I don't like to waste a joyful day like Christmas cooking a big dinner so instead we have an open house brunch on Christmas day from about 10 to 2:30 and a soup buffet from 6:30 - 9:30 on Christmas night.

Morning menu is as follows:

Our traditional ruit cup
Sausage and cheese breakfast casserole
Spinach and leek quiche
Baked ham
Rosemary potato hash
Mini bagels with various cream cheeses
Mini muffins
Mini Danish
Mini croissants
Holiday cookies and small pastry bites

At about noon, we'll add the items below and remove the muffins, bagels and Danish:

Bacon and pepper stuffed mushrooms
Cold asparagus salad
Crab and brie phyllo triangles
Fruit and cheese platter

Evening buffet will be:

Fruits and cheeses with crackers
Chicken-rice-leek soup
Ham and greens soup
Mushroom consomme
Beef-vegetable-barley soup
Broccoli and cheddar chowder
---
Caesar salad
Beet, walnut and blue cheese salad
Chopped mixed salad
---
Various breads and rolls with a selection of flavored butters
Holiday cookies, small pastry bites and mint bon-bons

All types of beverages throughout the day

Christmas breakfast for 4: cinnamon rolls and coffee

Christmas 1:30 pm meal: turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetable (we'll see what's on sale later this week), rolls (maybe with a new bread machine if one is under the tree), pumpkin pie for dessert. (We didn't have this at Thanksgiving this year.)

Donna

I'm the bad guy this year as I have broken 5 decades, yup, that's what they tell me, of Christmas Eve family get-togethers. I have hosted for the last 14 years and I'm over it so last year I asked a family member to find someone to hand it off to for 2010. Well, I checked with him last month and--he forgot! So everyone is in a panic.

We are going to have the immediate family for Christmas Eve dinner. I asked for the cooks to volunteer what they were inspired to bring. Consequently the menu is pretty weird.

-Cuban roasted pork with mojo sauce
-yellow rice
-black beans
-empanadas
-assorted appetizers
-lasagna
-green salad
-chocolate dessert
-flan de leche cake

I'm debating about ordering a Neuske's spiral smoked ham. What's holding me back is 1) we already have a pork dish; 2) $15 shipping.

Hi everybody! I'm just now starting to feel better so I can start to think about this. I'm struck by how many of you are having cinnamon rolls in the morning, because we are too. (I tried the brown and serve method, which didn't work very well for me, so I just made them ahead of time and they're in the freezer waiting on me.)

Second breakfast will be hash browns, eggs, crispy bacon and sourdough toast.

Other than that, I'm not sure yet. Maybe pulled pork, dinner rolls (more like small sandwich buns), cranberry orange salad, coleslaw. The one thing I'm sure of is we're having a Triple Coconut Cake!

Mustangs, Nueske's has some of the medium size hams on sale--almost enough off to pay for the shipping.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nueske's

We are having a long dragged out Christmas this year. Elery's son and DIL are coming from California with the three boys, and his daughter is driving up from Ohio, so we're having Christmas dinner on the 22nd. Of course, Elery is working midnights, so I'm driving to his house on Tuesday afternoon, spending the evening prepping stuff and then he works from 11 pm to 7 am. He'll catch a couple of hours of sleep while I do dinner. We're having:

Cheese/sausage bites with habanero dip
Italian sausage
chips and salsa

Then I'm roasting a whole New York strip, and roasting fingerling potatoes. We made three kinds of homemade ravioli and we'll have green beans and Elery wants to make stromboli. Yeah, a weird combination, but it wasn't my idea.

For dessert we're having cookies, fudge and banana pudding. Ugh. His kids apparently love the stuff though.

christmas Eve we're having snacks with my family, so I have no idea what anyone is bringing. I don't even know what I'm bringing.

By Christmas Day it will be all over, so I don't intend to cook anything.

Annie

I'm hosting a family gathering after early evening mass on Christmas Eve. We're usually not tooooo hungry at that hour, so I'm just putting out finger/grazing food. I'll do a crock-pot of cabbage rolls, and homemade gravlax, with lots of cheese&crackers and heat'n serve hors d'ouvres. Not sure how many of us will show, but I'm guessing somewhere between 12-20.

