What's For Christmas Dinner?

[Sterling Cooper]

Doing a fresh goose from Gepperth's butcher shop in Lincoln Park. Goose will be glazed with a combination of Creme de Mure (Burgundian blackberry liqueur) honey, lavender and sage and stuffed with a traditional British stuffing of roast chestnuts and bacon. Sides will be braised red cabbage and fingerling potatoes roasted in the rendered goose fat.

Pulling the cork on my last two bottles of 1990 Dujac Charmes Chambertin to go with the goose.

[JPM]

Very nice. SWMBO has a craving for ham, so it looks like I am going to smoke a ham and serve with twice baked potatoes and sauted spinach in olive oil and garlic. Probably serve it with some corn bread as well. I have a bottle of Dom chilling, but that seems like a waste with smoked ham. Any wine suggestions?

[WhosYerBob]

Not sure what will be on the table; we may be here or elsewhere. As long as my wife is with me, it doesn't matter what's on the menu - I'll be a happy man.

[Sterling Cooper]

Very nice. SWMBO has a craving for ham, so it looks like I am going to smoke a ham and serve with twice baked potatoes and sauted spinach in olive oil and garlic. Probably serve it with some corn bread as well. I have a bottle of Dom chilling, but that seems like a waste with smoked ham. Any wine suggestions?

Alsatian whites go great with ham. A nice quality dry pinot gris or riesling would be perfect. If you want sweeter, think about a Spatlese Riesling from the Mosel.

For reds, think something light. A good small producer cru Beaujolais, unoaked Rioja or a lighter bodied Pinot Noir.

[rm71]

After a big Christmas lunch, don't know if I'll have any room for dinner!

[JPM]

Alsatian whites go great with ham. A nice quality dry pinot gris or riesling would be perfect. If you want sweeter, think about a Spatlese Riesling from the Mosel.

For reds, think something light. A good small producer cru Beaujolais, unoaked Rioja or a lighter bodied Pinot Noir.

Thanks for the suggestions. My wife loves Riesling, so I think I'll go in that direction.

[davecmu]

We celebrated today because we'll be traveling on Christmas. Served homemade chicken & dumplings, with stuffing, cranberry relish, and sweet potatoes. Love having a day when I can cook all day from scratch rather than in the limited time between getting home from work and putting the little guy to bed.

[SideshowB]

Christmas lunch in Australia is quite different, because it's the middle of summer at the moment. We're having prawns, cold ham, salad, maybe some baked filled potatoes, and banana & passionfruit pavlova.

[moonshine44]

We generally have our big dinner on Christmas Eve, and have numerous friends over, so there's a lot of pot luck involved. All the guests bring excellent food. I believe the menu this year includes ham, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, numerous salads and a veritable smorgasbord of desserts, including buttermilk pie, which is amazingly sweet and rich and fantastically tasty...

I will be working during the time this dinner occurs, so I'm not sure what I'll be eating...

[rm71]

Christmas lunch in Australia is quite different, because it's the middle of summer at the moment. We're having prawns, cold ham, salad, maybe some baked filled potatoes, and banana & passionfruit pavlova.

That sounds like my Christmas lunch!! You can add lasagna, cheescake, Pandoro to that as well.

[royalcrown]

Nothing overly fancey, duck three ways, home made cranberry sauce, some manner of potato that remains undecided, the wife, and couch cushion & blanket fort/Muppets night.

[texquill]

Our Christmas gift to the family is a surprise trip with very early departure on the 26th. Instead of sitting around with brandy and a cup of coffee while digesting dinner, everyone's going to have to dash home to pack.

Consequently, we're foregoing our traditional "spread" that typically includes turkey and ham with ALL the "fixins" served on fine china. This year, it's roast prime rib, baked potatoes, green beans, and hot biscuits on paper plates! :thumbup:

[SRock]

We are doing a smoked ham and a smoked turkey. Outside of that it will be many of the traditional Thanksgiving type foods:

Corn
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Rolls
etc. etc.

No Yams, Sweet Potatoes or Pumpkin Pie though. :lol:

[mankini]

I will be baking a fresh ham shank complete with a thick fat layer to crisp up. Will serve it with roasted fennel, fresh carrots and fingerling potato's. For later I will pour a little Glenlivet Nadurra 16 and relax with my loved one.

Enjoy

[MWS]

Wife and I both work during Christmas, but still want to entertain the family.

There's a Chinese restaurant not far from home...all you do is drop off your turkey 2 days before, they marinade it and BBQ it in their special ovens - you just let them know the time you want to pick it up!

