Christmas Meal Traditions???

[SuzySunshine]

Ok ladies & gents, what are the traditional Christmas Eve and Christmas day meals at your house?

DH and I will be alone on the holidays and we don't really have any traditions yet. Growing up I always had my dad's chilli on Christmas Eve and whatever the grandmas were serving on Christmas Day. DH's family never had a traditional meal, just something yummy.

I think we're going to try Annie's Gingerbread waffles for breakfast but we have no idea on the dinner meals...

[Vanquisher]

Re: Christmas Meal Traditions???

We have prime rib. Yummy.

Prime Rib

Get a large end bone in rib roast. (Small end works too). Prime rib is insanely expensive. Look for good sales. A great sale would be $5/lb. We only have this on very, very special occasions. I haven't found it for this much here yet. The cheapest I have found was $7/lb. Regularly it is more like $10/lb.

1/2 c. red wine
1 pkg. Au Jus seasoning
1 Tbsp. Thyme
1 Tbsp. Rosemary
1 Tbsp. Basil
2 rounded tsp. crushed garlic
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1 Tbsp. meat tenderizer

Stir all to make a paste.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bone away (close to the bone as possible) from the roast. Rub both the rib bones and roast with the seasoning paste. Place ribs first in roasting pan with tinfoil. Place the roast on top of the ribs. Use tinfoil to create a bowl to come up over much of your roast (leaving the top and sides a bit exposed. Use 3/4 c of water to rinse the rest of the seasonings from your mixing bowl. Pour this into the bottom of your tinfoil bowl around the roast.

Place a meat thermometer in your roast.

Place in 400 degree oven to sear for 30 minutes. Turn down the oven temperature to about 200 degrees, tent the remiander of the roast with foil, and cook until desired temperature.

I recommend for medium rare (the best flavor) 145-150 degrees. I usually take mine out at about 147. I don't recommend cooking for longer than that. It will take forever (it already takes several hours!), and it will lose tenderness. If you enjoy your meat a bit more done, so be it, but I can't take responsibility!

[DCJenn]

Re: Christmas Meal Traditions???

We have steak fondue, a HUGE salad, French bread and lots of wine on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Day breakfast is steak and eggs (using the leftover steak from the previous evening) w/ some variety of breakfast breads homemade by mom.

Christmas Dinner is usually poultry or fish after all of the beef earlier. My brother is cooking this year so who knows.

Jenn

[Michele]

Re: Christmas Meal Traditions???

Our tradition is seafood on Christmas Eve...my mom usually makes a seafood medley over linguini....this year I'm trying crawfish pie and shrimp stew....being close to Cajun country and all.

For Christmas dinner, we usually have a fresh ham.

I'm trying to incorporate a pumpkin streusel coffee cake into our tradition....maybe as breakfast one day....

[Bittersweet]

Re: Christmas Meal Traditions???

Christmas Eve is mix of finger-type foods including beer bread and hot artichoke dip from the local brewery. I’m loving the idea of steak fondue, though. Christmas day is a Cincinnati chili binge fest.

[DCJenn]

Re: Christmas Meal Traditions???

I made Cincy style chili for NY Day and I think I'm going to stick w/ that tradition. Make it in the crock pot and let it cook all day...

Jenn

Re: Christmas Meal Traditions???

dh loves cincy style chili. anyone have a recipe they want to share?

[Meenah]

Re: Christmas Meal Traditions???

Seafood stew for Christmas eve and turkey or ham for Christmas day.