Breakfast next day is usually a very informal affair. There will just be 5 of us, and they aren't particularly impressed if I try anything new and fabulous. So, we may just munch on the night-before's leftovers, unless the aebelskiver pan I ordered arrives, in which case I will experiment....

My brother and SIL are hosting the main Christmas dinner, featuring turkey, roast pork, and other family specialties. I've just confirmed that I will make the desserts, since they are expecting over 20 people, and have plenty to do providing the mains. My 17yo and I will make individual cheesecakes and sticky toffee puddings, plus a cookie tray.

Since I won't have any turkey leftovers, I have some tentative plans should we need a real dinner on Boxing Day. I've had some veal shanks in the freezer for awhile, so I think I can throw together some osso buco.

Ci, thanks for thinking of me. That's the one I was ordering yesterday (6-7 lb on sale); when I got to check out I found the $15 shipping charge. I guess I'm spoiled (or enabled is more like it) with Amazon free shipping (okay, I know I pay once a year).

CdL, none better than your cinni rolls! I'm glad you are feeling better.

Ci, thanks for thinking of me. That's the one I was ordering yesterday (6-7 lb on sale); when I got to check out I found the $15 shipping charge. I guess I'm spoiled (or enabled is more like it) with Amazon free shipping (okay, I know I pay once a year).

CdL, none better than your cinni rolls! I'm glad you are feeling better.

We're doing our usual Christmas Eve seafood feast.
Appetizers:
- boiled peel & eat shrimp
- grilled scallop kebabs
- smoked salmon pate on crackers
First Courses:
- mussels mariniere
Pasta Course:
- pasta con le sarde
Main Course:
- crab-stuffed sole & mushrooms in beurre blanc
- haricots verts
- mixed greens
Desserts:
- fresh raspberry tart
- tarte tatin
- homemade cookies: rugelach, Russian tea cakes, walnut tartlets

I wish I could make like Santa and travel around to sample all that is listed here.

Christmas Eve will be just Dad and I, so I am thinking Shrimp Scampi, broiled lobster tails for me, seared scallops, grav lax, assorted bread and a salad/veg of some kind. I have a taste for a pate, so I may make up a small recipe if I can find some duck liver near by.

Christmas Day we are at close freinds and I am cooking. We are confirmed for 12 people, but may jump to 17 if one group of "cruisers" coming home that afternoon join us. I have a total of 12# of standing rib roast to make with au jus and horsy sauce. My friend Linda is making the twice baked potatoes, oven roasted brussel sprout and a salad. And her signature baked ziti too.

Apps are an antipasto platter, shrimp with cocktail sauce and anything other guests surprise us with.

Deserts I think are cheesecake, tiramasu, and cookies.

And the 26th is leftovers I hope!

Wow - All of these menus sound so gourmet! My family (parents, sibs, in-laws, cousins, etc.) would not enjoy most of these - but I would love all of them! I-m envious of all of you who have family members willing to try new things.

I will be serving Prime Rib, Yorkshire Pudding, baked potatoes, green beans, and carrots. Probably a cookie tray from a fabulous bakery unless someone offers to bring a dessert.

I too am amazed at how many are having cinnamon rolls for breakfast! I was going to serve that to my Mom and kids and have Lox and bagels for myself, Dh and Dad. Thanks to this thread, I'm thinking of adding Mimosas. I was going to buy little cinnamon rolls from Trader Joe's that need to be baked - little mini one. Anyone have those? I'm open to a good (has to be easy) recipe though!

Pkramer - if you see this - what do you use for the horsey sauce??? My fam would never eat Brussels sprouts - DH and I love them, but no one else would eat them!

Jeri, I use the cinnamon roll recipe from Joy of Baking (linked below). Just put the ingredients in a bread machine on the dough setting. Take it out after the first rise. Pat it out then put on the cinnamon, nuts, etc. Roll it up, cut and let rise again then bake. It's easy! I do the rolls on Christmas Eve. Makes for a lovely smell!

