Jamaican Christmas Dinner Recipes

Christmas dinner is highly important to people of the Jamaican culture. They begin to celebrate the holiday season in the very beginning of December. Usually, Jamaican Christmas dinner contains ham, rice and peas and some type of salad. It is a very festive and colorful time of year.

Jamaican Christmas Ham

1 Large Ham

10 Cloves

14 Pineapple Slices

1 Cup Water

1 Cup Sugar

16 Cherries

You should preheat your oven to 300 degrees F before you begin. Next, place your ham on a baking tray to bake for an hour and a half. The ham should be placed with the skin side up. After baking in the oven, take out the ham. Next you are going to start your glaze. Combine pineapples, water and sugar in a sauce pan and cook until a glaze is created. After this, place the cloves into the sides of the ham and pour the glaze over the ham. Add the pineapples and cherries on the top of the ham as garnish and bake in the oven for another 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Pudding

2 Lbs. Peeled Grated Sweet Potatoes

1 ½ Cup Brown Sugar

4 Cups Coconut Milk

1 Cup Flour

½ Can Evaporated Milk

1 Tsp. Baking Powder

¼ Cup Cherries

½ Cup White Raisins

1 Oz. Butter

2 Tsp. Vanilla

½ Tsp. Salt

½ Tsp. Cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Then, combine vanilla, butter, sugar, evaporated milk, salt and coconut milk. In another bowl, mix baking powder, flour, sweet potatoes, raisins and cherries. Combine both mixtures and stir. Grease a baking pan next and add the entire mixture. It is important to let this sit for about 25 minutes. After it rests, bake for an hour and a half at 325 degrees F then let cool.

Jamaican Peas and Rice

2 Cups Rice

2 Cloves Garlic

3 Sprigs Basil

3 ½ Cups Water

2 Stalks Green Onions

1 Tbsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Pepper

1 Cayenne Pepper

1 Can Red Peas with Coconut Milk

Pour the rice into the rice cooker. Next, combine the red peas with coconut milk with water inside of the cooker as well. After this, add the green onions, salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne pepper and basil. Turn on your rice cooker and cook until finished. If you do not have a rice cooker then you can cook over medium low heat over the stove making sure that the rice does not burn on the bottom. Make sure that the rice is completely covered in water before cooking.