Holiday Hosting Menu Planning

[tinyjoys]

We aren't hosting, much to my disappointment. We're going to my grandma's on Christmas Eve with my side and then Christmas Day will be with my MIL's with H's side in the afternoon and I need to figure out what our dinner will be once we're home.

Anyway, what I'm bringing to both places:
CHRISTMAS EVE
- sandwich ring & mini croissants (BJs is making, I need to pick up) + all the fixings for those
- smoked cream cheese with pepper cranberry jelly
- cookie/treat tray
- eggnog + whiskey

Once we're home & kids are in bed, I'm making H & I cheese fondue and we'll watch movie, chill out, and eventually play Santa once we're sure kids are fully asleep.

CHRISTMAS DAY
breakfast at home
- coffee while presents are being opened
- eggnog french toast bake
- mini quiches (from the freezer section, because lazy)
- berries & yogurt
- Christmas mimosas (prosecco, white cranberry juice, candied cranberries & rosemary)

to take to MIL's
- smoked cream cheese with pepper cranberry jam
- turkey & cranberry sausage rolls
- tomato & burrata board
- pita pizza board
- cookie/treat tray
- hot cocoa bar


I think I want some kind of rich & creamy pasta. Maybe an alfredo with smoked shrimp... Like cozy and simple, but also feels kind of fancy.

[daisy]

sweptaway, I love the notebook idea!!! I wish I had started that years ago.

23rd: lasagna and garlic bread at my parents’ house with family

Christmas Eve at our house (14 people):
Usually we do a fancy beef tenderloin and baked potatoes dinner in the late afternoon, and then go to church. But this year we switched it up because of the Packer game. People are coming over at noon, and we’re having cheese and crackers, smoked fish, shrimp, and various appetizers. Then after church, we’re going to have dinner. Hot shredded beef, sandwiches, party, potatoes, fruit, salad, other sides to be determined. For dessert we really just have cookies. Sometimes I make a Bundt cake or something, too.

Christmas Day: Santa pancakes, coffee
Christmas night TBD—not sure if we are just home or if we are doing something.

26th pizza or Chinese with my family

27th DH’s family Christmas

[leahcar]

We have 12 for both Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.

Eve
Chinese delivery!
loads of Christmas cookies- oatmeal scotchies, peanut butter blossoms, lemon ricotta cookies, cranberry bliss bars, iced cutouts, snickerdoodles, hoping for 1 new addition- shortbread that my mom used to make when I was a kid. I have the dough done for all but the shortbread and peanut butter blossoms so it should be doable.

Day
I do breakfast- chocolate chip muffins made in advance, an egg breakfast casserole in the crockpot, coffee, mimosas
Midday- my sister in law is bringing two dips. I am making sausage balls, spinach dip, and maybe 1 other thing TBD.
Dinner- MH is making Puerto Rican food. Pernil, arroz con gondules, tostones, maduros. My FIL is bringing turkey. I'll make a salad for something green and we're having pecan pie cheesecake for dinner. (Should be cookies around for whoever doesn't like cheesecake)

[roselab]

Christmas Eve: MIL hosts, she is Italian and does 7 fishes, but not traditionally, just whatever 7 fishes she wants, usually including lobster bisque, crab dip, and scallops. Pasta for the kids. I'm bringing bacon wrapped asparagus and a pizza dip.

Christmas day I host both sets of grandparents for brunch. This year I'm planning on an egg/sausage casserole, cinnamon rolls, cheese and cracker tray, veggie tray, and cookies. I don't tend to go all out because no one eats a lot. Oh, and my mom is bringing an edible arrangement as our 'gift.'

Christmas dinner we get together with my bff and her family, and we do take-out for this. I think we are doing it from a local Italian place this year.

