A traditional English dinner - prime rib, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, creamed onions, brussel sprouts with lemon mustard sauce and sherry trifle. I can't wait!!

I stopped doing sit-down menus quite a few years ago. Now I make a big spread of a variety of nibbles, a big pasta salad bowl, a baked ham and smoked turkey breast, rolls, pork pies and a couple of desserts. It's easier with people coming at all different times, I just have it there and people graze as they choose.

My whole family celebrates both Christmas Eve and Day together. Xmas eve it's always Polish food and several of us will contribute.... always pierogi (potato and cabbage), spiral-cut ham, kielbasa, babka (egg & raisin bread for us), and usually creamed potatoes, orange fruited jello salad, etc. Xmas day we seem to usually have lasagna (several different kinds), sausage & peppers, meatballs & sauce, garlic bread, salads, etc. And always tons and tons of desserts, cookies, and candies. lol!

Prime rib, shrimp

would like to try a smoked trout dip but haven't built my nerve for it yet.

It depends on whether it will be raining or not. If it rains, I'll make deviled crab - if it is sunny, I will make Algerian roast chicken outdoors on the BGE. However, we may go out of town. I guess we should decide that pretty soon. I might make some more ice cream as well. We don't eat desserts that much, and at least ice cream will keep. I have some ground pistachios in the freezer, and so I could make pistachio ice cream, but we have not finished the last batch I made.

We host my husband's family this year. They are Italian and we will have fried shrimp, fried calamari, arancini (rice balls), braciole, pasta frijole, meatballs in sauce, a baked pasta, tossed salad and a fresh vegetable.

Baked ham, buttered cider sauce, mince meat stuffed peaches, wine, cranberry bread, beets and/or snap peas and pods, twice baked potatoes, and I think meringues with lemon filling.

Everyone's meals sound so delicious! It will just be the two of us this year. I've been in the hospital and a rehab facility for the past month, so not much of a appetite or energy. DH is going to make a tourtière (Canadian meat pie) on Christmas Eve. We like pickled beets on the side ( and ketchup!). A box of See's candies to choose from for dessert. Leftovers on Christmas Day.

Bossy I served a smoked trout dip at a Christmas cocktail party and it was a huge hit......more so than I thought it would be given it was so easy ! I can post the recipe if you want.

Our Thanksgiving and Christmas is over 2 months a part so a T-Day redo is typical here for Christmas. A few change ups but not much

Turkey and stuffing

Mashed potatoes and gravy

Ham

Sweet potato and carmelized onion casserole

Baked beans

Two veggie dishes....TBD

Rolls, pickles and , cranberry sauce, three ways........why are people so fussy about cranberry sauce?

Ginger cake with butter sauce

Lasagna, meatballs, tossed salad, garlic bread, Chianti.

Had turkey breast for Thanksgiving, applewood smoked ham last week, so I'm leaning toward grilled filet mignon.

Sides would be:

Caramelized Shallots (adapted from Ina Garten)

Oyster Rockefeller Casserole in ramekins

Chipotle Sweet Potato Gratin

Confetti Corn

Vanilla Roasted Pears (SmittenKitchen)

steaks ribeye or filet depending on their taste, fried shrimp (only a couple per person) baked potato, salad homemade dressings, bread (?) italian cream cake and pie of some kind...

Steaks, baked potatoes, shrimp scampi, green salad, baguette, cheesecake.

Prime rib, scalloped potatoes, and some other stuff yet to be determined.

I did all the work for Thanksgiving and I am still worn out and have no interest in a "traditional" meal. However, I am not the one hosting so will keep my opinions to myself. Since my mother plans to do a ham, I will make a beef burgundy stew as an alternative main. I am also expected to contribute dessert and I really should pin that down soon. I will be making maple mousse for DH's work so I am not sure if I want to do that so soon. I could make cream puffs and I know those go over well. I should actually consider making more than 1 dessert for the number of people. I need to get inspired and soon.

Leftovers! Chanukah starts Christmas Eve, but the big party is this week. We're having a little get together that night, but it's mostly going to be leftover tidbits. :)

I'm visiting friends for Christmas dinner (which will likely be served around 5 pm). They usually make something with beef - either a roast, or filet mignon, and they serve olive, cheese and sausage chautecerie for appetizers. They also usually do something tasty to Brussels sprouts or a similar vegetable.

