Christmas Dinner Menu
Are you beginning to get the “what am I going to fix for Christmas dinner” blues? Are you tired of being the only one in the kitchen while everyone else is watching ball games or “The Wizard of Oz”? Wouldn’t it be fun, just once, to sit around and visit with everyone instead of work, work, work in the kitchen? I felt that way this year and here is my Christmas dinner plan for six. Hopefully, it shouldn’t take much time at all on Christmas day and I will get to enjoy the day as much as everyone else!
Perfect Prime Rib Roast (menu follows) This will tie up the oven all morning.
Either creamed new potatoes ( cooked on the stove top) or microwave potato casserole
If you opt for the casserole, you will need another vegetable-broccoli or asparagus cooked in the microwave would work nicely.
Make a bread 2 days ahead and put in the freezer. My choice - dilly bread
For a salad - either a large tossed salad (daughter, dieting) or your favorite cranberry salad prepared ahead and put in individual servings to be placed on a salad plate.
For dessert - Boston Cream Pie Cake - This also can be made ahead of time - preferably the day before. It took me all of an hour and half from start to finish to put it together the last time I did it.
That’s my plan and I’m sticking too it. Hope you have a great relaxing Christmas Day too. Merry Christmas to each and every one.
PERFECT PRIME RIB
4-5 lb prime rib roast salt and pepper
Serves 8-10. Heat oven to 375 degrees in early morning in planning a meal around 1-2 pm. If planning an evening meal, make it 10 a.m. Roast should be at room temperature. Bake for 1 hour. Turn oven off and leave roast in until 45 minutes before serving. At this point take out and salt and pepper and turn oven on to 300 degrees. Return to oven and bake for 45 minutes. Slice and serve. Will always be pink in middle and very juicy. Count on ½ lb per person.
MICROWAVE AU GRATIN POTATOES
1 12 oz pkg frozen hash browns, or 3 cups peeled, shredded potatoes
2/3 cup milk
½ c. shredded cheddar cheese
½ tsp salt
1 T. margarine
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup chopped green onions, opt.
Place has browns in 1 ½ -2 quart casserole. Cover and cook 7-8 minutes or until tender, stirring once to break into pieces. Mix in remaining ingredients. Cook uncovered 2-3 minutes or until hot and bubbly. If desired, sprinkle with paprika.
DILLY BREAD
1 pkg yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup creamed cottage cheese, lukewarm
2 T. sugar
1 T. butter
1 tsp salt
1 unbeaten egg
1 T. freeze dried chives or minced onion
1 tsp dill seed
¼ tsp soda
2 ¼ cup flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften yeast in warm water. Combine other ingredients except flour and add to yeast mixture. Add flour to make a stiff dough ( may add up to 2/½ cups). Mix well and let rise about 1 hour. Stir down. Place in greased 2 quart round casserole and let rise half an hour. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Remove from casserole onto cooling rack. Brush warm loaf with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt if desired.
BOSTON CREAM PIE CAKE
Cake:
½ cup margarine 2 cups flour, sifted
¾ tsp vanilla 2 tsp baking powder
1 c. sugar ½ tsp salt
2 eggs 2/3 cup milk
Cream margarine, vanilla and mix well. Beat in eggs. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in alternately with milk. Pour into greased 9 inch round pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until done. May take 40 minutes-usually does for me- longer if you live at a high altitude. Test with pick in center. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan carefully. Place on rack to finish cooling.
Filling:
1/3 cup sugar 1/¼ c. milk
3 T. flour 1 egg, beaten
¼ tsp salt 1 T. margarine
1 tsp vanilla
Mix sugar, flour and salt; stir in milk. Bring to boil, stirring. ( I like to use the microwave instead of the stovetop, less chance of scorching.) Cook 1 minute longer. Remove from heat. Slowly stir ¼ cup of hot mixture into 1 beaten egg. Return egg mixture to pan; heat just to boiling. Remove from heat; add margarine and vanilla. Place in glass container. Cover with waxed paper (place right on pudding mix) and chill. If you prepare this before the cake, it will be chilled and ready to use when the cake is mixed, baked and cooled.
Chocolate Glaze:
2 T. margarine 1 cup powdered sugar
1 oz unsweetened chocolate 2 T. boiling water
Melt margarine and unsweetened chocolate/ Stir in sifted powdered sugar and boiling water until smooth. Use the water a little at a time until you get the consistency you like - can also add more powdered sugar. You want it to run very slowly to the edge. Use glaze immediately. To assemble: split cake layer and fill with cream filling. Spread the top with the chocolate glaze.Memo: the easiest way I have found to split the cake is with dark thread. Center thread around cake and pull the thread though.