Here is a link that might be useful: Cinnamon Rolls

Can't wait to do a turkey with my Dad's onion stuffing since we had Thanksgiving with friends. Always fresh cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes with giblet gravy, Waldorf salad (leaving red and green peels on). Dessert will be all of those cookies and whatever candies the guest bring. Oh, home-made whole wheat rolls. I am drooling just thinking about those sandwiches the following day.

Jeri, my horsey sauce is the basic sour cream or creme fraiche and fresh horseradish with a bit of dill or chive tossed in for color. I like it really hot, so I tend to use one whole jar of horseradish (drained) to a pint container of sour cream. And mix it just before serving to keep the heat.

Eve: I usually make Tourtiere's. I try very hard to preserve my heritage. BUT this year I've been out voted and we are having prime rib. There'll be 8, the 4 of us plus friends and their children.
Day - Brunch: Little River French Toast, mimosa's and an assortment of artery clogging meats i.e. bacon, sausage and ham. It'll be just the 4 of us.
Day - Dinner: Roast turkey breast sandwiches, hot cocoa, wine and lots of desserts. We'll be 17 for the evening. Did I mention we have a killer pond hockey game scheduled? We have a beautiful skating pond in our front yard and this is a special event for my husband's 6 year old grandnephew. My DS, 23 and DD, 20 are in charge of the event. It should be a blast! :-)

Lots of great menus shaping up for the holiday! I am still tweaking mine, but here it is so far:

Prime Rib w/Au Jus and Horseradish Sauce
Twice baked potatoes
Stuffed Portobellos (for my vegetarian daughter-in-law)
Grilled Ratatouille
Roasted Asparagus
Popovers

For dessert I am trying a new recipe, Tangerine Semifreddo with Almond Brittle. I'll report back on that one.

Haven't even thought about the Eve or Morning meals yet! LOL

Linda

Linda, What time is dinner? Ratatouille, that's an idea I haven't made that in a couple of years.

I'm now going to add Brandied Mushrooms (thanks Alexa!) and Waldorf Salad (great idea cross_stitch!) to my menu - thanks to feedback and reading what others are serving. I also ran into this Mexican Shrimp Cocktail that sounds interesting. I was just going to put out shrimp and cocktail sauce, but I always do that. This will change things up a bit.

I'm excited. :-)

This year, reservations. My DD and SIL and I are going out for brunch Christmas Day. Everyone else is out of town. I must say, I'm looking forward to it for a nice change.

My DD suggested I make brunch, but I said that for three of us the choices were Cheerios or Raisin Bran, there just weren't enough people to cook a big meal.

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday.

Ooooh, Moosemac, pond hockey is the BEST! That hot cocoa and wine will go quickly.

We are filling our backyard rink as we speak. Let's hope my well holds out since there's no rain expected. I think we have a 3-on-3 tourney planned for New Year's Eve as long as the ice holds.

AM

AM - aren't you all getting the flooding rain tomorrow night? Here in SE PA we are already under flood watches for small stream and street flooding........

And thanks for all the great suggestions everyone! Yes, I am looking for ways to make it easy since we will be out most of the morning. So far I am leaning towards:

Cocktail shrimp
fruit cheese/crackers
Annies Sausage Balls

Spiral Ham
Turkey Breast (from HB Ham also, friend is bringing)
Rolls
condiments
pickles

Marinated Antipasto

Christmas cookies

I am debating on adding a pot of soup - Ruthannas sound so good to me! and maybe Gravlax since it is so delish and I can start it today and just serve it with some great black bread come Saturday afternoon. And deviled eggs are calling me too.....

Thanks everyone for the great ideas and inspiration! I hope all of you have a wonderful Merry Christmas :-)

Alexa

AM,
Best of luck with your rink. No rain and no snow for you!

We got snow last night and we're still getting flurries so I guess you know what I'll be doing after work tonight....shoveling. I'm actually thinking of waiting since the forcast is for more snow Thursday. Oh well...

I might have to alter my menu to allow more time to shovel!

Oh yes and don't foget the bonfire by the rink/pond...

Yes, Alexa, add soup!! Soup is so perfect for Christmas.

Thanks for the good wishes on the rink. No rain expected here in the next 5 days, so it's the hose for us.