I'm still deciding what to bring as a side. There will likely only be six of us.

So, I'm looking at this thread, and others, for ideas.

Cucumber salad, or NON-candied sweet potatoes -- hmm, that sweet potato and caramelized onion casserole idea sounds great!

Rita - I'm curious about your pork pie. We have a traditional holiday pie we make with pork (butt, stewed), clove and white bread crumbs and put in a regular pie crust. I'm wondering if yours is anything similar.

Rita, your pork pie reminds me of the tortierre that my ex-husband made every year. It's a Quebec tradition, ground pork, spices and mashed potatoes as a binder made in a double pie crust. So good, with ketchup!

Here I'm having two Christmas dinners, one for Elery's family and one for mine. Elery's family has never had Christmas here, so he's excited. It'll be the day after Christmas and they are all spending the night, plus three dogs, so there will be the big meal plus supper and breakfast, maybe an extra lunch! So, Elery and I plus 6 more adults, 4 kids and 3 dogs! I had two 7 rib standing rib roasts cut from the beef slaughtered in January and I've been saving them, along with a couple of home grown smoked hams. So, for his family dinner we'll be having:

Appetizers: Bacon wrapped smoked sausages, pimento cheese with crackers, savory cheesecake topped with Habanero Gold, glazed chicken wings

Beef standing rib roast and Yorkshire puddings

Brown sugar glazed ham

Loaded Twice Baked or Au Gratin potatoes

Elery's Southern Style Pink Half Runner Beans

Mustangs' Fig and Proscuitto Spinach Salad

Homemade Crescent or Butterflake Rolls and butter

Pecan Pie

Cheesecake

Cookies and Fudge

For supper that evening we'll have sandwiches with leftover meat and rolls, and I'll make a big pot of soup, maybe chicken noodle, along with whatever desserts and appetizers remain. Breakfast next morning will be biscuits and sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes and fruit.

My family will have their dinner on New Year's Eve, with everyone's work schedules, Elery's family visiting and my ex scheduling a family dinner on Christmas Eve, this is the only time that would work. Since we do nothing on New Year's Eve, it's not an issue, so we'll have:

Appetizers: See above, but maybe meatballs instead of chicken wings

Standing rib roast

Maybe Yorkshire puddings, depending on how well they go for Elery's family!

Brown sugar glazed ham

Macaroni and Cheese

Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

Harvard Beets

Sol's Honey Rolls

Mustang's Fig and Proscuitto Salad

Cookies and Fudge

Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll

Cheesecake

So, lots of cooking to do. I get the new Milk Street email and magazine from Christopher Kimball, I'm trying to decide if I have the nerve to try his prune based method for the rib roast....

Annie

You can't fail with Yorkshire puddings if you do them like in Yorkshire - get 3 identical glasses. Break your eggs into one, then use the same volume of plain flour in one, and milk in the third. Make sure the fat is sizzling in the tins before you add the batter.

we'll have a nut roast for DD, a turkey breast for DS and beef or lamb for husband and son in law - the others aren"t difficult and can choose. Then, it's has to be roast tatoes, brussels sprouts with chestnuts, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, jus for the beef or lamb, veggie gravy for DD followed by stilton, then a proper Christmas pudding with brandy butter and cream.

Oh, my expanding waistline!

Yes, it's the French Canadian pork pie that I make. I got the recipe from a neighbor and it's as you say above, Jasdip, with the exception that it consists of both ground pork and beef. I'm sure that there are variations in the different families for it - (he was French Canadian). I also have a slightly different crust recipe from that one that uses butter in the crust. I go back and forth on that. And yes, we must have ketchup with it. I had to beg and plead with the man I got the recipe from, he finally let me watch. It's one of those dishes that can be made ahead and heated up and it tastes good either hot or even after it gets room temperature.

Oh man, Rita, now you've got me wanting to make one! My ex-husband was from Quebec City and we had it every year when we hosted Christmas Eve. We always had it when we came back from touring the park and seeing the Christmas lights. But none of the rest of the family cared for it, they pigged out on the other goodies.

Woke this morning with a few items to add to the shopping list for the holidays.

X-ams eve is always seafood, oyster stew or Bouillabaisse or chowder.

