What are you having for Christmas Dinner?

[Paul F Franklin]

It'll just be the two of us since we are hunkered down yet again with Omicron on the rampage in Ohio, and we are looking for something a little different to fix for dinner on Christmas. I'm wondering if anyone plans something out of the ordinary?

[Lee Schierer]

We're having Maryland 6 Oz. lump Kent Island Crab cakes that were shipped on dry ice from eastern Maryland last week.

[Ed Aumiller]

Since the kids/grandkids cannot be here again (3 of them have covid)... it will just be a very few of us... but it will be spiral sliced ham & fixin's which we will be dining on for a LONG time...

[Lee DeRaud]

Our tradition for years has been turkey for Thanksgiving and lasagna (my own recipe) for Christmas.

I always cook it up on Christmas Eve and reheat it for the official meal: tastes better and serves up cleaner that way.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Normally we have people over and make a ham, this year no people, so we are having ribs.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I am home alone this year so I will fix myself a meatloaf.

[Scott Winners]

Our family gave up on turkey decades ago.

We have one vaccinated and boosted kid flying in this week, for the three of us I will be doing two tomohawk ribeyes, like two ribeye steaks still attached to one rib, over live hardwood coals with American beech and a little white oak for flavor. About 2/3 of a three rib prime roast I guess, but reverse seared to medium rare - pink from edge to edge after smoking about two hours at 225 dF- then seared at +/- 1400 dF to crust them up at the end of the cook. I have been working on Thomas Keller's "Yabba Dabba Do" on open fire but the wine reduction is far too fussy to try to manage in the winter up here, and potato gallettes are just unforgiving witches on live wood fires.

There is a Francis Malmann potato recipe (Fancis Mallmann potato dominoes) I want to try where you square of a russet so it looks vaguely like a S4S piece of wood, slice it thinly but not all the way through, and then bake it with butter and herbs, same open fire as above; and probably a cauliflower and cheese casserole in cast iron also on the open fire.

Hopefully my wife will make at least pumpkin pie for dinner ( my wife makes the best pumpkin pie in the world) and I will be making another batch of cinnamon rolls for breakfast. My cinnamon roll recipe is not ready for sharing; I have been working on it about 30 years, but I am getting close to release. Now I am wondering about smoking cinnamon rolls on pecan wood at 350 dF for baking, I haven't tried that before.

If outdoor ambients are colder than -20dF I will call Papa John's. Current forecast is zero for the overnight low and plus one for the daytime high, should be good to go.

And eggnog. I made a few variations on the "1920s Shanghai eggnog" (that guy must have 200 grandkids) around Halloween 2020. Early returns suggest aging six weeks is better than 4 weeks, and 14 months in the fridge hasn't hurt it at all.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Some low calorie generic IPA, Rye whiskey and Yuengling Light...pretty much whatever is left over from Christmas Eve.

[roger wiegand]

Sticking with the boring but delicious roast beef for Christmas. The prime was nearly $24/lb at the Costco and I just couldn't do it, so we're going with the choice. My wife is happy because she likes it better. Will also make the traditional pecan sticky buns for breakfast.

Trying something new for our Festa dei Sette Pesci, a fish pie published last week in the Times (sorry, it's probably firewalled) . https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020712-feast-of-the-seven-fishes-pie

[Erik Loza]

Brisket from a local smokehaus.

Erik

[Ole Anderson]

We are expecting 12 for dinner Christmas day. Rib roast has been our standby for the last few years. Hard to beat.

[Ron Citerone]

Some low calorie generic IPA, Rye whiskey and Yuengling Light...pretty much whatever is left over from Christmas Eve.

Never eat on an empty stomach! ;)

[Thomas Wilson]

Detail-oriented eldest daughter polled her sisters and wrote down a meal by meal menu for several days. She even called it a straw man. As an escapee of the corporate and technology world, I wisely stepped aside.

[David Publicover]

Nova Scotian Lobster. The season just opened here so they will be very fresh and very tasty.

[Jim Becker]

Paul, use it as an opportunity to "stretch" and do something different and special that you both have always wanted to try. Prepare it together, too. And make sure there's a good dessert. :)

I'm not sure what I'll make for the evening meal on Christmas day yet and am starting to work on the menu for what will be the family meal: brunch. Our younger daughter and SO are committed to dinner at his parent's house so the plan is for a nice brunch after opening presents mid-morning after they have their own little "first Christmas in their own space" thing in the morning. Older daughter is less amused about that, but she'll just have to deal. There are a number of things I'm considering...they just have to take into account that Professor Dr. SWMBO doesn't eat eggs, so they will unlikely be a "visible" part of the meal.

[Rick Potter]

Already had the first round. 25 showed up, instead of the usual 40. We baked a ham, and the rest was potluck. Done that for years. Too bad, hardly any leftovers this year.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Simple Christmas for Sue and I alone. Son and DIL have Covid and are quarantined. Grandkids are staying away from everyone because of their jobs. We'll have a nice fresh turkey which I pick up from the turkey farm on Thursday and then we will roast. Smashed taters, spinach, lima beans, green beans, gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce finish up the mix. Fresh turkey is so much more flavorful than the frozen ones or the "fresh" ones from the supermarket.

