Family Christmas dinner ideas

[redneck joe]

what to bring to the Christmas dinner. I'm know for bringing something cool and different but this year we're at Donna's and she has a small kitchen so need something to (at most) just warm up or something cold.

The usual are covered by the rest

pies
green bean casserole
potato dishes
etc.


any family recipes you folks got?

 

[tpenfield]

Small kitchen . . . I'd go with the cocktail franks.

 

[robert graham]

Yep, those little cocktail franks or meatballs in a crock pot....just plug it in to cook and stay warm....everybody loves these!....

 

[rbh]

She will be doing the bird or ham ETC??
Mashed tators with the bird, scalloped tators with ham.
Brussel sprouts with bird, squash or sweet potatoes with ham, broccoli and cauliflower casserole goes with everything.

Shrimp cocktail as an appy? (we have a great recipe)

Port as the dessert bevarage

 

[Scott Danforth]

smoked turkey - smoke it the day ahead of time.

Mashed spuds in a crock pot (just plug it in to rewarm)

cornish game hens stuffed with wild rice and mushroom stuffing

grilled squash

smoked salmon spread and crackers

 

[redneck joe]

dam lots of good ideas.

Michael (my favorite BIL) is frying the turkey(s) with wings for an app otherwise I LOVE the 'hens.
Potatoes are covers (Nancy thinks hers are good and no one has the kahunas to tell her they are marginal at best{wife would kick me square if I said anything**)
I hate sprouts
No good salmon here (spoiled growing up catching our own)


I'd forgotten about my Jack Daniels bacon wrapped cocktail weenies. That is in the lead at the moment.

I'd take the shrimp cocktail recipe.


Any more ideas?

 

[Teamster]

For some reason my family always thinks I will have beer and booze for family dinners, get together's and funerals,........

A case of decent cold beer and a bottle of good brandy always seems welcome,...........

 

[redneck joe]

my family; all day long plus extra.
wife's; two bottles wine for 15 people.

 

[rbh]

Shrimp Cocktail-
(grandparents went to the waldorf in NYC back in the 50s while they where visiting my uncle, grandma got the recipe off of them)

3 cans cocktail shrimp
1 cup ketchup
1 TBSP horseradish (creamed)
1/2 TSP Worcestershire sauce
1/4 TSP celery salt
couple drops of tabasco
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 big TBSP grated (not chopped) yellow or white onion
1/2 TSP dry mustard
1/4 TSP salt

Mix ingredients, pour into sterile glass jar, place in fridge, shake/turn daily ready to be eaten in 24 hours.
do not keep longer than a week

 

[nwcove]

go down to your local grocery store, in the frozen pie stuff section they should have frozen bread dough......thaw it over night in greased pans the night before, let it rise then bake it. time things out so it will still be warm when you arrive for dinner......its very good and nothing beats the smell of warm " home made" bread.

 

[bassman284]

I always do weenies AND meatballs in the crock pot. I use the old standard grape jelly and chili sauce with a little Worcestershire and habanero sauce to perk it up.

We had our family gathering yesterday with roughly 50 in attendance. Pretty much down to a science these days so we only had a little more than twice as much food as needed except for desserts. We had quite a bit of dessert left over mostly due to the enthusiasm of some to dream up desserts. The important part is to make sure there are plenty of Ziploc containers for people to take home the leftovers.

 

[southkogs]

Swedish meatballs for a change of pace: instead of marinara with the Italian type, go for the gravy version and Swedish type. Your JD bacon wrapped weenies will work well against that. Crock pot one or two of your favorite veggies, and you got it going on.

 

[redneck joe]

hmmm... I've got mom's Swedish meatball recipe circa 1967 form the Air Force Officers wives cookbook....

 

[southkogs]

... or I've got my Great-Grandmother's recipe circa 1920 from Sweden

Be glad to sent it to you. To the best of my understanding, that recipe is at the root of several international incidents.

 

[avenger79]

instead of bacon wrapped weenies, I have done bacon wrapped chicken chunks with a glaze over them (JD would be great). just watch your fingers when you set them down, people come fast for them. LOL

also sweet potato soufle is tasty

I was going to say smoked salmon but you already answered that.

 

[redneck joe]

instead of bacon wrapped weenies, I have done bacon wrapped chicken chunks with a glaze over them (JD would be great).
.

set inside a half jalapeno prior to wrapping.

 

[redneck joe]

You'll have to zoom in. The key to me is the multiple times of grinding (food processor in this century) of the meat.


Mom was was of Scandinavian heritage and ended up moving to Denmark in 1976 (when I was 10) and ironically she sent this from there in '96. She and I never got to cook much together but dad was the cook in our house. But when my little sister comes (she a dual citizen born there) she and I always make this.

 

[rbh]

If your going with the scandihovian flare, LOL

How about a big jar of rolemops and swedish tack bread like my grandma used to make.

 

[southkogs]

... ironically she sent this from there in '96. She and I never got to cook much together but dad was the cook in our house. But when my little sister comes (she a dual citizen born there) she and I always make this.

Real close to what I got. Bring protective gear - I know we have family fights for the last couple in the dish.

How about a big jar of rolemops and swedish tack bread like my grandma used to make.

I can't do the herring ... dunno' why but it makes me sick. Dad and Grandma' eat it like candy. Tack bread however ... with the right amount of real butter (roughly a 1/4" coating) ... I can dig into pretty extensively.

I can remember Swedish smorgasbord for all kinds of holiday dinners ...

 

[NewfieDan]

What about a dessert? The Admiral makes a couple that will go over real good and both are simple. Go down to the supermarket and get the following:
Angel food cake
3 crispy crunch bars
A tub of whipped dessert topping
Start with the cake and tear it into small chunks and cover the button of a bowl
Break up the bar into small pieces and place a layer on top the cake
Then a layer of the topping.

Keep going till you are either out of room in the bowl or out of ingredients, finishing with a layer of the whipped topping.

You can do the same with fruit cocktail instead of the bar for lighter taste.

Another idea from up here in the northeast is bacon wrapped bay scallops. Bay scallops are usually much bigger than typical scallops