We host dh's extended family for a get together sometime the week between Christmas and New Year's as well, and this is our big hosting gig. About 30ish people. We do a soup pot-luck since most people are heavy meal'd out at that point. I am making lasagna soup this year, and ordering chicken noodle from our fav. local restaurant (my kids' favorite and was a huge hit last year). I'll also provide a salad, breads, chips and dips, cookies, and drinks for this. My mil always brings wedding soup, someone else usually brings white chicken chili, someone else usually brings a traditional chili or a pumpkin chili, and then there are usually a couple wild card surprise soups.

I am a little sad that we don't get to eat a traditional Christmas ham at all ever over the season. One time I made one for the brunch that we hosted, and literally no one ate it, not even my own family other than me, so I had some leftovers and then the rest of it got thrown out.

[klw]

roselab I love the soup potluck idea.

[Cher]

Christmas is my favorite. Thanksgiving, I have so many people that my goals are 1) have a seat for everyone and 2) feed everyone. Christmas is smaller, so I am really over the top and have fun with it. For Christmas breakfast, I do a sausage, egg and cheese bake and cream cheese French toast. We buy a case of Dom Perignon for Christmas Day and the first bottle gets opened with breakfast. For dinner this year, I’m hosting 11 people. So we’re starting with shrimp cocktail, baked Brie with fig spread and pigs in a blanket. For dinner, we’re doing surf and turf. I ordered lobsters and filet. For sides: asparagus, au gratin potatoes, a winter vegetable medley and Mac and cheese. Desserts are from a bakery on Arthur Avenue. I put my order in months ago and I have a spread of cookies, cannolis, cheesecake and Boston Cream Pie. I am so excited about this and plan to eat it all.

I go to family’s house on Christmas Eve but I ordered a PieCaken for then. I can’t wait to eat a ton of that. I just intend to eat a lot of sugar.

[shadows]

Anybody want to link their breakfast casseroles/recipes? I’ve made this the past few years, and it’s good, but I’m open to switching it up - www.thekitchn.com/recipe-make-ahead-ham-and-cheese-breakfast-casserole-43364.

I also combined 2 recipes for cinnamon rolls last year, but I didn’t write down what I did 🤦‍♀️.

[Bluebird]

I would love a dairy free breakfast casserole rec, or other prep-ahead breakfast ideas.

[Cher]

Dec 19, 2023 6:48:26 GMT -6 shadows said:

Anybody want to link their breakfast casseroles/recipes? I’ve made this the past few years, and it’s good, but I’m open to switching it up - www.thekitchn.com/recipe-make-ahead-ham-and-cheese-breakfast-casserole-43364.

I also combined 2 recipes for cinnamon rolls last year, but I didn’t write down what I did 🤦‍♀️.

I’ve done this one for like ten years now. It’s nothing fancy but my family loves it: www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9247/christmas-breakfast-sausage-casserole/

[angelashly]

I like this one. I use turkey sausage

www.browneyedbaker.com/slow-cooker-sausage-hash-brown-cheddar-breakfast-casserole/

[sweptaway]

We are hosting a smaller crowd than usual and I am having a really hard time scaling back (spoiler: I still will have too much). Cher knows.

[shadows]

Thanks Cher and angelashly, I think I want to do a breakfast casserole with sausage this year, and those both look good. Do I want hash browns or bread?

[angelashly]

Dec 19, 2023 8:54:22 GMT -6 shadows said:

Thanks Cher and angelashly, I think I want to do a breakfast casserole with sausage this year, and those both look good. Do I want hash browns or bread?

We do hashbrowns just because I usually do French toast or something too so we get the bread that way

[STP]

It's just us this Christmas, we had our big holiday family gathering last weekend down towns.

Side note, we had to evacuate my parent's 46th floor apartment due to a fire in the compactor. I was so focused on getting my kids down the stairs, that I realized around floor 25 I was still holding my glass of wine. :::facepalm::: My legs were jello for days after. But the firemen were hunky and happy to flirt with the clearly drunk middle aged mom swilling cabernet in the cold. All was fine, obviously, we were back in about an hour later.