[Paul F Franklin]

This thread is certainly making me hungry! Lots of good ideas to think about; we are going shopping tomorrow and will probably let what looks good at the butcher shop tip the final decision.

Scott, you get the prize for most ambitious meal of the thread so far! Sound awesome. We've made hassleback potatoes several times; they sound similar to those you describe except are not squared up first. It took us a few tries to get the right combination of tender enough inside and a little crispy outside. Starting with potatoes of similar sizes makes it easier.

Lee DeRaud, I agree, lasagna is always better the second day! Mary and I would be plenty happy with lasagna and that may well be where we end up if nothing jumps out at the butchers.

Jim, dessert is *definitely* on the menu! After all, holiday calories don't count, right?

[Mike Soaper]

When the family is togeather we've been ordering chinese/thia take out, everyone picks something knowing that part of it will be shared buffet stlye. This way folks might get to sample something new, and instead of time spent cooking and a bigger cleanup there's more time to explore,play with, or discus gifts.

[Rob Luter]

I'm doing a small rib roast on the Big Green Egg. It assures plenty of leftovers for Philly Cheesesteaks on New Years Eve.

[Scott Winners]

Scott, you get the prize for most ambitious meal of the thread so far! Sound awesome. We've made hassleback potatoes several times; they sound similar to those you describe except are not squared up first. It took us a few tries to get the right combination of tender enough inside and a little crispy outside. Starting with potatoes of similar sizes makes it easier.


Not really. I have given away and given up hobbies down to just two in my early dotage. I have chosen to focus on just two things, cooking and woodworking, to see how good I can get at them, rather than try to do a little of everything. My finding is the corners on the domino potatos are an early indicator they are almost ready. Round like Hasselback would be more difficult to get a good mix of crunchy and fluffy I think. They beg for thyme either way.

I haven't sold my scuba gear yet, and I am still tempted to take up the bagpipe; but today, two hobbies. FWIW I am much more effective in the kitchen than the wood shop. Dave Anderson has me wondering about the difference between a fresh v- frozen turkey, my experience with salmon tells me he is correct.

[Mike Soaper]

I agree with Dave on the fresh turkey. There's also fresh hertiage old school breed turkeys which to me have a different/gameier? taste, pricey though. That said, I prefer the taste of the current breeds fresh turkeys.

[Adam Grund]

Brisket from a local smokehaus.

Erik
Now That’s a Christmas dinner I can get behind!

[Adam Grund]

In laws xmas Eve, it’ll be the usual honeybaked ham. I’m making Mac n cheese and cheesecake, my wife will bring a cookie tray she put together also. Handful of other odds and ends.
Christmas Day is with my family, small ham, my dad is making lasagna. I’ll make potato bread and another cheesecake.
I couldn’t care less about the traditional meats of any holiday, ham or turkey. Theres always mac n cheese or lasagna at any given holiday dinner, and those are my main course, always.
I would like to find a time to make my cinnamon rolls for a family tradition, but they are usually half a meal in themselves, and the days are pretty much relegated to big heavy meals as it is. And my kids really are too young to enjoy them, chances are they’d take 1 bite and push them away. So maybe in 5-6yrs I’ll try something like that.

[Derek Meyer]

We're having family dinner on Christmas Eve, so it's probably going to be ham and potatoes, with various side dishes.

My wife is working Christmas morning. She is the head cook and kitchen manager at a local care facility, and they are doing prime rib for Christmas dinner. They will have extra so she will bring some home and we will have prime rib for dinner. That is just great by me. I love prime rib.

[Paul F Franklin]

Just to circle back....the local butcher shop had a beautiful 1st cut prime standing rib roast so we got that. But....since Mary is not a big fan of beef, and won't eat it at all if there is even a little pink, which would be a crime with such a roast, we also picked up some nice salmon. She has an Asian marinade/sauce that is fab on salmon, so she'll do that. If the weather cooperates I'll smoke the roast for a couple hours and then finish in a very hot oven. We got some potatoes and asparagus to roast as sides. The best part is, there will be lots of leftovers.

Merry Christmas all, and enjoy whatever you have for dinner! Thanks for all the good suggestions and stories. Oh, all the mentions of lasagna got us jonesing for that as well; maybe new years.

[Jim Becker]

Oooh...that sounds delicious, Paul!! And I agree...overcooking the meat would be a...crime. :) :D So adding the salmon was a very good idea. I'm kinda in that position here with the family brunch thing...quiche for four of us, plus smoked salmon and potatoes O'Brien (and peach torté) for four of us and Professor Dr. SWMBO will be having extra potatoes because she doesn't do eggs or "eggy" things like quiche. While reminds me that I need to check that I managed to get all my ingredients today. LOL

[Dwayne Watt]

Smoked pork ribs, smoked sweet corn, and broccoli-bacon salad for Christmas Eve dinner. Christmas Day will be roasted beef tenderloin seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and butter along with some form of sweet potato or twice baked potato. Appropriate wine for Christmas day will be some combination of Australian shiraz or US cabernet sauvignon (not in the same glass!). Mmm, hungry already!

