I am hosting Christmas Day Dinner for 20 adults this year. With the hopes of staying within budget, I am looking for ideas for a plentiful delicious elegant menu. My thoughts are leaning toward turkey cooked on the grill, beef roast (pork is not a favorite), and a baked pasta. I am a bit confused about the roast. What kind of cut can I make that will be tender easy to serve and stay within budget? Also, does anyone have tips on make ahead side dishes? I must stay away from NUTS and seafood of any kind due to a guest with allergies. Advice please
I’d do lasagna. It’s relatively inexpensive and most people like it.
Make Ahead Potatoes
Peel and cook six large potatoes. And mash them with a 6 ounce container of cream cheese and chives. Put in an oven proof container. Refrigerate overnight at least. Take out…drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes at 400.
These taste like twice baked potatoes without the skins. They are a great side dish with turkey, roast beef, ham.
And easy peasy!
In terms of roast…what about a tenderloin?
A beef tenderloin is going to be pricey but oh so good.
Ham? Ham is affordable especially as most stores have it on sale for the holidays. It’s also very flexible timing wise with other items on the menu.
Here’s one of my favorite holiday veggie side dishes. I do most of it ahead of time, including blanching the green beans, and just finish it off in a few minutes on the stovetop before serving.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/green-beans-with-bacon-and-shallots-104502
I love ham, but my guests don’t like pork.
Beef tender loin is expensive. What can be a beef roast alternative?
A whole sirloin strip is cheaper than a tenderloin, and more flavorful. My sister has a recipe for a horseradish crust that is delish.
I’ve often made a warm/room temperature winter salad from Martha Stewart. I didn’t watch the video, but I think it’s this one: http://www.marthastewart.com/918070/recipe-warm-winter-vegetable-salad
Basically cook (steam/boil but I think roasted would work too) brussel sprouts, potatoes and carrots and serve with a vinagraitte that is flavored with celery seeds.
I’m doing a prime rib but that’s not budget. The horseradish crust sounds great consolation. If you have the recipe, I would love it.
I’m going to make those mashed potatoes and the green beans sound delicious
Prime rib is the BEST. Alas, way way off budget for me.
I got the best chuck roast recipe from Costco. My family loves it.
Buy a lean looking chuck roast . Put in a roasting pan and sprinkle with garlic (I use one of the garlic “grinders” in the spice aisle), salt and pepper. Cook low and slow - 325 for around 3 hours for a good sized roast. Mix 1/2 c. brown sugar with 3/4 cup water. Take roast out of oven, and pull apart. Pour sugar water mixture over the meat and put back in oven for another 20-30 minutes, uncovered.
It’s really delicious! A little bit of the sweet with the savory. I also have done it with vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, onion in with the meat.
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/94113/high-temperature-eye-of-round-roast/
This is my go-to recipe for roast beef. Either eye of round or top round roast is what I usually use. I usually get a 3-4 lb roast for a family Sunday dinner. When we had a larger family gathering, I purchased two since my FIL likes more well done beef. One roast I did closer to 9 minutes per pound (so one was cooking for 28 minutes, one 36 minutes. I put the larger in first, and 8 minutes later, added the second pan to the oven) and it worked perfectly. One was more rare/med, and the other was med/well.
Also would recommend lasagna for your pasta dish. It is much better when made in advance a day or two. Assemble and bake as directed. Let cool and put in the refrigerator. On Christmas, pull it out to bring to room temp and bake again for 35-45 minutes to heat through. I have been doing this for 20+ years and it sets up nicely this way.
I agree that a chuck roast can be delicious and quite affordable. My Dad used to love a dish called “daube” and called it Poor Man’s Sunday dinner. Basically you trim the roast, sprinkle it with flour, salt and pepper, and brown it on all sides in a big pot. After that, you cook it for about 3 hours in a tomato gravy until it comes apart easily if touched with a fork.
@chinablue have you thought about making a brisket? I have a really good recipe that uses either a 12 ounce can of coke or a 12 oz can of ginger ale (not diet). It’s easy, inexpensive and tasty!
Since you are already roasting a turkey why not fix the beef in another way. Such as an inexpensive ·Boeuf Bourguignon. And it’s better if you fix it a day or two ahead of time!
www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/boeuf-bourguignon-104754
I do boeuf bourguignon every year for Christmas Day - it is a favorite and delicious. I prepare it ahead of time and rewarm - tastes much better that way! The recipe I use is very similar to musicamusica’s.
The best brisket recipe I have ever encountered, hands down, is Nach Waxman’s Brisket from one of the Silver Palate books. If cooked according the directions, it is foolproof and delicious. (I say that because I cooked it every year for our seder, and one year I made the mistake of farming it out to someone who omitted the crucial step of slicing it and returning it to the pot to finish cooking.)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/nach-waxmans-brisket-of-beef-394571
IRL, it does not come out looking like the picture on this link. It is cooked all the way through, and the gravy is much darker. BTW, you can omit the flour if you are concerned about gluten. That’s what I do for seders; although I have used potato starch instead, it really isn’t necessary.
@deb922, I’m not sure which recipe she uses, but if you google it there are several versions. I’ll ask her what is in hers.
INGREDIENTS
4 to 6 pound beef brisket, visible fat untrimmed
1 12-ounce can Coca Cola
1 envelope dried onion soup mix (yes, seriously)
1 cup bottled chili sauce (may substitute ketchup)
Put the brisket in your crockpot. Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the brisket. Cook on low for 9’hours.
Remove the brisket, and slice. Place on a platter and put some of the gravy from the crockpot over the meat.
Serve the rest of the gravy on the side…no need to add anything to it.
Easy peasy…and your house will smell great!
That brisket recipe looks delicious, Consolation. The picture looks like a picture of the meat midway, when you’ve done the slicing and are about to spoon on the sauce and put it back in the oven. Odd, that it’s not a picture of the finished dish.
Anybody have a good recipe for a small family gathering? We’ll be the three Fangs, plus our friend. The only thing I have for the menu so far is cookies for dessert. A recipe for beef that serves eight (we love leftovers) would be perfect. Nothing fussy, because we like to loaf around on Christmas.
CF…my brisket and my make head potatoes would work well for you.
For a smaller crowd, we have also made marinated pork tenderloin, rice, and usually something like roasted asparagus.