Christmas Dinner

[DoubleMaduro]

After roasting, smoking and deep-frying turkeys for
Thanksgiving - I'm pretty much turkeyed-out. After watching
Alton and Tyler do Rib Roasts - that's on my menu for Christmas.....and maybe a lasagna.
Sides? Not sure yet. But of course, It wouldn't be Christmas without Tamales.. gotta have those on the table as well.

oh yeah - just in case - I smoked 2 briskets this past weekend
to see the family through the next few weeks of cold weather.

 

[hullabelew]

I'm doing a standing rib roast one night and smoking some turkeys and salmon for another meal, and possibly a brisket.

I was wondering about the sides for the rib roast as well.

 

[capnamerca]

Hullabelew - have you smoked a turkey before? I'm doing that for xmas this year with my family ... I've got several recipies that I've found, but first-hand experience would be nice to hear about. What's your secret?

 

[DoubleMaduro]

Sides with the rib roast- polenta and sauteed mushrooms
Merry Christmas.

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

Wife's family - if it's not a 100% duplicate of Thanksgiving, then why did you bother (their opinion, not mine).

Personally, I'm not a whole lot of a turkey man... but I'll eat it.

The M.I.L. is always fretting about how much she has to do to clean the house & do this, do that, & how much cooking she has to do... but if anyone was to mention the idea of doing a holiday @ someone else's house she has a hissy.

 

[threesheets]

Prime rib, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach. It was greatness.

 

[Randy_Allen_Fan]

I know it may be a bit late now, but for future reference, Ina Garten did an outstanding holiday special with a rib roast. She served it with caramelized butternut squash and popovers. She also includes great recipes for other things to serve around Christmas dinner. If you ever get a chance to catch her Barefoot Contessa Christmas special, do it. Outstanding stuff.

A Barefoot Contessa Holiday

 

[huge]

i ended up having tamales. 4 varieties from berryhill. topped with james coney island chili, cheddar, onions and jalapenos.

damn it was gooood.

 

[jimmyjazz]

I did a prime rib, and hit it out of the park. That thing was magnificent. I'd never even HAD prime rib before, much less cooked one, but our group snarfed it down in record time. Part of it ended up a little past medium, most was medium rare, and a bit was truly rare.

My family is a bunch of savages. The bloody rare meat went first, and fast.

 

[Durkee]

I did a Red Baron pizza (Four Meat variety, no less!) and a couple of cold ones. Clean up was a breeze!

 

[hookem2102]

I grilled about 3 yards worth beef tenderloins from Central Market
some marinated chicken for my sister
twiced baked potates
salad
black eyed peas
carrots
rolls - not homemade this year but stil good
LH rock cake
egg custard pie

It was greatness

 

[LonghornGirlie]

Let me second the Barefoot Contessa recommendation. While Thanksgiving/Christmas dinners are a set traditional menu at our homes (not necessarily our choice), Robert and I often host special family meals around birthdays, Mother/Father days, or just because we feel like it. While Robert (who is an excellent cook) always takes on the main dish, I usually contribute with side dishes.

I have all the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks (there are 4 now, including the one I just got for Xmas) and almost every side dish recipe that I make is from those cookbooks. "My" parmesan mashed potatos are a perenniel hit. She has several roasted vegetable recipes that are excellent. I have made her popovers which are easy, tasty, and "look hard" so you get big kudos from your guests.

All of her recipes are very accessible for cooks like me who get easily intimidated by recipes that use terms with which we are unfamiliar. She also won't ask you to have unusual tools. At most, an electric mixer which is a good investment for anyone who cooks at all. There are many recipes that are rendered simple when you have a good Kitchen Aid that are simply undoable without one (Meringue comes to mind).