrigerator for 4 days. We'll be eating the ham with Christmas Dinner tomorrow. Smoking is too much "trouble" to do only one meat at a time!

The bacon and smoked bratwurst we want for....ummmm....."stock" LOL. Bacon will go into the freezer for Winter cooking. The smoked bratwurst will be for New Years with fresh garden cabbage. (Or maybe we'll open a jar of homemade sauerkraut?)

Here's a pic from some smoking DH did at Thanksgiving ....meats just going on the grill. A netted ham, bacon slabs and ham hocks shown here. We use rubs on the bacon, and then slice them on a meat slicer after they're smoked and cooled.

Maybe this time I can get a picture of the finished meats! Anyway....Christmas dinner will be from our own farm grown meats and veggies.....

- Smoked netted ham
- Scalloped potatoes
- Fresh kale with smoked ham hocks
- Garden peas and pearl onions
- Homecanned cranberry sauce
- Artisan Bread (haven't decided which recipe, guess I better make up my mind today. DH likes Artisan Rosemary Lemon...maybe that one....)

And a Christmas treat for the animals too....

- Chickens get BOSS and meat scraps
- Quail having fresh lettuce and dust baths
- Hogs get turned into the main market garden plot. They'll have the rest of the collards, broccoli stocks, other greens to demolish (We get free tilling

)
- Sunflower seeds, safflower seeds and beef fat (suet) for the wild bird feeders
- Cattle....hmmmm....they're grass fed...so they don't eat corn. Maybe a treat of sweet grain then