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Christmas Dinner Help Needed!


gangsterfurious
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Help! Help! Help!

 

Seriously...

 

Right after Thanksgiving I began trying to plan Christmas dinner. I started collecting ideas on Pinterest and then had my husband take a peek at all of the recipes I had collected and he told me what he liked the most. Well, two nights ago I sat down and started to write down my shopping list and recipes and I realized that our dinner was so... white and he agreed with me.

 

Now I LOVE to cook and be in the kitchen for a holiday (I get up around 5 AM and start cooking and baking), but what I hate is boring, generic, and even... traditional recipes. I want to break away from the ordinary so that my family isn't sitting down and only eating the same stuff every year. I don't mind making things like stuffing and certain sides but I like for them to have an interesting twist or something that makes them stand out; there has to be a "wow" factor. When I looked at my original list I noticed it was chicken, mashed potatoes, bread, stuffing.

 

So if anybody has any unique or special ideas, traditions of their own, or recipes, I would GREATLY appreciate it.

 

- Gangster

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Does your local grocery store have purple potatoes? You can mash them, and they are certainly colorful! Throw in some green veggies—a salad can have all sorts of colors. Also try something red, like some simple cranberry sauce.
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Does your local grocery store have purple potatoes? You can mash them, and they are certainly colorful! Throw in some green veggies—a salad can have all sorts of colors. Also try something red, like some simple cranberry sauce.

 

What is their taste/texture compared to Russets? That sounds amazing and tasty but my husband has the palate of a 5-year-old and I have to take things slow with him. I was considering a cherry or cranberry compote, that would make things pop for sure.

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Help! Help! Help!

 

Seriously...

 

Right after Thanksgiving I began trying to plan Christmas dinner. I started collecting ideas on Pinterest and then had my husband take a peek at all of the recipes I had collected and he told me what he liked the most. Well, two nights ago I sat down and started to write down my shopping list and recipes and I realized that our dinner was so... white and he agreed with me.

 

Now I LOVE to cook and be in the kitchen for a holiday (I get up around 5 AM and start cooking and baking), but what I hate is boring, generic, and even... traditional recipes. I want to break away from the ordinary so that my family isn't sitting down and only eating the same stuff every year. I don't mind making things like stuffing and certain sides but I like for them to have an interesting twist or something that makes them stand out; there has to be a "wow" factor. When I looked at my original list I noticed it was chicken, mashed potatoes, bread, stuffing.

 

So if anybody has any unique or special ideas, traditions of their own, or recipes, I would GREATLY appreciate it.

 

- Gangster

I am here to rescue you!!

 

Cut some bacon into small pieces and fry it until it starts to crisp take the bacon out of the grease and set it aside for later. Take some fresh green beans, asparagus or brussel sprouts(halved) whichever you prefer and toss them with the remaining bacon grease to coat. Salt and pepper to taste then spread on cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment on the bottom to make cleanup easy. Bake at 350 until the veggies begin to tinge on the edges. Put in a serving dish and add back the crisped bacon. Cooking time varies based on which veggie you choose so just keep an eye on them. If you are health conscience then you can leave out the bacon and just toss with olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, etc. This actually works with things like broccoli and cauliflower florets as well. As long as its a fresh not frozen or canned.

 

Also you could just serve a nice green salad, Use a variety of lettuces, I like to mix romaine, red leaf and Boston. Add celery, cucumbers, red/yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, radishes. Toss with salt, pepper, basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tbsp of olive oil, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp or fresh grated pecorino romano cheese. toss that all together.

 

Any quality fresh veggie in a steamer and then sprinkled with kosher salt would work as well if you want to keep it simple.

 

Let me know if you want more ideas or if you have a specific veggie in mind. I can offer more suggestions then.

Edited by thesweetscience
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Help! Help! Help!

 

Seriously...

 

Right after Thanksgiving I began trying to plan Christmas dinner. I started collecting ideas on Pinterest and then had my husband take a peek at all of the recipes I had collected and he told me what he liked the most. Well, two nights ago I sat down and started to write down my shopping list and recipes and I realized that our dinner was so... white and he agreed with me.

 

Now I LOVE to cook and be in the kitchen for a holiday (I get up around 5 AM and start cooking and baking), but what I hate is boring, generic, and even... traditional recipes. I want to break away from the ordinary so that my family isn't sitting down and only eating the same stuff every year. I don't mind making things like stuffing and certain sides but I like for them to have an interesting twist or something that makes them stand out; there has to be a "wow" factor. When I looked at my original list I noticed it was chicken, mashed potatoes, bread, stuffing.

 

So if anybody has any unique or special ideas, traditions of their own, or recipes, I would GREATLY appreciate it.