We have 2 fire pit things, and I think we'll have both of them going since we'll need all the heat we can get. Everyone shovels at our rink - you don't skate if you don't shovel! I was actually thinking of having that made into a banner this year to hang on the boards.

I am looking at variations of all the wonderful foods listed to use for New Years. I need things that I can make now and freeze.

AM

Well... I am going to add soup to the menu. I think it will be Southwestern Sweet Potato Bisque which is velvety smooth and spicy and fun all at once. I think that will be a nice combination with the ham/turkey sandwiches and nibbles.

Thanks again and good luck with the skating parties. I have fond memories of skating parties when I lived in Maine - enjoy the bon fires!

Alexa

Lots of wonderful food here!! I've gotten a lot of good ideas for food to have over our school break! Thank you!

Annie...do you have a recipe for the habanero dip?

At one time or another we will be having: boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce, fried calamari with marinara, hot crab dip with bread, fish stew Veracruzana, Louisiana boudin with crackers and cheese, rib roast, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, fruit plate, several cheesecakes, and various other desserts. I can hardly wait!

Moosemac - just curious - is the Little River French Toast from the Little River Inn in Little River, CA by any chance? We stayed there once and it was a wonderful place.

I wish I was home, cooking. We have such a weird family. The last time some of those kids were at my house I found what amounts to vandalism in my teenagers' rooms.
We go to Brother In Law's. He has kids that can't behave, so we like to go there and leave our house clean and safe. I commit to bringing half the meal, I just add to what he's having. He called me today with his menu and I couldn't believe it.
Honey Baked Ham
Turkey Tetrazzini
Baked Mostacolli
Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Rye Rolls

Not a fresh vegetable in sight. Why would you want all those carbs, I don't know. It's no wonder his kids are terrible!!
Here's what I'm bringing to add to it:
Fresh fruit salsa with Cinnamon tortilla chips
Fennel and Apple Slaw
Green Chili Rice Casserole
Thai Ceasar Salad
and a very Christmas looking appetizer--chunks of green pepper, grape tomato and mozzerella pearl on a toothpick!
I hope everyone has a Merry one!!

Im having ham,m potatoes,candied yams,stuffing,gravy,pineapple casserole,one is bringing broccoli casserole,not sure the other,one is bringing dessert.
Christmas eve pork barbeque,ham meatballs sweetbalogna rolls with creme cheese rolled up,chips,veggie tray,deviled eggs colored red & green,not sure what every bodys bringing yet.

Hmmm I hadn't even really planned anything.
Other than Prime Rib..it's a must with Hubby..and usually Woodie's french toast casserole or cinnamon rolls and some breakfast meat of some sort.

The best part of both days is the prepping where we all have our stations, sip wine, and have a lot of laughs.

For Christmas Eve:

If this looks familiar its because they won't let me change much from year to year

Appetizers
Fried calamari
Mini calzones
Cheese platter

1st Course
Crab cakes (see, I spelled it right)
Baked clams
Mom's shrimp salad (boiled jumbo shrimp cut into pieces with garlic, celery, lemon juice, and EVOO)

Main Course
Lobster Scampi with linguini (this is new this year)

Dessert
Fresh fried zeppoli
Dad's almond tart
Fresh fruit
Pastries

Christmas Day

Our friends son, the brilliant chef, is cooking agin this year. Once again, we do all the prep at my house in the morning (the best time ever) and then move next door to their house for dinner.

I just spoke to my friend who described the menu as follows...and this is pretty much verbatim:

Some kind of gnocci dish
Something with Brussel sprouts
some kind of fancy salad
A sort of mashed potato dish
The meat

Nothing is as simple as it seems. The dishes will be beyond spectacular. This year I promise not to drink Mimosas and will instead pay attention to everything chef does...really...i promise...no, really....

Sue

Okay so I sorted it out..all except Christmas Eve..

Christmas Morning:
Woodies Creme Brulee French Toast
and a BIG OL Spanish Omelet

Christmas Dinner:

Prime Rib
Garlic Mashed Taters
Warm Spinach Salad
Broc/Cauli Cheese Casserole
Honey Whole Wheat Rolls
Dark Chocolate Cheesecake
Homemade Vanilla Bean Philly Style Icecream

Sunday Evening with Friends:

Queso Blanco Dip
Buffalo Bites
Homemade Ranch Dip
Cinnamon "toast" pretzels
Coconut Macaroons, Fudge and some cut outs

We do something different every year. This year I got a request for make your own pizza night. I think we are also going to make a gingerbread house.

