We have some recipes/dishes that we have but once a year. They are reserved for Christmas. They are practically sacred. They are anticipated. They make our mouths water the day of preparation. Then they are savored - or devoured, depending on WHO you are in our family. ;)
Do you want to know what they are?
Here's some of the cast of characters:
Christmas Eve Dinner:
Jello Slush
2 sm. (3 oz.) pkgs. jello - any RED flavor dissolved in 2 cups boiling water
5 c. sugar dissolved in 3 more cups boiling water
1 lg. (46 oz.) can pineapple juice
8 more cups water
Mix together and freeze. Remove from freezer 1 - 2 hours before serving.
Place in punch bowl and mix with 2 liters "7-up" type soda.
Serves 50 (or less if you're like my family and keep going back for more & more & more....)
Ruth's Chris Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Mixture:
3 c. cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c. (1 cube) butter, melted
splash of milk (if needed)
To cook sweet potatoes, boil them for 30 minutes.
Combine all ingredients together in the order listed. Beat thoroughly for about 3-4 minutes to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture. Add a splash of milk if too stiff. Put mixture into a [sprayed with nonstick spray], medium-sized casserole dish. Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. *At this point, dish can be covered and refrigerated for a couple of days.
Crust:
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans
1/3 cube butter, melted
Mix together and sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture with the crust mixture and return to oven for 15 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 min. before serving.
The brown sugar/pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy.
Makes 12 servings.
And this year, for the ones who turn their noses up on sweet potatoes, I added an "alternative."
"Boat" Potatoes
(more commonly known to the outside world as "twice-baked potatoes")
4 baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
Canola oil
4+ T. prepared bacon crumbles (conveniently found at Costco) - or you could fry up actual slices of thick-cut bacon
1/4 lb. (1 cube) butter, cut into slices
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1/4 t. seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
1/4 t. black pepper
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 gr. onion, sliced
Preheat over to 400 degrees. With a paper towl, rub the outside of the potatoes with canol oil. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked inside and the skins are slightly crisp. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.
Put the butter, sour cream, bacon, milk, seasoned salt, and pepper into a large bowl. Cut each potato in half lengthwise. With a large spoon, scrape out the insides into the bowl with the other ingredients. Reserve the potato shells on a large baking sheet. Use a potato masher to mix the ingredients together. Stir in half (1/2 c.) the grated cheese and add the gr. onions to the bowl. Stir.
Fill each potato half shell with the mashed potato mixture and return to the baking sheet. Top with the remaining (1/2 c.) cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot.
Makes 8 "boat" potatoes. Double the recipe if you need to serve more.
Potato Rolls
This is actually a "top secret" recipe of my friend's mother that I do not have the rights to put out there in blogosphere.
BUT, luckily, you can get it in her [published] cookbook found at:
www.idocook.com
We also have vanilla pudding as a "starter" (following a "Nut in the Pudding" Danish tradition that has been in my family for 4+ generations. The REAL Danish way is to use rice pudding, but no one likes that, so vanilla it is! Everyone is served a bowl of pudding, but only ONE has a nut hidden in it - secretly put in by the chef, who then mixes up the bowls, and then has a third party set them at the table, so it is totally fair. The person who discovers the nut in THEIR bowl, wins a present right there on the spot! :)
{Katelyn had the nut this year!}
fruit - but no recipes are needed for that, just prepare it!
Christmas Day Appetizers:
I usually mix up the menu here from year to year, with a total of 4-5 dishes, but there's a couple of "constants."
Sweet & Sour Meatballs or Li'l Smokies (or both!)
This one is very difficult, but if you're extra talented, I think you can handle it! ;)
1 (12 oz.) jar chili sauce
1 (18+ oz.) jar grape jelly
2 lb. frozen meatballs or 2-3 packages Li'l Smokies, or a combo of both!
Combine jelly and chili sauce in a crock pot and stir until smooth. Add meatballs or Li'l Smokies and set temperature to low. Cook for 2-4 hours on low. Serve with toothpicks.
Vegetable Dip
(My food snobbery causes me to think the store bought ones are BLEH! Note: I don't JUST make this at Christmas, I make it whenever I need veggie dip.)
1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise
2 t. onion powder
2 t. Bon Appetit seasoning salt
2 t. dill weed
Mix all together. Chill overnight until ready to serve with any fresh cut raw veggies.
Christmas Treats/Dessert:
Homemade Pepperment "Oreo" Cookies
Cookies:
2 Devil's Food Cake Mixes
2 cubes butter
1/2 c. flour
4 eggs
Mix all ingredients together (Beware! It is a stiff dough, it could mangle wimpy beaters). Roll into walnut-sized balls Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
little milk, if needed to thin
Beat together.
Then add:
little peppermint extract
ground up candy canes (fresh ones, do not use year-old ones - I KNOW from experience!)
(I always have too much filling left over - can reduce measurements to make less!)
Use filling between 2 chocolate cookies = "Oreo"
Then roll edges of "Oreos" into crushed up candy canes before it dries, so it sticks.
Santa Claus Cookies
2 (6 oz.) pkgs. while baking chocolate, shopped
1 pkg. Nutter Butter cookies
red colored sugar sprinkles
vanilla or white chocolate chips
miniature chocolate ships
red-hot candies
In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt white chocoate, stirring occasionally. Dip one end of each Nutter Butter cookie into melted chocolate. Place on wire racks. For "Santa's hat," springle red sugar on top part of white chocolate. Press on vanilla chip off center on hat for "pom-pom." Let stand until set. Dip other end of cookie into melted white chocolate for "Santa's beard", leaving center of cookie uncovered. Place on wire racks. With a dab of melted white chocolate, attach mini chocolate chips for his eyes and a red-hot for his nose. Place on waxed paper until everything sets.
Homemade "Magic Shell"
(I found this on Pinterest and now I'm never buying the $3-4 bottle at the store again!)
It's REALLY hard, are you ready for this? ;)
1 c. chocolate chips
2 T. coconut oil
Place in microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 15 second intervals until all of the chocolate is melted.
Serve over Peppermint ice cream (only comes out at Christmastime, which is now 3 months out of the year!)
I also make my MIL's sugar cookie recipe, cut out into Christmas shapes, for everyone to frost & decorate and leave for Santa, but it's not my recipe to share, so ask her! ;)
There you have it.
Until next year.......Good Bye. Sayonara. Adieu. Adios. Auf Wiedersehen. Ciao. Farewell to all our yummy Christmas food.
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