 

- Gangster

I am here to rescue you!!

 

Cut some bacon into small pieces and fry it until it starts to crisp take the bacon out of the grease and set it aside for later. Take some fresh green beans, asparagus or brussel sprouts(halved) whichever you prefer and toss them with the remaining bacon grease to coat. Salt and pepper to taste then spread on cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment on the bottom to make cleanup easy. Bake at 350 until the veggies begin to tinge on the edges. Put in a serving dish and add back the crisped bacon. Cooking time varies based on which veggie you choose so just keep an eye on them. If you are health conscience then you can leave out the bacon and just toss with olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, etc. This actually works with things like broccoli and cauliflower florets as well. As long as its a fresh not frozen or canned.

 

Also you could just serve a nice green salad, Use a variety of lettuces, I like to mix romaine, red leaf and Boston. Add celery, cucumbers, red/yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, radishes. Toss with salt, pepper, basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tbsp of olive oil, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp or fresh grated pecorino romano cheese. toss that all together.

 

Any quality fresh veggie in a steamer and then sprinkled with kosher salt would work as well if you want to keep it simple.

 

Let me know if you want more ideas or if you have a specific veggie in mind. I can offer more suggestions then.

 

I am neither health conscious or vegetarian during the holidays. Bring on the meat, sugar, and cholesterol!

 

I will definitely consider that. My husband does like broccoli though I haven't seen him eat it cooked, maybe if I roast it as described he'll give it a try.

Edited by gangsterfurious
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Make cheesy or garlic potatoes sprinkled with parsley. Put crispy bacon chunks in your stuffing. Make a colorful salad with candied pecans and feta. Maybe a fresh garlic and cheesy garlic bread.

For Thanksgiving I made a big mixed berry crisp. Really simple, but everyone swooned over it!

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My mom and I call Thanksgiving/Christmas the "Celebration of Mushy Beige Food". :LOL:
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Help! Help! Help!

 

Seriously...

 

Right after Thanksgiving I began trying to plan Christmas dinner. I started collecting ideas on Pinterest and then had my husband take a peek at all of the recipes I had collected and he told me what he liked the most. Well, two nights ago I sat down and started to write down my shopping list and recipes and I realized that our dinner was so... white and he agreed with me.

 

Now I LOVE to cook and be in the kitchen for a holiday (I get up around 5 AM and start cooking and baking), but what I hate is boring, generic, and even... traditional recipes. I want to break away from the ordinary so that my family isn't sitting down and only eating the same stuff every year. I don't mind making things like stuffing and certain sides but I like for them to have an interesting twist or something that makes them stand out; there has to be a "wow" factor. When I looked at my original list I noticed it was chicken, mashed potatoes, bread, stuffing.

 

So if anybody has any unique or special ideas, traditions of their own, or recipes, I would GREATLY appreciate it.

 

- Gangster

I am here to rescue you!!

 

Cut some bacon into small pieces and fry it until it starts to crisp take the bacon out of the grease and set it aside for later. Take some fresh green beans, asparagus or brussel sprouts(halved) whichever you prefer and toss them with the remaining bacon grease to coat. Salt and pepper to taste then spread on cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment on the bottom to make cleanup easy. Bake at 350 until the veggies begin to tinge on the edges. Put in a serving dish and add back the crisped bacon. Cooking time varies based on which veggie you choose so just keep an eye on them. If you are health conscience then you can leave out the bacon and just toss with olive oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, etc. This actually works with things like broccoli and cauliflower florets as well. As long as its a fresh not frozen or canned.

 

Also you could just serve a nice green salad, Use a variety of lettuces, I like to mix romaine, red leaf and Boston. Add celery, cucumbers, red/yellow bell pepper, tomatoes, radishes. Toss with salt, pepper, basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 tbsp of olive oil, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp or fresh grated pecorino romano cheese. toss that all together.

 

Any quality fresh veggie in a steamer and then sprinkled with kosher salt would work as well if you want to keep it simple.

 

Let me know if you want more ideas or if you have a specific veggie in mind. I can offer more suggestions then.

 

I am neither health conscious or vegetarian during the holidays. Bring on the meat, sugar, and cholesterol!

 

I will definitely consider that. My husband does like broccoli though I haven't seen him eat it cooked, maybe if I roast it as described he'll give it a try.

Honestly, my favorite is the brussel sprouts. I used to hate those things until I tried them tossed in oil and baked. Doing them in bacon makes them even better. This is one of the dishes I served for Thanksgiving and everyone ate it right up.

 

Go to your grocer and buy a bit of each loose, and try them out this weekend to see what you like.

 

You could always just steam something and serve it with a hollandaise. There are a thousand hollandaise recipes out on the internet. Pick one you like and go with it.