X-mas day is usually tamales and charcuterie plate and smoked salmon plate. Cheeses, pate', olives, pickles. Probably add my holiday hummus with veg chips. We take an afternoon hike as the trails are empty. Unless a total white out snow storm. Good day for snacking and no cooking all prepped ahead. Easy to pack some hiking snacks from that prep.

New addition this year is an artichoke pie, a DH favorite i usually make for his B-day. Might make that X-mas night dinner with a microgreen salad. I'm thinking puff pastry this time. Inspired by a recipe i recently ran across that had all the flavors of FrenchOnionSoup...i'll add a pat of goat cheese and baby artichoke hearts, (frozen).

The week between x-mas and the NewYear is all seafood...crab cakes, clam pizza, chowders, shrimp noodle bowl, soups, lots of leeks and seared scallops, etc. Maybe a cod dish...whatever looks good at the fish market. Off work all that week so we want to cook and try new things. New to me cookbook, DavidChang's Momofuku, so that will influence.

NewYears day is always ham and black-eyed peas, collards. Biscuits. An early brunch. We reverse-brine by soaking in herbed and spiced water 24 hrs that draws out a lot of the salt. homemade mustards and a horseradish cream.

phew, that was a good to get out on paper...had not thought much about it till now.

Seagrass, I'm so sorry to hear that you've been ill and are still recuperating. I recall your last bout and hope that this isn't related to it. Wishing you all the best in 2017!!

Everyone's meals sound very interesting. Our crew isn't as adventurous. My daughter always makes a turkey, I've given up trying to do a beef tenderloin at her house. It's easier if I make it here, my way. Her DH always insists on having a turkey and frankly, it's too expensive to waste that beautiful filet when sharing it with a turkey. Our group isn't that big to enjoy them both.

Seagrass, I also hope you are feeling well soon, I'm sorry you're ill at the holidays, I know you missed Thanksgiving with your family.

I'm wishing you good health and a very Merry Christmas

Annie

Sleevendog, yes to lots of seafood for Christmas eve, and periodically often for the following week! I have the Momofuku cookbook too - some great ideas in there! (Unfortunately it is packed under the assumption I would have moved into my new home by now...)

I hope all of you are well and have a wonderful Christmas meal, whenever it is celebrated. We only do Christmas Day. Used to have Christmas Eve but no longer.

Sue

I have finally regained a little bit of function in my arms and hand so I am going to attempt to cook. I have so many people who like one thing or the other that I try to make a little variety in meat. Some don't eat Ham some don't eat Turkey. Sigh. I really don't care for either lol.

So on New Years Day I have my perfect dinner for me which is Prime Rib, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Loaded Baked Potato. That has always been my reward to myself for making Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner. I finally get to eat what I enjoy.

For Christmas I will attempt to make:

Spiral Ham

Turkey

Sausage Stuffing

Regular Stuffing for those who don't like sausage stuffing

Butter and Onion Potatoes to go with Ham

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Roasted Asparagus

Green Beans

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Rolls

Pumpkin Pie

Cranberry Apple Crisp

I am going to start cooking what I can on Thursday and everyday until Christmas so I don't overwhelm myself. The last few years with the neurological issues I have had a hard time. I am having people over this year who don't have family to have dinner with and I want to make sure the kids have a nice family atmosphere to have dinner that they wouldn't normally get to experience.

It amazes me that only 2 years ago I was doing all of Thanksgiving Dinner for 25 people, Christmas Eve party with full buffet for at least 50 people, cleaning up Christmas Eve night to do a full Christmas dinner for another 25 and then doing a full New Year's Eve party just a week after. After I got sick I just wasn't able to do it anymore and no one picked up and took over so it all just ended. To think about doing all of that now makes me want crawl under the covers and hide :)

We are so looking forward to Christmas dinner which will be:

Boneless Rib Eye Roast

Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Green Beans

Honey Roasted Carrots

Homemade Hot Rolls

Butter

Ice Tea

Homemade Coconut Ice Cream with Toppings of Flaked Unsweetend
Coconut and Chopped Salted Peanuts

Thanks, Islay! I've done popovers, but not yorkshires, they seem very similar so it'll probably be all right. I've got to do enough for a dozen people, though, and I've seen recipes that say I can make the batter the night before and refrigerate it until used the next day. That would be very convenient.....

Aprile, good luck with those issues. I'm not sick and it takes me a couple of days to do everything for a holiday meal!

Annie