A Few Recipes for Your Christmas Dinner

It's almost Christmas time and that means its time to plan Christmas dinner. You will need to decide what type menu you would like to serve for your Christmas dinner. Traditionally most homes have ham on Christmas. Some also have a turkey for the people that do not like ham. To make a delicious ham you can place the ham in a roasting pan and then cover with a honey glaze followed by brown sugar. Then place pineapple rings around the ham with a toothpick in the center to hold them in place, put a cherry on each toothpick. Fill roasting pan half full with water, some people use coke or beer this is your choice. Cover in aluminum foil and place in an oven on 350 degrees. You will want to allow for the ham to cook for several hours so the flavors of the glaze and brown sugar are able to cook through. Here are a couple recipes for ham glazes.

Brown sugar and orange juice ham glaze
1 Sm. can frozen orange juice
1/2 can crushed pineapple
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cloves

Mix together all the ingredients, simmer over low heat until the sugars have dissolved. Baste your ham with this every few hours.

Coke or Pepsi Ham glaze
6 oz. Coke or Pepsi
2 tbsp. mustard
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 c. brown sugar

Mix together on low heat until the brown sugar has dissolved. Baste ham with glaze every few hours.
Now you will want to think about what type of side dishes you would like to have with your Christmas dinner. There are the favorites, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, or maybe you would like to add a few new recipes to your Christmas dinner. Here are some ideas for side dishes for your Christmas dinner. One of my family's favorite side dishes for Christmas dinner would be the Broccoli rice casserole it's a simple dish that could be made ahead of time and frozen. Here is how to make the dish,

1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped celery
1 lg. pkg. frozen broccoli
1 pkg. Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
4 c. cooked rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup this could be cream of celery if you do not like mushrooms
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 jar cheese whiz

Precook broccoli and rice separately. In large saucepan, melt butter and sauté onions and celery. Add cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup and cheese; stir until melted. Add the broccoli and rice. Pour in large, ungreased casserole dish and bake for about an hour 350 degrees.

Another great dish for your Christmas dinner would be the Sweet potato casserole. It makes a great dish for your Christmas dinner or any other holiday. Here's the recipe,
4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup margarine, melted
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13 inch-baking dish with butter. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes. Mix together with sugar, eggs, 3/4 cup margarine, evaporated milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and marshmallows. Scoop the mixture into the baking dish. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until sweet potatoes are tender. In a small bowl, mix the crushed cornflakes, brown sugar, pecans and remaining 3/4 cup margarine. Spread the topping over the baked casserole. Return the casserole to the 400 degrees oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.

For the vegetable dishes served at your Christmas dinner there are several great choices some of our favorites include:

Glazed carrots
1 pound carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter, cut-up
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 pinch salt
1 pinch black pepper

Place carrots in a pot of water. Bring water to a boil, reduce heat to a high simmer and cook about 20 to 30 minutes. Cook carrots until they are tender.Drain the carrots, reduce the heat to low setting and return the carrots to the pan. Stir in butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until sugar is bubbly.

A twist on the regular Green bean casserole can be a great hit with your Christmas dinner.

Cheesy Green Bean casserole
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup this can also be cream of celery or cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup milk
1 (2.8 ounce) can French fried onions
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (16 ounce) packages frozen French cut green beans
1/2 pound processed cheese food (Velveeta), sliced
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine mushroom soup, milk, cheddar cheese, and half of the onions. Mix together. Layer the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish with 1/2 of the green beans. Pour half of the soup mixture over beans, and add half of the processed cheese. Repeat layering, and top with remaining onions. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

A huge hit in our house for Christmas dinner or any other holiday is Deviled eggs.

They are easy to make and can be done the day ahead and refrigerated. Make a big batch they will go quick.
12 large eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons mustard
Salt and pepper
Paprika

Place eggs in a saucepan with water to cover plus 1 inch. On medium-high heat, bring the eggs to a low boil. After 15 minutes from the time they start to boil, remove the pan from the stove and run cold water directly on the eggs for a few minutes. Peel under cold running water, this makes it easier to remove the shells.

Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks, place them in a bowl, and mash them with a fork. Add mayonnaise and mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Spoon the mixture into the egg-white halves. You could use a pastry bag to fill the eggs.
Top each one with a sprinkle of paprika
Makes 24
These are just a few of the great dishes you can have at your Christmas dinner. Whatever you serve is sure to be a hit because it's made with love.