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So basically, what I'm getting from this post is, make anything I want, just add crispy bacon. :drool: :rfl:
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Seriously, people who've suggested a mixed green salad are onto something. It's not "traditional", but who cares? I've often wanted one to eat before my meal, just to offset all of the starch I'm about to consume.
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Seriously, people who've suggested a mixed green salad are onto something. It's not "traditional", but who cares? I've often wanted one to eat before my meal, just to offset all of the starch I'm about to consume.

 

Oh yeah there will be a nice salad for sure. It's the main plate that needs more variety. I'm going to look into the roasted vegetables with bacon.

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Okay, so your Christmas dinner is too white....

 

You could get some collard greens, some purple hull peas, maybe some watermelon for dessert

 

Or you could do fried rice, potstickers, and some egg foo yung

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Okay, so your Christmas dinner is too white....

 

You could get some collard greens, some purple hull peas, maybe some watermelon for dessert

 

Or you could do fried rice, potstickers, and some egg foo yung

 

:laughing guy:

 

Not the "white" I mean but.. hehehe.

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Layer the bottom of a roast pan with one pound of bacon. Then take two pounds of bacon and make a second layer. For the third layer use three pounds of bacon. Sprinkle bacon bits on top. Cook however you would like, doesn't matter, it's bacon. :bacon: :bacon: :bacon:
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Layer the bottom of a roast pan with one pound of bacon. Then take two pounds of bacon and make a second layer. For the third layer use three pounds of bacon. Sprinkle bacon bits on top. Cook however you would like, doesn't matter, it's bacon. :bacon: :bacon: :bacon:

 

This recipe should include a prescription for Prilosec.

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Seriously, people who've suggested a mixed green salad are onto something. It's not "traditional", but who cares? I've often wanted one to eat before my meal, just to offset all of the starch I'm about to consume.

 

Oh yeah there will be a nice salad for sure. It's the main plate that needs more variety. I'm going to look into the roasted vegetables with bacon.

 

Tossed salad?

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But seriously, this is amazing! It's not to go with supper but as an appetizer that you can leave out with crackers. I can't tell you how much I love this. Shrimp Mousse is quite easy to make and you will definitely have at least two people standing next to it not being able to stop themselves from eating it.

 

http://www.food.com/recipe/shrimp-mousse-164958

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But seriously, this is amazing! It's not to go with supper but as an appetizer that you can leave out with crackers. I can't tell you how much I love this. Shrimp Mousse is quite easy to make and you will definitely have at least two people standing next to it not being able to stop themselves from eating it.

 

http://www.food.com/...p-mousse-164958

 

Oh see that's gonna be a problem. My mother is a semi-Kosher Christian (don't ask) and my husband won't eat anything that's ever lived underwater...

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But seriously, this is amazing! It's not to go with supper but as an appetizer that you can leave out with crackers. I can't tell you how much I love this. Shrimp Mousse is quite easy to make and you will definitely have at least two people standing next to it not being able to stop themselves from eating it.

 

http://www.food.com/...p-mousse-164958

 

Oh see that's gonna be a problem. My mother is a semi-Kosher Christian (don't ask) and my husband won't eat anything that's ever lived underwater...

Let 'em starve!
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But seriously, once again, I recommend that you try the shrimp mousse for yourself sometime. It's sooooooooooooo gooooooooood!

My family is very fussy and I don't get to eat the foods I like very often and I resent them for it. :LOL: I don't want the same thing to happen to you.

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My mom makes a casserole with artichoke hearts and green beans. There are never any leftovers.

 

This is a pretty close recipe to my mother's-

 

http://allrecipes.co...hoke-casserole/

 

Good luck!

 

-crimsonfrippy

 

This like the perfect dish for your party. Not too far out there but something different. Can't wait to try it myself!

Edited by rushfanNlv
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I make carrots with a lil butter and brown sugar glaze. Kids really like the taste so your hubby might as well. :P

 

Also, try serving a rack of lamb (i have a fantastic recipe if you want it ;) ) or even Turducken (chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey)- no pork but I've heard of people wrapping the turkey in bacon but that's too greasy for my taste.

 

Or ham (i don't do pork) but I make a brown sugar/maple glaze (yes Im Canadian) for it and sliced pineapple pinned on the ham with toothpicks and marichino cherries. (a lil festive and different for sure)

 

Red potatoes with skin on in the smashed potatoes... also add garlic, dash of cayenne and chives to spice it up.

 

Maybe serve a soup to start... lots of great creamy soups that are a great start. Butternut squash or pumpkin curry (I have a recipe) would be nice I think.

 

Just have fun with the dinner... never feel stuck with traditional food choices.

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