We get to work the day, pick it up on the way home...and it's rested and ready to eat :thumbup:

[SmoovD]

Just a light lunch of prime rib, twice baked potatoes, green beans with bacon and whatever desserts get plunked down. Anyone else need a nap?

[JPM]

I already posted what is for Christmas dinner, but I'm thinking of doing a traditional Italian Christmas Eve 7 fishes spread. I remember my Grandparents and Parents doing this when I was a kid. A couple different kinds of shrimp, one pan fried and one baked stuffed, pan fried smelts, a baked whitefish and a fish stew. I think there was also linguine with clam sauce. I can't remember what was the seventh, so I'll have to think of another to make the full compliment.

[Black Adder]

Thanks for the suggestions. My wife loves Riesling, so I think I'll go in that direction.

You may also want to try Trimbach's Gewurtztraminer. One of my favorites!

I got drafted to prepare a prime rib roast. Sides of corn, wild rice pilaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, with cheese and herb biscuits. Wine will be a Pinot Noir, probably Trinity Oaks.

Don

[Luc]

Steaks on the BBQ (Summer here) with Gnocchi garlic/oil/roasted red capsicum

I have a truffle oil that I got for this!

[Pumpkin]

Neither SWMBO or myself like Turkey so we're going for a less traditional Christmas dinner.

She's making Scallops wrapped in bacon, on asparagus spears as the starter.
I'm doing individual Beef Wellington with a Port and Stilton gravy, served with Brussels sprouts with chestnuts and bacon and Roast Parsnips as the main.
Dessert is probably going to be Lemon Possett...will need something light and a bit sharp after that lot!

[Andy]

Some really nice ideas here for lunch.
The entire family gets together for christmas lunch instead of dinner so I will post lunch.

Normally have ham, turkey, chicken, corn on the cob, potato salad, roasted potatoes, mashed potato and gravy, sesame carrots, garlic beans
Might add a couple of racks of BBQ ribs this year.
For dessert homemade christmas pudding with custard (if it turns out, am boiling it at the moment)

Dinner will be leftovers at work as I am working in the evening.
We normally cook too much Christmas day and end up eating left overs until new years.

[Austin]

Our usual standard of Prime Rib, sides and dessert. Our family gives thanks and says prayers to my daughter-in-law and son in Iraq.

[Dustinl]

It is a tradition in our family to have seafood for Christmas supper. This year we will have King crab legs and lobster tail. Over the years everybody got burned out on turkey and ham.




DL

[kwk285]

Our annual cheese fondue.

[moshulu]

My wife is washing up since I made dinner. First course: fresh foie gras, sauteed with a poppy seed crust. Second course: breasts of Bresse chicken, poached on the bone in homemade chicken stock, then grilled just before serving on a bed of tagliatelle and baby spinach, browned onions and peas. The sauce made from reduced stock, fresh foie gras, frothed with a Bamix. Wine: 1996 California Stephan Ridge. Dessert: Polish gingerbread ("piernik" - a present) with cognac-flavoured whipped cream.

Life is good.

[The Nid Hog]

I recently got my wife a set of Julia Child DVDs and I have been the beneficiary of some amazing cooking. Last night, we had braised shortribs with a horseradish cream sauce, potato puree, and sauteed baby spinach with shallots. Today was an unbelievably good pot roast with roasted winter vegetables.

[john parker]

We are snowed in (again), and will likely stay that way until Sunday. Will be having some lovely deli turkey meat on bread with canned turkey gravy, and some cranberry relish. Perhaps a lettuce leaf. And an old apple-cinnamon muffin for dessert. Have some canned smoked salmon and oysters, a couple cans of chicken meat, and some rye bread. Need to figure out what to make that into for tomorrow! We just celebrated our 48th anniversary, are together, cozy and warm! Couldn't ask for anything better! Merry Christmas to all!!

[Austin]

We are snowed in (again), and will likely stay that way until Sunday. Will be having some lovely deli turkey meat on bread with canned turkey gravy, and some cranberry relish. Perhaps a lettuce leaf. And an old apple-cinnamon muffin for dessert. Have some canned smoked salmon and oysters, a couple cans of chicken meat, and some rye bread. Need to figure out what to make that into for tomorrow! We just celebrated our 48th anniversary, are together, cozy and warm! Couldn't ask for anything better! Merry Christmas to all!!

Congratulations John on your anniversary! What a milestone it is sir.

[HopHead]

Dinner last night was ham and asian peanut noodles..yeah weird combo but the noodles were really good. Tonight is turkey, ribs, mashed potatoes, pumpkin, and salad.

