Celebrate the Season Dinner
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus! With this holiday menu, you can have at least one wish come true: an elegant and delicious dinner that's easy to prepare. Just follow the handy preparation guide, and your stress won't begin until the day after Christmas --when you look for a way to tactfully return those magical blooming animal figurines and way-too-small chartreuse biker shorts. Merry, merry!
Make it Special!Puttin' on the Glitz
Decorate for the holidays with gusto. Whether you polish the silver and dust off the china or use a coordinated set of paper products, this is the time to trim every nook and cranny of your house, with a special eye to your table.
- Nestle tiny white battery-operated lights among entwined evergreens and grapevines sprayed gold or silver and arrange on the center of your table. Add gold or silver Christmas balls, then tall candles at each end.
- Attach sparkling "cling-on" snowflakes or stars to the bottoms of stemmed glasses or clear serving plates.
- Candles everywhere will make your dinner glow! Small candles placed in a collection of different sizes and shapes of stemmed and nonstemmed glasses will add many reflections. Weave tinsel around the bases of the glasses.
Chestnuts Roasting
Even if you don't have an open fire, consider roasting and munching on chestnuts, an often-overlooked seasonal treat.
* Prepare the chestnuts by making a cut through the flat side of the shells, then place them cut sides up on a cookie sheet. Roast in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes or until they are tender (test by poking a fork through the cut in the shell).
* Place the roasted nuts in a heatproof bowl for guests to peel--the aroma is earthy and warm. Or add chopped roasted chestnuts to stuffings--delicious!
Here's a little chestnut trivia: Nutritionally, they're the only nut with any vitamin C, offering 43 percent of the Daily Value in a 3/4-cup serving. Chestnuts are lower in fat, too. A 3/4-cup portion of chestnuts contains 2 grams of fat, compared to 50 grams for peanuts or almonds!
Preparation Guide
Up to 1 Month Ahead
- Bake Sausage-Cheese Balls; freeze.
- Bake Christmas Bread Wreath; freeze.
Up to 1 Day Ahead
- Prepare sweet potatoes, but do not bake; refrigerate.
- Make Cranberry Trifle Squares; refrigerate.
- Prepare and stuff pork; refrigerate. Prepare Make Crunchy Topping; cover.
- Blanch vegetables for Broccoli and Red Pepper Toss; refrigerate.
- Wash salad ingredients and blend salad dressing ingredients; refrigerate separately.
The Morning Of
About 3 Hours Ahead
About 30 Minutes Before Serving Appetizer
About 30 Minutes Before Serving Dinner
- Bake sweet potatoes.
- Reheat vegetables and finish making Broccoli and Red Pepper Toss.
Just Before Serving Dinner