Christmas Eve:
My main objective on Christmas Eve was to not have to actually cook anything after we got home from church. Everything on this menu was made ahead and served cold, except the artichoke spinach dip, which I baked as soon as I got home, and the italian beef, which was served from the slow cooker.
- Three Bean Salad - YUM! This made a huge batch and we'll have the leftovers for a yummy snack. I added a chopped bell pepper and a can of garbanzo beans to the recipe. I also used half of a red onion and that was perfect.
- Artichoke Spinach Dip - I was able to make this ahead. I simply put it all together and put it in the fridge. I took it out and put it in the oven and it worked beautifully. I didn't have to add any cooking time even though it was straight from the fridge. I used the goya artichoke hearts because they are not marinated. I'll definitely make this again.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip - My aunt makes a similar dip with a mix from Tastefully Simple. I served it with little graham cracker sticks. You'll have to scroll down the post a bit to find the recipe. It is worth it.
- Amazingly Good Eggnog - This was awesome. I don't really like eggnog, but this was good. I raised the temperature in the first step because I couldn't get it to boil on my stovetop on low. I also used whole milk for the original four cups, and then substituted 2% milk for the rum. It was really great in coffee, too.
- Italian Beef - I combined several recipes to make this one. We froze over half of the mixture, so we'll be having these again soon. I served it with sandwich rolls made from the sweet dinner rolls that we were having on Christmas Day. They weren't very good as sandwich bread.
(based on Italian Beef in a Bucket by Cheryl Gross)
3.5 pounds chuck roast
1 (12 ounce) jar mild giardinera
1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
Place the roast in slow-cooker and add the giardinera, pepperoncini, salad dressing mix, seasonings and beef broth. Stir to blend, cover and cook on low for 18 hours. To serve, remove roast from the slow cooker, shred and replace in juices in slow cooker.
Christmas Day:
I also tried to look for things that I could make in advance for Christmas Day. I love the ease of pulling something out of the fridge and putting it in the oven instead of slaving away all day. I think that I did a pretty good job of getting the food out on the table all at the same time, but I don't think that I had quite enough done ahead. I'll look for more opportunities for preparing ahead next year.
Breakfast:
- French Breakfast Puffs - Oh my goodness, these are good. I did make these ahead and then stored them in the freezer. I even reheated and refroze them and they still came out beautifully.
- Potato Casserole - I made this dish for my MOPS meeting on the 14th. I made two casseroles and popped one in the freezer (my favorite method: put enough foil in the 9x13 pan to cover the bottom and the top of the casserole. Top the foil with the same amount of plastic wrap (to give you extra protection against air, and to protect against any food reactions with the foil) and put the casserole in the dish, covering it with the extra plastic and foil. Freeze the casserole. When the casserole is frozen, pop it out of the 9x13, and get your dish back! When you need to bake the casserole, simply remove the foil and plastic and place back in the dish, thaw and bake.). I am going to try to substitute half of the mayo with yogurt next time.
Dinner:
- Turkey - This was really good. I cooked the bird in a roasting bag and used a stick and a half of butter with several cloves of garlic under the skin. It was wonderful and moist. I'm really looking forward to using the leftovers, too.
- Stuffing - I should have used a larger pan for this. I didn't have enough room to stir and the bread was too moist in some places and too dry in others from the lack of good stirring.
- Green Bean Casserole - Still my favorite.
- Candied Sweet Potatoes - Brad's favorite.
- Sweet Dinner Rolls - These are really great dinner rolls. I tried to use the dough for sandwiches, but they didn't work well.
- Black Bottom Cupcakes - I cooked these too long and they aren't great.
We've got leftovers coming out our ears. We've already made Turkey Tetrazzini (used cream of mushroom instead of cream of celery) and I'm looking forward to Enchiladas tomorrow night. As usual, I'm doubling the recipes and freezing half. I'm looking very much forward to getting at least two weeks worth of food out of that bird! I'll let you know how it turns out.
