Christmas 2016 is fast approaching, so the question is what will be on your Christmas dinner menu this year? If you’re still trying to put together the perfect Christmas menu, you may consider some holiday favorites such as Christmas ham, rib roast, and, of course, mashed potatoes.
Whatever you decide on you will need some Christmas dinner recipes which you will find conveniently as you read on.
Christmas Dinner Recipes and Menu Ideas
Looking for the perfect and most festive Christmas dinner menu? You’re in luck because we’re not only highlighting holiday-inspired food creations, but we’re also revealing some easy recipes to help you create these dishes.
For starters, it isn’t quite the holidays without some eggnog. The good news is that you don’t have to slave away to create your own. You can actually buy it already made—all you need to add is the booze.
Cheesy Christmas Tree
Another creative idea is to create a pull-apart cheesy Christmas tree. This makes for a fun appetizer that all your guests will enjoy.
To create this festive starter, you will need refrigerated pizza dough, egg wash, seven mozzarella sticks, ¼ cup of melted butter, ½ cup of finely grated parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon of thinly sliced basil and chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary, and marinara sauce warmed up when ready to serve.
Preheat your oven at 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut your mozzarella sticks into 1-inch pieces and split your dough into two pieces. Roll out each piece into a rectangle and cut out 2-inch squares (you will need 33 squares in total). Wrap each dough square around a piece of mozzarella and form them into tight balls.
Place the rolled dough on the baking sheet, seam down, in the design of a Christmas tree. Ensure the balls of dough are touching close together. Brush the egg wash over your dough tree and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
As for the remaining spices, whisk them together with the melted butter and brush this over your dough tree when it’s ready. Serve warm and alongside marinara sauce for dipping.
Other Christmas dinner menu ideas include an antipasto wreath filled with cold-cuts and different cheeses, mashed potatoes, stuffed pork loin, crab mac and cheese, and, of course, the perfect glazed ham. What makes a glazed ham perfect? Well, check out the recipe below for details.
Glazed Holiday Ham
What you will need is one fully cooked ham, ½ cup of brown sugar, ¼ cup of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, 2 cups of apple cider, sliced apples, and fresh thyme (the apples and thyme are optional as they are for serving).
Diagonally score your ham and cook it at 325 degrees F. Ensure your ham is covered in foil, and it should be warm throughout. This will take approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours. During the last 45 minutes of cooking, start preparing your glaze.
Whisk your ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat and combine the mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and apple cider. Simmer the glaze until it is reduced to about half and brush the ham with it every 10 minutes or so.
When you remove your ham, allow it to sit for about 15 minutes and transfer to a serving tray with sliced apples and thyme.
The holidays are truly centered around food as it brings family and friends together. Creating the perfect Christmas dinner menu shouldn’t be stressful as long as you plan ahead and give yourself plenty of time to prepare.
Sources:
“The all-time most delish Christmas Dinner menu,” Delish website, December 15, 2016; http://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/christmas/g2575/classic-dinner-recipes/?slide=1, last accessed December 20, 2016.
Funston, L., “Perfect Glazed Ham,” Delish website, December 6, 2016; http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a50499/holiday-glazed-ham-recipe/, last accessed December 20, 2016.
Miyashiro, L., “Pull-apart Christmas tree,” Delish website, December 9, 2016; http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a50528/pull-apart-christmas-tree-recipe/, last accessed December 20, 2016.
