Conference turris::cooks

    
    As an alternative to turkey: I have been to people's xmas
    dinner where they have served a large amount of people; often they also
    serve a roast; pork or beef. Pork especially also goes good with things
    like side dishes of stuffing or cranberry. 
    
    You may want to have some form of poultry; 
    stuffed cornish game hens
    or:
    Germans often serve goose for xmas (My mom doesn't because she thinks
    that the geese you can by in our area taste too fishy -- they are not 
    grainfed).
    
    Monica

See Note 2601 - Lobster Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

I serve this Christmas Eve and it is alway a big hit.  Rich, expensive,
but wonderful for a special occasion. It looks so attractive on the platter,
the sliced Tenderloin encircles the lobster.  It's just great.

    How about a roast leg of lamb?  That's one of those treats my family
    only partakes of on holidays, because usually we don't have enough
    people to eat a whole one, and also it is kind of expensive.
    
    D!

    Our christmas dinner always starts with shrimp cocktail, roast beef,
    yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, some kind of green vegetable and
    this year will be topped off with pumpkin mousse in lace cookie cups.
    I can't wait, just thinking about it makes me hungry.
    
    Anne

    
    	Here's my Menu for Christmas day..
    
    	Shrimp cocktail
    	Antipasto & Italian Bread
    	Manicotti & Sauce (1 each)
    
    	Prime Rib
    	Baked Stuffed Potatos
    	Baby sweet Carrots
    	
    	Cheesecake with strawberries (yum!) This is my favorite!!
    	
    
    	This isn't really to much work, I prepare everything the day before
    	and then all I have to do is put the roast in the oven.  I put
    	slices in the roast and stuff in some garlic and then rub a little
    	olive oil or butter into the roast, salt & pepper, and put in the
        oven..  I hope this helps!!
    
    	Have a wonderful Holiday!
    
    	Michelle

We wanted to do something different this year also.  We've decided to have 
Lasagna.  We are going to make an antipasto, Lasagna, Salad, garlic bread
and Italian Pastries (from a great local bakery) for desert.

We decided on the Lasagna because we could make the main course of the meal 
ahead of time (this week) and spend more time with the kids on Christmas day.


Serv

    We too have gotten away from the Big Christmas Dinner.  We have a big
    dinner for Thanksgiving, and do a Buffet for Christmas.  We will have
    Shrimp Cocktail (served in a big bowl and a smaller dipping bowl). Mini
    Meatballs (Those with chili sauce and br sugar). Sausage w/peppers &
    onions ( I have 2 hot servers).  We then have a cold cut platters which
    my daughter-in-law brings.  We top this off with cheesecake,
    mini-cupcakes and the kids all-time favorite (Rice Krispie bars,
    YUK...)
    
    Family starts to arrive about 11am. (well my youngest will spend the
    night)  I clean out the family room and let the kids go wild (they
    really aren't too bad).  While we adults make fools of our selves
    playing either cards or clue (video).
    
    Bon

    We've been having the same Christmas fare every year since I can
    remember (and it's always buffet style): Seafood Newburg w/pastry
    shells, meatball lasagna, oven fried chicken, cold meat platter
    w/rolls, and an abundance of desserts. One uncle is always good for two
    cherry cheesecakes, I make a pie and something chocolate and cookies,
    then theres the fudge (chocolate and peanut butter) usually a Christmas
    cake (White cake cut out in tree shape, frosted green and decorated,
    using the leftover cake to cut into "presents" and decorated, then
    placed around the base of the tree). For drinks there's your standards:
    coffee, tea, milk, soda, beer, and juice. Oh yeh, and we always cook my
    DEC turkey... but that was the point of this note, to get away from
    that....
    
    beth

    Thanks for the great ideas!

    re .-1
      She referenced the note with the recipe in her reply. Note 2601.
    
    Debbie
    

    CHRISTMAS DINNER IS SOMETHING I LOOK FORWARD TO EACH AND EVERY YEAR, I
    START PLANNING MY MENU IN OCTOBER THIS IS WHAT BEING SERVED THIS YEAR.
    
    SHRIMP COCKTAIL
    CREAM OF ASPARAGAS SOUP
    PRIME RIB
    DELMONICO POTATOES
    PEAS WITH MUSHROOMS
    SUNSHINE CARROTS
    WHITE CHOCOLATE RASBERRY TORTE
    
    REGARDS,
    

    Just an update, I took a suggestion for ham and purchased a
    wonderful, lean, pre-cooked, honey-baked, spiral-cut ham.
    The ham, plus rice, veggies and a showy gelatin mold made for a
    nice, easy meal. Thanks for all the suggestions.