[rtaylor61]

We had Christmas Breakfast at my place. The girls had to go back to their mom's by lunchtime. So we had our "traditional" French Toast. I use Alton Brown's recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/french-toast-recipe/index.html) for this. But I sub store bought cinnamon bread and add 1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg. It always is a success and it is SO easy with little cleanup. And of course this was accompanied by mmmmmmmm bacon!

Randy

[eightysixCJ]

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!

Did Christmas Eve at my house last night. Traditional fish night. Clams; little necks on the half shell (on a snow bed), steamed with white wine, and baked, Blue Point oysters on the half shell, spicy steamed mussels, stuffed mushrooms, New England clam chowder, coquille St. Jacques, linguine with clam sauce (red and white), flounder, shrimp, and vino.:santa:

Tom

[Scotto]

Same thing I cook every Christmas Day:

Roast duck with port wine glaze
Lyonnaise potatoes cooked in the duck fat
Some nice fresh veg

Dessert is homemade sticky toffee pudding

We had a nice Silverado cab with dinner and a decent port after dinner. I am completely stuffed. Happy holidays to all!

[rth97601]

Just had sirloin roast with mashed potatoes and spaghetti squash, with a nice basic Aussie cabernet sauvignon (Yellowtail). Only the wife and I, so we went the simple route ...

[The Nid Hog]

We are snowed in (again), and will likely stay that way until Sunday. Will be having some lovely deli turkey meat on bread with canned turkey gravy, and some cranberry relish. Perhaps a lettuce leaf. And an old apple-cinnamon muffin for dessert. Have some canned smoked salmon and oysters, a couple cans of chicken meat, and some rye bread. Need to figure out what to make that into for tomorrow! We just celebrated our 48th anniversary, are together, cozy and warm! Couldn't ask for anything better! Merry Christmas to all!!

Sounds like a perfect day to me. Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary!

[SRock]

Well Christmas Dinner was great. We had 9 people over for Christmas (6 of my troops, 3 unaccompanied and 3 with their wives) and had a great day. Everyone started rolling in around 1100 and we started snacking our way around the hors d'ouvres. We had shrimp cocktail, a sausage/cheese and cracker platter and an awesome jalapeno/green pepper cheese ball that my wife makes.

Then, after about an hour of circling the hors d'ouvres table like a bunch of vultures we made our way into the dining room for the meal. We had Smoked Turkey, Smoked Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Turkey Gravy, Corn, Green Beans, Sweet Rolls, and Turkey Stuffing.

We all ate far too much but that didn't stop us. We moved on to dessert. We had a dessert "cheese ball" with chocolate wafers, cream cheese pie, brownies and various Christmas Cookies.

After stuffing our faces over the course of three hours we finally made our way into the living room for some hot chocolate. We talked for hours and hours and the last guests didn't leave until around 1900. All in all it was a great day, and a great way to bring people together who are so far from home.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas!

[Noswad]

We had ribeye steaks cooked on the grill; FIL had to shovel off the deck to get to the grill.
Cracker Barrel style cheesy hash browns, corn on the cob, and strawberry jello with apricots and strawberries in it. For dessert there was cheesecake along with almond and chocolate covered toffee.

[Bill Smith]

Christmas dinner with the Smith Clan consisted of Beef Tenderloin, carrots based in maple syrup and homemade chocolate yule log.

[rtaylor61]

Same thing I cook every Christmas Day:

Roast duck with port wine glaze
Lyonnaise potatoes cooked in the duck fat
Some nice fresh veg

Dessert is homemade sticky toffee pudding

We had a nice Silverado cab with dinner and a decent port after dinner. I am completely stuffed. Happy holidays to all!

Damn! How much $$$ for an invite???

Randy

[jwhite]

Every Christmas Eve I do a roast goose. This year I made it loosely stuffed with blood oranges, onion quarters studded with cloves, crumbled Ceylon Cinnamon, broad leaf sage, and lemon time. Oyster dressing, Mashed Potatoes, braised carrots with a light savory glaze of honey and silver time. Gravy made from fresh goose stock using the neck, hart, and gizzards as well as aromatics, which was also used to moisten the stuffing. Spinach salad with dried cranberries, dried blueberries, and walnuts. And artisan bread.

For dessert there was Rum Pecan Pie, and mince tartlettes.

[TexAg '01]

This Christmas day I I tried Filet mignon with caramel-brandy mushroom sauce, an Emeril recipe. I went to B&W meat market here in Houston and picked up the prettiest 8oz. filets I have seen in a while. Here's a link to the recipe. http://http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pan-sauteed-filet-mignon-with-caramel-brandy-mushroom-sauce-recipe/index.html
Also, roasted fresh asparagus with olive oil, salt pepper, and garlic powder. Give it a try, it was delicious!