Christmas Eve lunch
Shrimp, mini potato knishes, bacon wrapped dates, mango peach salsa and chips, spinach dip etc.

Christmas Eve Dinner
Mini pizzas toppings, chicken, bacon, sausage, ham and pineapple, mushrooms, onions, olives, various cheeses. Cookies and candy for dessert. I baked off 3 batches of cookies tonight.

Christmas brunch
Creme brulee french toast, Italian egg bake, gallo pinto, bacon, mini chicken apple sausages, many mimosas.

Christmas dinner
Honey baked ham, I am smoking a turkey, risotto like rice dish, stuffing, gravy, cranberries, pineapple bake, squash, various cheeses. Cheese cake and banana bread and other people are bringing desserts.

Woodie,
I really don't know where the Little River french toast recipe originated. I got it from my cousin's wife about 10 years ago. Here it is:

Little River French Toast
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tbs. corn syrup (I use honey)
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla
French Bread, sliced in 1/2-3/4" pieces

Spray 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray. In a saucepan, melt brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Pour well-blended mixture into pan and arrange sliced bread on top. In a blender, mix eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour all of milk mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Thanks Moosemac :)

Great sounding menus everyone!

Here is the plan for my group.

Christmas morning will be sticky buns, cinnamon rolls, and a variety of sweet/quick breads. I'm sure some of the kids will eat ceareal too. Dinner will be around 1:30.

Prime Rib
Roasted Red Pepper Soup (Sharon's)
Ceasar Salad
Potatoe Gratin (Child/Peppin recipe)
Roasted Asparagus
Brandy Shrooms (Alexa)
Yorkshire Pudding
Flourless Chocolate Cake with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. (Gina's)

David

I have two people coming, and so far I plan to serve cornish hens, cauliflower gratin, and stuffed baby portabella mushrooms. Last time I stuffed them it came out great - I sauteed onion, celery and mushroom stems in butter and white wine, then added finely chopped walnuts, cooked quinoa, chopped wheat bread, and parmesan cheese. Yum-to-the-O!

I'm still deciding on a green veg and pre-dinner snacks. Maybe I'll be easy on myself and just buy some crackers, olives and cheeses at TJs. Bro is bringing dessert and wine. I'm leaning towards quickly-sauteed baby spinach or creamed spinach, and a small salad.

We will start Christmas Day with homemade stollen, bacon and eggs.

Dinner will be a salad, Lobster Stuffed Beef Wellington, fresh green beans, fresh cauliflower, some potato dish that I have yet to decide on and cherry pie for dessert.

There will just be four of us and I'm really trying to keep it simple this year.

Nancy

I'm trying to keep it simple, too. We have neighbors coming to join the two of us, unexpectedly. He has been too sick to travel to Atlanta as they had plans to be with their children but is feeling better to come out of the house and they may leave on Monday to drive south.

So we are having a prime rib roast, scalloped potatoes (neighbor is making), horseradish sauce, asparagus,

A new-to-me roasted onion recipe I might have found on this forum (wedges of sweet onion, drizzled with olive oil some salt & pepper, roasted at 400 for 1/2 hour, crumbled blue cheese on top with toasted pine nuts and some balsamic vinegar once out of the oven.)

And my neighbor (from the South) is also bringing a pecan pie.

Yum..

