The Holidays are Finally Here!
Whether it be Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Christmas, people are feeling joyous and overflowing with good cheer! This year, we all need a little something to make these holidays brighter, especially for your loved ones. Luckily, we have 7 top-notch recipes and wine pairings certain to bring everyone in your house together (at least around the dinner table!).
7 Unforgettable Christmas Recipes
Source: Pixabay
1. Classic Turkey Dinner with Gravy
A classic turkey dinner with gravy is a real Christmas treat. This tradition that can be traced back to the 1500s, which is likely why so many families lovingly prepare and enjoy this meal on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Source: Pixabay
Though there are many different recipes for roasting your turkey, the most important thing is not to overcook your bird, keeping it juicy and flavorful. Once you’ve worked out the size of bird you need, a good rule of thumb is to roast it according to its weight at a moderate 350°F. We’d suggest about 40 minutes for every 2 pounds of turkey. To break it down, that means that you would roast a 6lb turkey for approximately 2 hours.
Once that’s done, it’s time to work on the gravy. After leaving your cooked turkey to rest, use a whisk to combine all the juices in the pan over a medium heat. Add a thickening agent like flour (only a flat tablespoon or so at a time though!) as you whisk. When the consistency is to your liking, have a quick taste and correct the seasoning as necessary.
Source: Pixabay
Pairing a wine with this classic dish can be a difficult task, however, there are a few wines that truly bring out the best in turkey and gravy. Pinot noir or Chardonnay are good choices as they both pair well with roast turkey. If you want to fancy up your Christmas dinner, you could also pair it with a sparkling wine to help cut through the richness of the meal providing that it is not too sweet of a variety, of course.
2. Succulent Roast Beef Dinner
There’s nothing quite like a roast beef dinner on Christmas Day. Served with a side of crispy roasted potatoes, it’s the perfect way to celebrate the holiday! And what would a roast beef dinner be without a glass of red wine? Any dry or semi-dry red wine will do, like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon, for example.
Source: Pixabay
As with turkey, there is a variety of ways to cook roast beef. Personally, we’re big fans of a traditional slow roast. This allows the meat to cook evenly and retain all of its delicious juices. Season your beef with salt, pepper, and herbs (rosemary, oregano, tarragon, thyme, and bay all work amazingly well), then place it in a roasting tray with some coarsely chopped onions and carrots. Add a bit of water or beef broth to the pan, then cover it with foil and place it in a preheated oven at 350°F. Cook the beef for 25 minutes per pound until it reaches the desired level of doneness.
Source: Pixabay
Once the beef is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before carving. Serve it with roasted potatoes, gravy, and your favorite vegetables or a big salad. Then all you need to do is enjoy your Christmas feast!
3. Indulgent Pork Loin Dinner
A pork loin dinner is the perfect Christmas dinner for the pork lovers among us. This recipe is wonderfully simple and results in a delicious, juicy pork loin that is full of flavor. Give your pork a good massage with a rub of oil, sage, thyme, salt and pepper and roast in the oven at 350°F for 25 minutes per pound. You can serve it with a homemade apple cider gravy or horseradish sauce and your favorite sides.
Source: Pixabay
Pair this dish with a Pinot Noir or Merlot for the perfect Christmas dinner experience. Both wines will bring out the flavors of the pork and complement the apple cider gravy without overwhelming it.
4. Scrumptious Lemon Chicken Dinner
This lemon chicken and potato dinner is another amazing way to enjoy a holiday meal. This chicken is cooked in a sauce of lemon, honey and garlic and is an amazingly simple way to satisfy everyone at the dinner table!
Preheat your oven to 375°F and lay 4 chicken breasts, skin-side up in a roasting tray. Mix together the juice of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of olive oil , 2 cloves of garlic and 1 tsp of dried oregano (try warming the mix gently to help it combine) and pour over the chicken. Roast for 30-40 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. It might sound excessive, but this little bit of extra love really makes all the difference.
