Christmas/holiday menu ideas

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shrimp cocktail
Spinach dip with pita chips

Prime rib with horseradish sauce
Smoked scalloped potato gratin
Roasted Brussels sprouts or broccolini
Sautéed mushrooms
Fruit skewers for the kids

Burnt almond torte from Prantl’s

Lots of wine

For the win! Do they ship or are you (or someone who loves you) local?
Also, what's smoked scalloped potato gratin?

Goldbelly ships it! SO GOOD.

For the potatoes I use this NYT recipe where you shingle the scalloped potatoes on a sheet pan. Then I put it in the smoker outside, finish in the oven to get the top crispy.

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020921-scalloped-potato-gratin

Prantl’s Almond Torte is part of every big family celebration.
Also adding the smoked potatoes to my list (maybe Easter).

OMG. I looked up the torte, and it is exactly like the ones an old bakery in Milwaukee had in my childhood. My family had one for every birthday celebration. The only difference was that the cake was thin and rectangular and the almonds were only around the side. The top was white icing decorated with roses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Christmas Roasted Goose!
Goose gravies (one pan drippings, one Port Cherry)
Mashed potatoes
Salad
Roasted Root Veggies
Corn
spinach casserole
Homemade rolls and jams/jellies

Dessert TBD, maybe falling chocolate cakes with raspberry coulis?

That sounds like the perfect Christmas dinner! Personally, I don't have the experience or the talent to cook a goose, but more power to you if you do. Chocolate (souffle-like?) cakes with raspberry coulis sounds absolutely delicious for dessert!

I use Ina Garten's duck recipe - slit the skin, poach in chicken broth to release the fat; let sit, then roast. It's really so easy. I even poaach t he night before. The meat cooks in poaching, so the roasting is just to crisp up the skin. It's a lot less stressful when you're not worried about it being "done".

I am the original poster of the thread. I brine, then slit the skin as well (need to help render fat), then rub a mix of different citrus zest and spices heavily on the outside. Stuff with onions and lemon slices. I roast to 150 in my convection oven. At a few points I open the over and poke the fatty bits to help it render.

I am not a huge poached poultry person, but I am sure that is good too if you can get the skin crispy (the best part!). Helps to start with a nice bird, we use a local farm who kills the geese 2 days before Christmas, you pick up Christmas Eve AM. So fresh which helps the juiciness. We switched to this tradition a few years ago and all love the goose. The meat is darker, so YMMV based on what your family likes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These look great - also interested in that Beef Wellington recipe.

Also would love any (other) ideas you have for "walk in the door and get dinner on the table" recipes for Christmas Eve. We go to early church and I think I'm going to have more people than usual this year.

Once we just did a whole bunch of appetizers and charcuterie. It was a big hit.

That's what we do on Christmas Eve. Started when I had toddlers and that's what they wanted to eat. It was a hit with all the adults too. Guests love to bring appetizers and people seem to enjoy them more than a sit down dinner. Stuffed mushrooms, pigs in a blanket, shrimp cocktail in little glasses, charcuterie, lots of little desserts.

On Christmas Day we have prime rib, crab legs, popovers, green beans and potatoes.