USVI-On-Line

I'm going to leave you with some homework while I'm away
We are hosting Christmas day and I never know what to serve that day. Here's our deal - Christmas Eve is a big deal dinner at my sister's house. She has lots of people and a formal sit down dinner that always involves beef tenderloin and some sort of seafood. It's rich in other words.
Christmas Day is just our immediate family and it's casual and full of gifts and fun. There's only 6 of us but I don't like to end up tending to things in the kitchen. I like to be in the middle of all the gift giving fun!

So I am looking for something I can prepare ahead or that doesn't have to be fussed with that day. I can do some veggies or rice or something last minute, that's not a big deal but let's say I'm not standing around making risotto! LOL

Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Mary Beth

My immediate thought was lasagna. You can make it all in advance and then just heat it up. With a dark green salad and some bread you are all set! Not fancy but most people enjoy it. You could dress up the salad with candied pecans and dried cranberries to make it festive looking.

I've served a roasted butternut squash lasagna at Christmas before and it has been a hit. It's not as heavy as a traditional lasagna. It is vegetarian too (with dairy though).

thanks. I've thought of that too but I'm not great at "sauce". Maybe it's the year to get good at it though

I have a great recipe that is mostly done ahead called "Sheehan Christmas Chicken". It has chicken, mushrooms, asparagus and red peppers cooked in a cream cheese white wine sauce. You saute everything ahead of time, put it all in the oven and serve it whenever you are ready. My whole clan of 23 LOVE this disk and with the red peppers and asparagus it has Christmas colors! Let me know if you're interested, and I'll dig up the recipe.

pswlrw wrote:I have a great recipe that is mostly done ahead called "Sheehan Christmas Chicken". It has chicken, mushrooms, asparagus and red peppers cooked in a cream cheese white wine sauce. You saute everything ahead of time, put it all in the oven and serve it whenever you are ready. My whole clan of 23 LOVE this disk and with the red peppers and asparagus it has Christmas colors! Let me know if you're interested, and I'll dig up the recipe.

yes, please! sounds like something my family would like!

Neither my roasted butternut squash or my portobello mushroom lasganas have any red sauce in them--they are both bechemel based. If you decide you want to go that route let me know and I'll type them in.

If you wanted something meaty and different, you could make cassoulet!

The key to a good tomato sauce is at least one can of imported San Marzano (sp?) tomatos from Italy.

BTW if you live in NY/NJ and your last name ends with a vowel, its not called sauce, its called gravy!

These sound wonderful y'all.

Here's one the is SO super easy & is delicious...
Poppy Seed Chicken
6 cooked, cut-up chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 8-oz. carton sour cream
(Combine these together in Pyrex bowl)

1 stick butter (melted)
1 roll Ritz crackers, crushed
1 T poppy seeds
(combine these together in separate bowl)

Put chicken mixture in casserole dish.
Top with cracker crumbs
Bake 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.

(I alter this & use 2 - 3 cans of cream/mushroom soup & also a little more of the sour cream.) The chicken can be cooked ahead of time; the whole thing can be put together ahead of time & popped in the oven when you're ready.
Enjoy!

Just do beer can chicken and then you can drink the rest

Mary Beth,

The secret to good gravy (we do gravy in Boston, too) is cooking it slow. If I want meat, but need simple, I skip the meatballs and just use Italian sausages, pepperoni or pork chops; however, I often do meatless when making Lasagna. It could all be done ahead of time.

Hope Boston was good to you this last weekend and have a wonderful (and hassle free) trip to STJ.

California Girl wrote:Hey MB! I know this is "cheating" but I have stopped making my own spaghetti sauce now that I've discovered Paul Newman's sauces! YUM!

I'm with you! I can doctor up a jar of sauce pretty good . We like the Barilla Italian Baking Sauce but it has been hard to find. Not sure if they still make it.

You could always go with comfort foods. A spiral ham, green bean casserole and cheesy potatoes. All do ahead. Add a salad and some good bread. Pot roast and fixins is pretty simple too.

now i'm hungry

We do spaghetti, salad and rolls a lot of times for Christmas dinner. We've cooked our butts off for Thanksgiving and for Christmas we just like to relax. The spaghetti sauce goes into the crock pot. That way you do not need to watch it.

Enjoy!!