Christmas Dinner Recipes

I'm going to take a break from the freezer meal plan for a bit and share some favorite Christmas dinner recipes that you might want to try out this holiday! I wish I had pictures, but alas, the recipes themselves will have to do.

PINEAPPLE FRUIT DIP

1 Tbs cornstarch
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup pineapple (or pineapple mango, or pineapple orage) juice
1 cup whipped cream

Combine cornstarch and sugar in saucepan. Beat in egg. Add pineapple juice and stir in well. Heat over medium heat until bubbly. Remove from heat and cool either at room temperature or in an cool water bath. Add whipped cream and serve with fruit.

CHRISTMAS HAM PINEAPPLE GLAZE

1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 small can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 Tbs mustard
2 Tbs lemon juice

Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Mix well. Add pineapple. Heat over medium high heat until simmering. Add mustard and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve warm over ham.

CHRISTMAS APPLE CIDER

8 cups apple juice or apple cider
¼ cup packed brown sugar
6 inches cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp grated orange peel

Combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

CRANBERRY CHRISTMAS PUNCH

1 can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
2 liters Sprite
Crushed ice
Limes, sliced
Fresh cranberries, if desired

Pour cranberry juice concentrate into punch bowl. Add Sprite and crushed ice. Put in lime slices and cranberries, for effect.

ORANGE EGG NOG

6 eggs (because of the risk of salmonella, it is best to use egg substitutes because they are pasteurized. 6 eggs is equivalent to 1 ½ cups.)
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 12-oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 quart vanilla ice cream
1 28-oz. bottle Ginger Ale, chilled
Nutmeg

Add sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves to eggs. Stir in orange juice. Cut ice cream into small cubs in a punch bowl. Pour in orange juice mixture and Ginger Ale. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

SALAD DE MAISON

2 heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup coarsely grated Swiss cheese
2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
¼ lb. bacon, cooked and diced
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup croutons
Salt and Pepper

DRESSING
Juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¾ cup oil

In a salad bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes, swiss cheese, almonds, and bacon. In a small separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients, except the oil. Beating continuously with a fork, slowly add oil in a stream. Let stand 3 hours. Toss with salad. Add Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and croutons right before serving.

TWICE BAKED POTATOES

Evenly shaped, good sized potatoes
Oil
Butter or margarine
Sour cream
Chives or onion powder (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese
Paprika, for garnish

Use as many potatoes as you need to feed your crowd. Scrub the potatoes and lightly run the skin with oil. This keeps the skin soft and it won’t tear when cut. Bake at 350º for about 1 hour or until tender. (It is not recommended to microwave potatoes as they will shrivel and skins will not be as tough.) While still hot (use an oven mitt), cut the potatoes in half, lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the insides without splitting skin and put them into a bowl. Keep the shells.

Make mashed potatoes using any of the ingredients above. Season to taste. Add some milk if the mixture is too thick. Scoop filling back into the shells and top with cheese and paprika. Bake at 350º until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through.

SWEET COOKED CARROTS

2 cups sliced baby carrots
1 cup water
2 Tbs butter
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp sugar

Bring water to a boil. Add carrots and cook 4-5 minutes or until crisp tender. Meanwhile, heat butter in a skillet. Drain carrots and add to butter. Add salt, pepper, parsley, and sugar. Stir well. Fry carrots for 5 minutes. Serve.

Have a very merry CHRISTmas! Enjoy the blessings of life, family, friends, and good food!