Easy Holiday Recipes - Planning a Christmas Dinner Party
Why are you looking for easy holiday recipes? I do not think that is a very good question! Let us look at planning a Christmas dinner party and then move
on to the easy holiday recipes.We all love spending time with family and friends during Christmas to share the blessings of the season. A very good way to do that is hosting a Christmas dinner party for your friends. Here are a few tips when it comes to planning the perfect party for the holidays.
A Christmas dinner party is an elegant affair. People get a chance to dress up and mingle with coworkers and other friends in an adult setting. It is as much fun as it is formal.
1. Invite guests at least three weeks in advance.
The Christmas engagement calendar fills up fast and you want to get your dinner party on the roster. Host a Christmas dinner party for your office department. For a dinner party that is purely personal, invite friends and their dates or spouses. Specify on the invitation that it is for adults only. This gives everyone time to find a sitter for their children.
2. Plan the menu.
On the invitation ask if anyone has any special dietary concerns. There could be vegetarians in the group but here we are more concerned with food allergies or conditions such as diabetes. Plan the food courses accordingly so no one feels left out.
3. Get back to your guests if they do not respond.
If everyone hasn’t responded a week out from the Christmas dinner party, contact them with a quick message just in case they forgot. For sit down formal dinners having an accurate head count is necessary to be sure there is enough food for everyone. As a standard rule of thumb, allot at least two pounds of food per person attending the dinner party.
4. Decide on cooking or catering.
There is nothing wrong with catering a dinner party. Cooking can be an all day affair and no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen during their own dinner party. The host or hostess wants to mingle with the rest of the guests. If you decide to cook, keep the menu simple and opt for a buffet presentation instead of table service.
5. Set up the table and decorate a day in advance.
This way, if anything is missing, there is time to go out and find it. Leave glasses until the last minute so they don’t gather lint and dust particles overnight. After setting the table, go ahead and clean up a bit especially in the common areas where guests will be mingling.
6. Lay out the food a half hour before guests arrive.
If a caterer is handling the affair there are no worries there. For a home cooked buffet style dinner party, light the liquid fuel under the food pans half an hour before guest arrive so the food will be warm.
An elegant dinner party is a nice way to get to know coworkers away from the office or to relax with friends you don’t see much of during the year. Everyone has a chance to show off their best holiday clothes and share a few laughs.
Now let us have a look at some really easy holiday recipes:
Balsamic Turkey Breast with Cranberry Sauce
What You Need:
- 1 (7 lb.) turkey breast
- 6 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, divided
- 3 tsp. rosemary, crushed
- 3 tsp. thyme, crushed
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 C frozen fruit punch concentrate
- 1 1/2 C cold water
- 1 (10 oz.) pkg. dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
How to Make It:
- Using 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar rub the turkey breast on all sides well.
- Sprinkle the turkey with the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Place the turkey breast on a rack that has been placed in a large roasting pan.
- Bring the temperature of the oven up to 350 degrees.
- Place the turkey breast in the oven for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, baste the turkey again with 2 tbsp of the vinegar.
- Return the turkey to the oven and continue roasting an additional 45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the turkey is 170 degrees.
- Remove the turkey and allow standing 20 minutes before carving.
- Place the fruit punch concentrate and water into a large saucepan over medium high heat.
- Stir the cranberries into the mixture.
- Bring the mixture to a heavy boil.
- Place the heat on low and continue cooking 5 minutes.
- Place the remaining 2 tbsp of the vinegar into a bowl.
- Add the cornstarch and whisk until completely combined.
- Add the vinegar mixture to the cranberry mixture after 5 minutes.
- Continue heating, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches desired thickness.
- Pour the cranberry sauce over the turkey after carving.
Serves 8
After carving the turkey, place it on a platter that has been warmed in the oven . This ensures that the turkey stays warm and moist for all your guests to enjoy.
Honey Mustard Turkey Breast Microwave Style
What You Need:
- 1 (7 lb.) turkey breast, thawed
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp. curry powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 tbsp. Dijon style mustard
- 1/2 C honey
- Place a plastic rack into a large deep sided microwavable dish.
- Place the turkey, breast side down, on the rack.
- Melt the butter in a microwavable safe bowl on high heat for 15 seconds.
- Once melted completely add the curry, ginger, mustard and honey to the bowl.
- Stir until all the ingredients are completely incorporated together.
- Baste the turkey skin with the honey mustard mixture.
- Cover the turkey with wax paper.
- Microwave the turkey on high for 14 minutes.
- Rotate the turkey 1/4 turn and baste again.
- Continue cooking for 13 minutes.
- Remove the turkey from the microwave.
- Drain off any juice that has gathered in the dish.
- Turn the turkey breast side up and baste with the honey mustard mixture.
- Re-cover with wax paper.
- Microwave on medium high temperature for 28 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.
- Remove the turkey from the microwave and cover with aluminum foil.
- Allow the turkey to set covered for 20 minutes before carving.
- 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 (16 oz.) can julienne beets, drained
- 1/2 C radishes, sliced
- 1/4 C green onions, sliced
- 1/4 C vinegar
- 1/4 C olive oil
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. pepper
- Place the apple slices in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the beets, radishes and onions.
- Toss to combine.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the vinegar and olive oil.
- Add the sugar, salt and pepper and mix together well with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the mixture over the apple mixture.
- Seal tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Toss well before serving to reincorporate the flavors.
- 4 1/2 C confectioner’s sugar
- 2/3 C sweetened condensed milk
- 1 t vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Red and green food coloring
- Place the sugar into a large mixing bowl.
- Pour in the milk, vanilla and almond extract.
- Blend the mixture together well.
- Separate the mixture into 2 separate bowls.
- Add the red food coloring to one bowl and the green food coloring to the other bowl.
- Knead the mixtures with your hands until smooth and creamy.
- Cover both bowls with a damp kitchen towel.
- Refrigerate both for 24 hours.
- Remove the bowls and form both mixtures into balls.
- Place the balls on wax paper and keep refrigerated until ready to eat.
How to Make It:
Serves 8
By covering the turkey with foil after removing it from the microwave you allow the turkey to continue cooking through and the heat to equalize making the turkey moist and juicy when carved.
Not So Everyday Apple Salad
What You Need:
How to Make It:
Serves 6
To give this salad a little zip, add a couple of drops of hot sauce to the dressing before pouring over the apples.
Christmas Time Bonbons
What You Need:
How to Make It:
Serving Size: 4 dozen
These wonderful Christmas colored bonbons can be dipped in chocolate, butterscotch or caramel. They can also be rolled in colored sugars or powered sugar for a special treat.
- I will be back on another day, probably tomorrow, with more easy holiday recipes!
Have a look at America's Most Wanted Recipes. In it you will fin all your favorite Secret Restaurant Recipes.
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