For our Christmas day, I am making my grandmas' Christmas casserole. It's just browned sausage, eggs, cheese over crescent roll dough. Simple and delicious.
I am also making cinnamon rolls and hash browns.

For lunch, I'm putting out a deli spread and we're baking cookies.

Dinner is going to be lasagna, homemade bread, salad. We decided no one really wanted another TGiving dinner, and only H/DS eat ham.

And I thrifted a gorgeous Irish cut crystal cocktail shaker, and I hear Santa is bringing the makings for fabulous martinis.

I might also bake a Christmas confetti cake if I have time but work is bananas right now, and I am more likely going to grab some Trader Joe's treats and call it good.

I want a nice, chill holiday this year without the pressure of expectations I put on myself last year. I ruined my own Christmas day doing that.

[coolbeans]

I have decided to make these to bring to our friends’ Christmas party on Saturday evening: bromabakery.com/champagne-jello-shots/. I think I will also cook up some bacon wrapped dates to bring.

[tinyjoys]

This is a house favorite. I've made it a couple of times for both breakfast on a Sunday morning and dinner on a weeknight.
www.plainchicken.com/tater-tot-sausage-breakfast-casserole/

This is my usual french toast bake. It's a decent base recipe, too in that I've added a cinnamon brown sugar butter syrup/sauce & had it come out slightly more cinnamon rolly or added pecans.
lilluna.com/french-toast-bake/

This is also a favorite. I'm sure you could prep is ahead, but I've never tried.
www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1698171903768785

I'm making this this year.
www.justsotasty.com/eggnog-french-toast-bake/

[jaygee]

Oh my god STP. I’m so glad you and your wine and, oh yeah, your family are ok. How stressful! But also I can picture it.

I have so leaned into the casual, easy holidays. Things happen or they don’t. Nothing is so important that I’m going to kill myself with stress over it. We have food, a warm house, a few loved ones, and hopefully our health (winter colds are killing us here). I’ve watched too many elders be the holiday martyr and I refuse to pick up the torch.

[overboard]

There will only be six of us. I’m going with seafood gumbo on Christmas Eve. I’ll be in an unfamiliar kitchen so I’m struggling a bit on the rest of the menu.

I know there’s a Publix nearby. I’m thinking assorted deli meats and cheeses and sub bread with some chips and dips. Plus Alton browns peanut butter fudge.

I’m stuck on dinner. I might use our gift card for honey baked ham and make the sides.

[angelashly]

Mexican was decided on for my mom’s side on Saturday.

Enchiladas
Tacos
Rice
Taco salad
I’m doing taco dip, pico, and all the toppings

Also for those kids who don’t eat Mexican my sister ordered fried chicken and I’m doing pasta salad. H will probably be late due to work so he most likely will be bringing wings as our second appetizer after dinner

I can’t wait!

[jaygee]

Dec 19, 2023 10:06:15 GMT -6 angelashly said:

Mexican was decided on for my mom’s side on Saturday.

Enchiladas
Tacos
Rice
Taco salad
I’m doing taco dip, pico, and all the toppings

Also for those kids who don’t eat Mexican my sister ordered fried chicken and I’m doing pasta salad. H will probably be late due to work so he most likely will be bringing wings as our second appetizer after dinner

I can’t wait!

Some years I make my mom’s enchiladas for Christmas Eve. I only do when people are coming over because I don’t know how to make a small batch of enchiladas lol. But it’s definitely a crowd favorite.

[angelashly]

Dec 19, 2023 10:09:06 GMT -6 jaygee said:

Dec 19, 2023 10:06:15 GMT -6 angelashly said:

Mexican was decided on for my mom’s side on Saturday.

Enchiladas
Tacos
Rice
Taco salad
I’m doing taco dip, pico, and all the toppings

Also for those kids who don’t eat Mexican my sister ordered fried chicken and I’m doing pasta salad. H will probably be late due to work so he most likely will be bringing wings as our second appetizer after dinner

I can’t wait!