[Paul F Franklin]

Oooh...that sounds delicious, Paul!! And I agree...overcooking the meat would be a...crime. :) :D So adding the salmon was a very good idea. I'm kinda in that position here with the family brunch thing...quiche for four of us, plus smoked salmon and potatoes O'Brien (and peach torté) for four of us and Professor Dr. SWMBO will be having extra potatoes because she doesn't do eggs or "eggy" things like quiche. While reminds me that I need to check that I managed to get all my ingredients today. LOL

Yes, Mary stopped by a little nearby grocery today to pick up a few things we forgot or couldn't find earlier and it was totally mobbed. And at least around here, the groceries close early tomorrow and aren't open on the 25th. Your menu sounds yum, enjoy!

[Paul F Franklin]

Smoked pork ribs, smoked sweet corn, and broccoli-bacon salad for Christmas Eve dinner. Christmas Day will be roasted beef tenderloin seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and butter along with some form of sweet potato or twice baked potato. Appropriate wine for Christmas day will be some combination of Australian shiraz or US cabernet sauvignon (not in the same glass!). Mmm, hungry already!

Oooh, can you get good sweet corn this time of year? Wish we could here. I've never tried smoking it, how and how long do you smoke it? Will have to add that to my list of things to try.

[Dwayne Watt]

Actually, it is frozen sweet corn, not on the cob. Simple smoke with corn, butter, and bit of season salt. Done right, it is like vegetable candy. Takes about 1.5 hours depending on smoker temperature. Too long is not so good.

[Mark Rainey]

I am home alone this year so I will fix myself a meatloaf.

Wife helping out with the grandchildren? Sometimes I get my best woodworking in when I am alone at home.

[Charlie Velasquez]

Tamales, pork

[Jim Becker]

The only way I prefer to eat sweet corn is where you can take a pot of boiling water into the field, shuck the ear while it's still attached to the stalk, and then cut it so it drops into the boiling water immediately for 5 minutes. :) :D Yea, not practical, but fresh picked that day locally is the only way I like to eat it. If it's in a supermarket, it's not fresh at all due to the logistics cycle unless that market has a deal with a local farmer to bring it in directly each morning.

[roger wiegand]

Tamales, pork

Though we have no connections to lands south of the border this has been added to our Christmas ritual feast, just because they are so darn good. We had some earlier in the week made by a Mexican friend's mother (she's in her 90's, they were the real deal) that were outstanding. I'm soaking masa as we speak, hoping that mine will be at least passable.

[Frederick Skelly]

My Dad found a Prime Rib at a "reasonable" price. Looks like we'll be having that, with all the fixin's.

[Erik Loza]

tamales, pork

excellent!

[Rod Sheridan]

It'll just be the two of us since we are hunkered down yet again with Omicron on the rampage in Ohio, and we are looking for something a little different to fix for dinner on Christmas. I'm wondering if anyone plans something out of the ordinary?

Venison pot roast is what we’re having Christmas Day.

Tonight is tortierre, traditional Christmas Eve fare……Rod

[Derek Meyer]

The town I grew up in had a Green Giant canning facility. Every year, in August, they would start the corn pack season, where the farmers would harveset the corn fields and the trucks would bring it to the plant. They aways set up a cart outside the plant where they would sell corn ears fresh off the trucks from that day. You could buy a large grocery bag full of ears for $1.50. We would have corn on the cobb almost every night during that time. Man, those were the days.

[Scott Winners]

Secondary to a concatenation of factors I didn't get around to cooking Christmas dinner until 12-27. Color balance is a bit off, the ribeye was pink (138 dF internal temperature) edge to edge except for the crust on the outside. The ribeye was reverse seared with forced induction at 1200-1400 dF via the tuyere with a hair dryer.

I did two medium Russets, two blue, and two red potatoes. The potato dominos were an unqualified hit with the one picky eater daughter I had home. Slices are 1/8 by nominal 1.25 x 1.25, just drawn butter, salt and thyme on half, clarified butter and salt on the other one of each. 400dF for 40 minutes; I will probably let them go a bit longer next time, perhaps 45 minutes at 400dF; and toss in a small clove of garlic with the butter as it melts. I did the potato in my indoor oven, outdoor temp went from +18 dF to -2dF while the steak was on charcoal outside. I did the potato scraps on a second baking sheet in the same oven, olive oil, salt, sprinkled cumin, nominal 0.25 x 0.25 x whatever, 400 dF x 40 minutes. Rosemary works good on the French fry cut potato, but I am bored with it. Use wax or parchment paper to ease cleanup.

Tomorrow will be West Indies Pepper Pot Soup over open fire with the one child at home and 8" of snow forecast. See Chef Walter Staib's "A Taste of History" season one, last episode, I think episode 8. Ping if you need help making salt pork and salt beef from scratch, that is a hearty soup with a foundation that can take heat from mild to wild. I don't remember if the show is on Netflix or free on Amazon Prime. A bit corny as a TV show perhaps, but none of the recipes I have made were bad.

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