Merry Christmas from snow-covered Cape Cod.

seagrass

Last night (pre-Xmas Eve):

Vinegared cucumber
Salmon seared with teriyaki glaze
Tempura broccoli, carrots, and mushrooms
French fries
A mediocre French wine with a deceptively promising label

Today am:

Roesti
Pork sausage
Scrambled eggs
Toast with Accidental Sausage-Potato Gravy

Tonight (Xmas Eve):

Spinach-corn salad
Escargot
Cracked crab
Creamed corn
Flan dessert
A hopefully better wine

Tommorrow am (Xmas Day):

Bagels and lox
Dutch Baby
Some sort of egg-sausage casserole
Mimosa

Tomorrow dinner:

Roast chicken
Mashed potatoes
Accidental Sausage-Potato Gravy

By the way, here is my recipe for Accidental Sausage-Potato Gravy:
- receive instructions from wife to cook up 4 packages of maple pork sausage for her casserole
- receive instructions from son to make roesti
- place sausages in two large pans, cook in water, remove cooked sausages to sheet pan and broil for brown-ness
- put julienned potatoes in same pans and cook, adding more water as needed
- remove potatoes and make roesti
- notice that cooking water from sausages and potatoes is dark brown, flavorful, and starchy. Decide not to throw it out. Boil it down in the pans and end up with Accidental Sausage-Potato Gravy.

We're eating Miami for lunch

(basketball joke.....)

Tonight, Xmas eve, we're going to another Jewish household. I stopped by earlier and set up chicken soup, then made wontons as a 'mock' wonton soup (no pork). I also made chinese chicken salad, and my friend is making sweet and sour chicken, and orange beef. Dessert is cookies.

Tomorrow we're just relaxing at home and watching the game! I might make cinnamon buns if I get motivated.

I made some homemade ravioli yesterday. The recipe was my grandfather's that he used to make always for the holidays. My father helped when he was a boy and he hand grinded all the ingredients.

I have his rotella,pin,and his rolling pin form. I did use a 2.75 square cutter though and the kitchenaid pasta sheet maker. I also used a food processor.

My Dad's 85 years old now and all he wanted for Christmas was Ravioli!

Here is a link that might be useful: Christmas Ravioli

Gary, what a very nice memory. Would you mind sharing the recipe for the ravioloi, please.

Nothing fancy. Just stuff that I know the family likes and will eat.

Ham
Hash Brown Casserole
Sauteed Green Beans
Cauliflower Salad
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Cherry Salad
Fresh Pineapple
Homemade Hot Rolls
Brownies
Pecan Pie

Ours turned out wonderfully...sometimes it doesn't, ya know?

We did a grilled salmon. Half done with an herb rub, half with only oil, salt, and pepper. Ds #2 created a parmesan cream sauce to serve with the plain half. Dh grilled the salmon over charcoal with smoldering mesquite pieces. Mmmmmmmmmmm...

Sides were a southern tomato veggies tart, mashed potatoes, southern green beans, and hot bread.

Cherry pie with whipped cream, sugar cookies, and fudge for dessert.

It was a lovely meal. Didn't want to stop eating...everyone sat around laughing and talking afterwards, too.

Despite feeling very full from dinner, these all sounded wonderful! Here's what we had:

Christmas Eve dinner: bottom round roast (made in CrockPot - recipe in the Crock Pot thread), little bitty potatoes, and fresh broccoli.

Christmas morning: cinnamon rolls. (Made ahead of time, refrigerated, took them out to rise this morning and then baked.)

Christmas dinner: baked turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes (which I had a problem with), steamed peas, and rolls (last thing kneaded in old bread machine; sounded like a 140 year old man trying to get out of bed). Pumpkin pie when we feel like eating it.

Donna

Last night, fresh Dungeness crab and artichokes and garlic bread.

Today, Simca's cassoulet with a salad of butter lettuce and avocado and croutons with a mustard dressing.

Life is good!

We are in a small gathering stage these years due to the loss of older family members and job transfers for younger family. I DO miss having a housefull!

My two sons and daughter in law are adventurous so I broke dinner traditions and tried some new recipes. Christmas Eve Roast Beast (Prime Rib) was replaced by Pepper Crusted Beef Tenderloin with a red wine & butter reduction sauce, wild rice, white asparagus and assorted biscotti for dessert.

Christmas morning traditional pancakes & sausage. Christmas night I tried lasagne made with the no boil pasta and it was the best ever (after reading up on the tips & tricks for it).

Forgot to mention ideas for Christmas Eve leftovers. I plan to heat up the leftover wine butter sauce, add cubed leftover tenderloin roast just to heat it up and serve it over reheated leftover wild rice.

What are you doing with your leftovers? Some of the best dishes are born this way! Do share.