Skip the goat cheese on the salad. There’s a lot of rich, creamy dairy in the menu already.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you French? I'm French and like Boursin fine, but baked in panko and drizzled with hot honey sounds... a little try hard. Some mountain rind cheeses were designed from the get-go to be eaten warm in winter, but not Boursin, which is a modern invention of fromage frais (fresh cheese) and meant to be eaten cold.

It was a recipe I’ve had before at a friend’s house and loved, and I made it for Thanksgiving as well. It was a big hit with my family and my husband’s family! Why not “try hard” for the holidays? My other appetizer is simply setting out good-quality shrimp.
-OP

PP you replied to. Right. I didn't mean to be overly prescriptive over my country's food, BTW! Food is meant to be experimented with. If you enjoy it, that's all that matters. Your Gruyère potatoes sound delicious.

NP and I think the Boursin dip sounds amazing, and I would love to try it! Googling now.

Agree the Boursin dish seems kind of weird and try hard when the rest of your menu is pretty traditional midwest Christmas fare.

Anonymous wrote:The mushrooms and the cranberry sauce seem out of place to me. Could you swap for roasted carrots?

Agree, I don't think of those sides as pairing well with a Christmas ham.

Anonymous wrote:Are you French? I'm French and like Boursin fine, but baked in panko and drizzled with hot honey sounds... a little try hard. Some mountain rind cheeses were designed from the get-go to be eaten warm in winter, but not Boursin, which is a modern invention of fromage frais (fresh cheese) and meant to be eaten cold.

Agree

Disagree on the wine comment above.

Anonymous wrote:The mushrooms and the cranberry sauce seem out of place to me. Could you swap for roasted carrots?

I think maybe I’ll omit the mushrooms and do the roasted vegetables instead. The cranberry sauce is kind of a must because we have these little holiday dishes that are a tradition on my mom’s side. Thank you!
-OP

Anonymous wrote:Are you French? I'm French and like Boursin fine, but baked in panko and drizzled with hot honey sounds... a little try hard. Some mountain rind cheeses were designed from the get-go to be eaten warm in winter, but not Boursin, which is a modern invention of fromage frais (fresh cheese) and meant to be eaten cold.

It was a recipe I’ve had before at a friend’s house and loved, and I made it for Thanksgiving as well. It was a big hit with my family and my husband’s family! Why not “try hard” for the holidays? My other appetizer is simply setting out good-quality shrimp.
-OP

The mushrooms and the cranberry sauce seem out of place to me. Could you swap for roasted carrots?

That's a lot of different wines and beers for a medium group. You could drop one of the reds. You could also drop the burgundy mushrooms. That's more of a beef thing. Not ham.
It's all very heavy. Are those potatoes a family favorite? A salad is just another course to fill up on.
Do a plain vegetable or lighter potatoes.

Are you French? I'm French and like Boursin fine, but baked in panko and drizzled with hot honey sounds... a little try hard. Some mountain rind cheeses were designed from the get-go to be eaten warm in winter, but not Boursin, which is a modern invention of fromage frais (fresh cheese) and meant to be eaten cold.

Anonymous wrote:I'd add a salad or some roasted veggies.

Thanks, I like both these ideas. If it’s a salad, I’ll do greens with goat cheese, pomegranate seeds and a simple dressing. I kind of like the idea of a side of roasted vegetables, however, because then I don’t need to fuss with salad plates in addition to dinner plates and dessert plates…
-OP

I'd add a salad or some roasted veggies.

Drinks: Wine (Pinot Grigio and prosecco; Pinot Noir and a red blend); beer (two varieties); sodas; still and sparkling water

Appetizers:

Boursin coated in egg/flour/panko and baked, drizzled with hot honey; crudite and crackers
Fresh, jumbo shrimp and cocktail sauce

Main course:
Honeybaked ham
Scalloped potatoes (with Gruyère)
Green bean casserole (guest contribution)
Burgundy mushrooms
Cranberry sauce
Sister Schubert yeast rolls
[Here’s where I need help; something plain/lighter? Would roasted root vegetables do?]

Dessert:
Guest contribution, as well as specialty chocolates