Some years I make my mom’s enchiladas for Christmas Eve. I only do when people are coming over because I don’t know how to make a small batch of enchiladas lol. But it’s definitely a crowd favorite.

It’s the one dish my mom can make really good but never does so I love that we are starting to make them a Christmas tradition

[sweptaway]

I have not finalized our menus yet but I do know I am making this gingerbread yule log for Christmas day dessert. Look how cute it is!

smittenkitchen.com/2020/12/gingerbread-yule-log/

[tinyjoys]

I decided on pasta. Bucatini & meatballs for the kids and alfredo with smoked shrimp for H & I. I'll add in a salad with some kind of vinaigrette to even it all out, but either way, I'm excited.

[Cher]

Dec 19, 2023 8:54:22 GMT -6 shadows said:

Thanks Cher and angelashly, I think I want to do a breakfast casserole with sausage this year, and those both look good. Do I want hash browns or bread?

In mine, I do bread. The egg soaks it up so it really just gives the casserole a bit of texture. I think hash browns might overpower it.

[angelashly]

Now that we will be home Christmas Eve night I need to decide on if I want to do a smaller dinner or just appetizers. I’m leaning towards appetizers but I don’t know

[leahcar]

I don't know what is wrong with me. I am ALWAYS convinced we don't have enough food. We had two last minute joinees so that obviously means I need food for 50 more.

I scrapped my salad, ordered 3 catering sides, rolls, and an extra dessert.

[Pistol]

We will have 10 people for breakfast (including my household people, so 6 extra people) and we do a buffet style breakfast. Homemade cinnamon rolls, eggs, bacon, toast, coffee, milk, OJ, etc.

Lunch will be apps. Probably going to be down to just us 4, my parents, maybe my brother and his gf, and then possibly my grandma. I have planned veggies, buffalo chicken dip, meat and cheese trays, and then my mom will bring random shit as well. There will be chex mix, cookies, just all around grazing type foods.

Dinner will be 7 or 8 of us depending if my other grandma brings her bf. The plan for that is pot roast w/gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, homemade bread, and a dessert that is yet to be determined. Maybe a pie or something along those lines.

[Pistol]

Dec 16, 2023 16:48:49 GMT -6 jnetx said:

Christmas eve:
Chicken and dumplings
Tamales

Christmas Breakfast:
Cinnamon rolls (still trying to decide which recipe...maybe pioneer woman's but it makes a ton)
Bacon

Christmas Day:
Pomegranate/Craisin Salad
Onion/Boursin app (someone posted here on Thanksgiving)
Cranberry phyllo bites
Smoked turkey
Deviled eggs
Hawaiian rolls
Smashed potatoes

Christmas cookies for dessert

I use this recipe and I'm pretty sure my dad was more upset about missing his cinnamon rolls than the rest of Christmas the year of covid. 🤣

www.pauladeen.com/recipe/cinnamon-rolls/

[Pistol]

Dec 19, 2023 7:14:41 GMT -6 Bluebird said:

I would love a dairy free breakfast casserole rec, or other prep-ahead breakfast ideas.

When I do my cinnamon rolls I make them the night before and put them in the fridge. When we get up they go to the counter to warm up and finish their final rise and then bake for just a little bit. I'm sure that could be made dairy free with dairy alternatives such as almond milk. Just a thought.

[AmyG]

Ok plans changed

Christmas eve brunch/lunch get together at youngest son's gf parents. Have to get more info to figure out what to bring.

Christmas eve just the 7 of us usual I'm thinking we will make what we planned for Xmas day.
So dh will partially smoke the ham, green veggie, augratin or scalloped potatoes, yeast bread. Christmas cookies, candy and pumpkin log for dessert.

Christmas morning will be coffee pancakes bacon sausage eggs plus banana bread, pumpkin log, maybe apple braid bread.

When we get hungry it will be leftover ham and such for lunch/dinner.