Source: Pixabay
Leave the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving with a side of green beans for a pop of color or a crunchy green salad. A light white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc is our recommendation here to help balance out all that lemony goodness.
5. Sausage, Rice, and Vegetable Bowls
These sausage, rice, and vegetable bowls make for a much more laid back, casual Christmas dinner. They’re hearty and filling, but still light enough for you to enjoy all your favorite Christmas cookies afterwards. And they’re so easy to make, you’ll still have plenty of time to open presents and enjoy quality time with your family.
Source: Pixabay
This is a simple recipe of personal preference – the details are all up to you. You can use anything from mild chicken or turkey sausages to something a little more festive like smoked or even pork and sage sausages.
The rice can be either white or brown, depending on what you like. We suggest adding some chopped cooked vegetables to the bowl for extra color and nutrition like carrots, peas, spinach, and corn, but you can use whatever suits you and your family best.
Source: Pixabay
To make the bowls, simply cook the rice according to the package’s directions. Break up the sausage into pieces and brown in a pan. Add some tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds then add in the cooked vegetables of your choice. Stir in some freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve with a nice Bordeaux, Graves, or Merlot.
6. Spicy Coconut and Lemongrass Roast Duck
For those looking for something a little less traditional this year, you might want to give this irresistible recipe a try. Swap out turkey for duck and give it a good massage with a paste of finely ground spices like lemongrass, turmeric, garlic, onion, chili, shrimp paste and salt. Blitz together, put in a saucepan and fry on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Once cool, rub half of the paste into the skin and cavity of the bird and allow it to marinate overnight. Save the other half of the sauce to serve with the duck.
Source: Pixabay
Remove your bird from the fridge an hour before roasting, leaving it uncovered, so that it comes to room temperature and dries out a bit. Preheat your oven to 320°F and place the duck breast side up straight onto the rack on the middle shelf of the oven. Roast for 20 minutes plus another 20 minutes for each additional pound. A 4.5-pound duck, for example, would need about 1 hour and 40 minutes in the oven.
Source: Pixabay
Once the duck is cooked through, warm up the remaining sauce and leave the bird to rest for at least 15 minutes. Instead of trying to carve the duck, it’s much easier to simply pull the meat from the bones with tongs, your fingers, or a fork.
We’d recommend a dry or off-dry Reisling or a Sauvignon Blanc as they both go down fabulously well with the spicy chicken. Serve with sides of mashed or roast potatoes, a salad or some buttery veg, and top it all off with the coconut and lemongrass sauce. You won’t find a better way to warm yourselves both inside and out this Christmas!
7. Gorgeously Glazed Christmas Ham
Though a glazed ham is a dish that many associate with Easter, there’s no reason not to make it the crowning glory of your Christmas dinner table. Technically, hams are pre-cooked, so rather than cooking it, your job is really just to warm it through without drying it out. You can achieve this by adding water to the base of roasting tray and placing the ham on a rack above it. Cover it all in foil to allow for the creation of steam, which will help the ham retain its moisture.
Source: Pixabay
Calculate your cooking time by weighing your ham – the rule here is 10 minutes per pound.
Once the ham is in the oven, prepare your glaze. Feel free to use a premade one or do it yourself with a brown sugar, apricot-dijon or maple glaze!
And there you have it!
Source: Pixabay
With so many festive recipes under your belt, you’re sure to impress your guests and have the tastiest of Christmases!
Looking for More?
Still struggling to find that perfect Christmas gift for someone who has it all? We can help you out here too! Turning a nice Christmas into an unforgettable one isn’t nearly as hard as you think. All you need is the right food and the right gift! Easy as pie!
Giving the gift of love goes hand in hand with the season and Hooray Heroes has a large selection of easy-to-make personalized gifts that are beyond memorable. From custom Christmas cards and books to personalized puzzles, pictures, night-light boxes, plushies and unique DIY books for couples, kids, parents, grandparents, siblings and even pets!
After all, what could possibly make your Christmas merrier than gifts that make your loved ones feel loved? So, get cooking and fill your bellies and hearts with the warmth of holiday season!
