It is the most wonderful feeling to sit down for Christmas dinner with your loved ones. Are you still clamoring for ideas for the Christmas dinner menu? Are you looking for some last-minute Christmas dinner recipes?
Here are 10 quick and easy, last-minute Christmas dinner recipes for you, and some clever shortcuts that can help you whip up the ultimate holiday feast. These last-minute recipes won’t really look last minute and are ideal for the holiday season.
Whip up an amazing spread full of scrumptious Christmas food and impress your loved ones with these last-minute Christmas dinner recipes.
10 Quick and Easy Last-Minute Christmas Dinner Recipes
HERB ROASTED TURKEY
Ingredients:
1 3/4 C. Swanson chicken stock, 12- to 14-lb. Turkey, two 14 1/2 oz. cans Campbell’s Turkey Gravy, 1 tsp. dried basil leaves (crushed), 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves (crushed), 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper, 3 tbsp. lemon juice.
Directions:
Stir the stock, lemon juice, basil, thyme, and black pepper in a small bowl.
Roast the turkey (as per the package directions), basting occasionally with the stock mixture during cooking.
Let the turkey stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
Discard any remaining stock mixture.
Heat the gravy in a one-quart saucepan over medium heat until it’s hot and bubbling.
Serve with the turkey.
BRAISED PORK MEDALLION WITH APPLES
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients:
1 whole pork tenderloin (sliced into eight pieces), 1 small onion (chopped), 1 large apple (cored, coarsely chopped), 1 tsp. vegetable oil, 1/2 C. apple cider, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice.
Directions:
Season medallions on both sides with pepper and pumpkin pie spice.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Brown pork on both sides, remove from pan and reserve.
Add onion and apples to skillet. Sauté until soft.
Add apple cider to skillet. Heat to a simmer.
Return pork medallions to pan. Cover and simmer for five minutes. Serve with hot rice or couscous (optional).
BACON TURKEY SCALOPPINE
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
6 turkey breast cutlets, 4-5 oz. each, 6 slices bacon, 3 tbsp. olive oil, 6 oz. mozzarella sauce, salt, pepper, 2 C. tomato sauce.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pound cutlets to 1/4-inch thickness between sheets of wax paper.
Season with salt and pepper.
In a large frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat for three to four minutes (until almost crisp). Then drain on paper towels. Pour off fat.
Add the olive oil to pan. Then, add cutlets and cook over medium heat, turning once, two to three minutes per side until lightly browned.
Arrange cutlets in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Top with cheese, then bacon.
Bake for 10 minutes (or until cheese melts).
Serve with warm tomato sauce.
FOIL-WRAPPED STEAK DINNER
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. chuck steak (1-inch thick), 1 envelope onion soup mix, 3 medium carrots, quartered, 2 stalks of celery cut in sticks, 2-3 medium potatoes, halved, 2 tbs. butter or margarine, 1/2 tsp. salt.
Directions:
Tear off 2 1/2-foot length of 18-inch wide foil.
Place meat in center. Sprinkle it with onion soup mix.
Cover with vegetables. Dot vegetables with butter. Sprinkle with salt.
Fold the foil over and seal securely to hold in juices.
Place on baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit in oven for one and half hours (or until done).
PORK CHOPS AND SCALLOPED POTATOES
Ingredients:
Pork chops for however many people you are serving, 4 lbs. of potatoes, 1 pkg. American cheese slices, 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, oil for frying, salt to taste.
Directions:
Brown pork chops in a little oil in frying pan.
Peel and slice potatoes (so they’re about 1/4 inch thick).
Place potatoes in a 13×9-inch baking pan; add salt to taste.
Put a layer of cheese in between the potatoes.
Place the browned pork chops on top and put a layer of cheese on them.
Cover all with cream of mushroom soup and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are fork soft.
EASY PARMESAN “RISOTTO”
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice, 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 5 cups simmering chicken stock (preferably homemade, divided), 1/2 cup dry white wine, 1 cup frozen peas, 2 tsp. kosher salt, 3 tbsp. unsalted butter (diced), 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the rice and four cups of the chicken stock in a Dutch oven.
Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente.
Remove from the oven. Add the remaining cup of chicken stock, the Parmesan, wine, butter, salt, and pepper.
Stir vigorously for two to three minutes until the rice is thick and creamy.
Add the peas and stir until heated through. Serve hot.
Glazed Ham With Coriander and Fennel
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
1 seven-pound of fully cooked bone-in ham (preferably shank end), 1 tsp. black peppercorns, 2 tbsp. fennel seeds, 1 cup apricot preserves, 2 tbsp. coriander seeds.
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the ham, cut-side down, on a rack set in a roasting pan.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Use a heavy pan to crush the fennel, coriander, and peppercorns. In a small bowl, combine them with the preserves to form a glaze.
Brush 1/4 cup of the glaze over the ham and bake uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Brush another 1/4 cup of the glaze over the ham and bake until the ham is heated through (15 to 20 minutes).
Thinly slice and serve with the remaining 1/2 cup of the glaze.
ROAST BEEF WITH SLOW-COOKED TOMATOES AD GARLIC
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless rump or rib roast, 1 pint grape tomatoes, 1 head garlic (cloves peeled), 3 tbsp. olive oil, Kosher salt and pepper, 8 sprigs fresh thyme.
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Season the beef with one teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place in a large roasting pan.
Combine the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.
Scatter the tomato mixture around the meat and roast, about one hour for medium-rare (internal temperature 125 degrees Fahrenheit).
Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Rest at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the tomatoes and garlic.
MASHED SWEET POTATOES
Ingredients:
6 sweet potatoes (about four pounds), peeled and cut into eighths, 1/2 cup sour cream, 3 tbsp. honey, 1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. kosher salt.
Directions:
Place the sweet potatoes in a large pot. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender (15 to 20 minutes).
Drain the potatoes and return to the pot.
Add the remaining ingredients and mash with a potato masher or fork. Season to taste.
DIAMONDHEAD PRIME RIB ROAST
Ingredients:
1 8-9 lb. rib roast, 8 oz. spiced apple rings (drained), 1 tsp. seasoning salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. white pepper, 1 tsp. garlic salt,fresh parsley.
Directions:
Sprinkle roast on all sides with all of the seasonings.
Place in crock-pot for 3-4 hours on high.
Garnish with apples and parsley.
Enjoy Christmas 2016 with your loved ones over a scrumptious dinner with these easy-to-make and quick last-minute Christmas dinner recipes.
Sources:
Venetos, S., “10 Last-Minute Christmas Dinner Recipes,” Recipe4Living web site; http://m.recipe4living.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.recipe4living.com%2Farticles%2F10_last_minute_christmas_dinner_recipes.htm&width=412, last accessed December 22, 2016.
Garten, I., “Easy Parmesan ‘Risotto’,” Foodnetwork web site;http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/easy-parmesan-risotto-recipe.html, last accessed December 22, 2016.
“40 Easy, Elegant Recipes for Christmas Dinner,” Realsimple web site; http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/entertaining/food-drink/easy-christmas-recipes, last accessed December 22, 2016.
