One year when we lived in Edinburgh, I hosted Christmas at our flat, and it was EXHAUSTING. So much respect for my mom and mother-in-law for hosting all these years with grace and cheer all the while making it look effortless! So if you're hosting, you want to make sure your Christmas Dinner Menu is delicious but LOW MAINTENANCE so you can enter into the festivities without being too preoccupied.
When I got married, I was shocked to find out that it was traditional to basically serve Thanksgiving for Christmas dinner. Not to knock Thanksgiving because I do like it, but it's more special to have it once a year, and it's too much work to make this for Christmas in my opinion. In case you fall in this camp, I'm giving you permission to adopt my family's Christmas menu this year. My mom (actually her mom) is a genius for going against the grain on it because it is better than Thanksgiving! It's clean (if you skip the dessert and cocktail), and it's simple to throw together, but it looks fancy! My goal on Christmas Day is to be present with my family NOT a slave to my kitchen.
Kellam Christmas Dinner Menu:
1. Standing Rib Roast
Disclaimer: make sure the bottom of your oven is clean so you don't set your house on fire. Preheat oven to 500 degrees (you read that right). Rub roast with olive oil and salt and pepper or butter instead of olive oil if you're not dairy free. Place roast in 500 degree oven for 5 minutes per pound (keep close watch and make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy...kidding, kind of), then turn the oven off and leave roast in there for 2 hours and DON'T OPEN THE DOOR for the entire time it's in the oven (this is a very important step because if you open it early, you could cause your entire apartment complex to have to evacuate on Christmas Day because you set off the smoke alarm...not that I know this from personal experience, ahem). In all seriousness, pay attention to it while the oven just in case ;) (we've never started a fire, but if the bottom of your oven is dirty, all bets are off at that temp). The high heat for the first part will give you a delicious crust on the outside and then leaving it after you turn it off makes it perfect on the inside.
2. Rosemary Garlic Smashed Potatoes*
(photo from foodiecrush.com)
Click above link for recipe. *I sub olive oil to keep them dairy free!
3. The BEST Green Beans
Buy the prewashed, steam in the bag green beans (don't buy a huge bag if cooking for a crowd because cooking time can be tricky and they don't steam as well. Buy multiple normal sized bags and steam in batches. I under cook them a tad so they are al dente (~2 minutes) and throw in an ice bath to preserve their bright green color. Then saute minced garlic in olive oil or butter for 30 seconds, drain green beans and add to pan sauteing on med high heat. Sprinkle with salt and stir often. Add in a heavy pour of dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, turn up heat and reduce by half. Squeeze a lemon over it and serve immediately.
4. Cherry Pie
This is the easiest pie ever but for some reason is my kids' favorite. We literally follow the cherry pie filling can directions and use a frozen Pillsbury Pets Ritz Pie Crust and make a latticed top with Pillsbury rolled dough (refrigerated section by the biscuits). Pillsbury is the best so don't sub for a different store bought version! To make lattice, slice rolled dough into ~1 inch strips. Line top quarter of your pie with strips pressed into the crust but folded outward on the counter. Do this on left side quarter as well. Weave strips together. Cover edges in foil for first part of baking time to keep it from burning and then uncover so it turns golden.
Bonus: Festive Cranberry Champagne Cocktail
Line rim with raw sugar, add 1/2 a shot of chilled rum to the glass and fill the rest with champagne and add a cranberry juice floater on top. Add fresh cranberry and mint for garnish.
Tag me on instagram if you make any of this! @fasterwaywithrobin
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