My daughter loves brisket and it fits into the budget. Yet, it doesn’t seem like a Christmas entree to me. Many of my friends serve brisket when they celebrate Hannukah and Rosh Hashanah.
I’d do the brisket and the turkey for a crowd! Make ahead potato recipes are always winners. I made the sweet potato and regular potato recipe posted on the Thanksgiving thread and it’s a keeper, too. Not quite make ahead, but the potatoes can be done ahead and then the whole thing finished off at the end. Thumper I’m going to make that brisket recipe between Christmas and New Year’s when we are all out hopefully skiing.
@“Cardinal Fang” Beef tenderloin is great for small group, if you don’t mind the splurge on price. You can order exactly how much you want, its easy to cook, and the leftovers are great. If you need a recipe, let me know.
OMG, Consolation, I misread the recipe as “Hatch-Waxman Brisket” - LOL. 
I second brisket or some sort of short rib ideas.
I have a sweet potato one too…easy too.
6 cups of sweet potatoes peeled, boiled and mashed.
Add 1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 tbs butter
Mash well.
Put in a 2 quart Pyrex casserole.
Make a topping with 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour…cut in 1/2 cup butter.
Sprinkle topping on potatoes. You can either bake immediately…or make,the day before…bake 40 minutes at 400.
Yum.
Great with turkey…
Yum, yum, yum!!!
How about some kind of potato gratin dish to go with the brisket? Lots of basic potato gratin recipes out there - by the way, I never use heavy cream although most recipes call for it. We don’t notice anything lacking. I also often make a version with Dijon mustard, something like this one:
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/dijon-potatoes-au-gratin-55364.aspx
I sometimes prepare everything as long as the day before and just have the casserole dish ready to pop into the oven.
I made Beef Burgundy for dinner last night, we love it. I often make it in a slow cooker, in fact did that yesterday as we were running all over all day. I don’t know if that might help anyone with timing things. I frequently throw everything into the slow cooker crock pot the night before a big day. When it’s time, I just plug everything in.
I’d love the prime rib crust recipe. I think I might do prime rib this year. If anyone has creative prep methods, I’d be glad to hear! I’ve made the eye of round roast as suggested. Also a very good choice for a bigger crowd and budget concerns.
Can someone start a CC online recipe book please??
( I REALLY want to try/eat Thumper’s brisket and potatoes!!)
@abasket, I’ll join you at Thumper’s house! I forgot the potato dish she mentioned, easier than a potato gratin when time is pressing for a holiday meal and sounds as delicious. I think @Thumper has posted the brisket recipe before - this time, I am going to try it!
Mashed potato gratin…delicious and very easy to make!
Ingredients
Unsalted butter for greasing casserole
2 1/2 cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
4 large russet potatoes, peeled, finely chopped (5 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste, if desired
1/2 cup Progresso™ Italian style panko crispy bread crumbs
Directions
1 Heat oven to 375ºF. Lightly butter 2-quart casserole. Pour broth into 2-quart saucepan. Add potatoes; stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender. Place colander over medium bowl; drain potatoes, reserving broth.
2 Rinse and dry saucepan. In saucepan, cook 2 tablespoons of the butter and the garlic over low heat 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return potatoes to saucepan with butter and garlic; mash with potato masher.
3 Add 1 cup of the reserved broth to potatoes; mix until smooth. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 cup of the cheese. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon potato mixture into casserole. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the bread crumbs.
4 Bake about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
ETA…I personally like the make ahead potatoes I posted above better!
Yeah, that’s what I want the make ahead ones!
@abasket recipe for make ahead potatoes …post 2
Help me! I have D2’s future in-laws coming, whom I have never met. One is vegetarian, one is not but might be lactose intolerant and he loves shrimp. We will have 2 other vegetarians, one who is lactose intolerant. We will have 3 with shellfish allergies, and one of those also is allergic to tree nuts, peanuts and soy.
I was thinking of pre-making enchiladas, some with chicken, some veg. I’ll use Cabot cheddar which has 0 lactose. And/or stuffed shells - some with ricotta, some with goat cheese and spinach. I also have a dish that can be either chicken breast or tofu with spinach, olives, and lemon. Can’t think of anything else unless it’s a side dish!
I don’t cook shellfish in the house because I worry about the fumes and about it getting somehow in the pan, so we’ll have to eat shrimp when we’re out. That’s easy enough.
I don’t want to do a big central meat dish so I was thinking of some filet mignon steaks for the meat eaters (about 1/2 of us).
I might try the veg version of turducken which is a scallion, inside a zucchini, inside an eggplant, inside butternut squash, but I can’t remember seeing butternut squash anywhere or eggplant at this time of year.
^Can you make reservations? Only half kidding. That’s A LOT of food preferences/allergies to factor in. Yikes!
We had dinner for a crew…one couldn’t eat leafy veggies, one was a vegetarian, and one ate fish but nit meat. I made a last buffet. I used two kids of pasta, and two kids of sauce (a marinara and a pesto). Then I made meatballs, veggies, etc…and everyone could choose to out on the pasta what they could eat…and wanted.
It was fine.
@greenwitch One suggestion I do for groups where I have to accommodate different eaters is a burrito/fajita bowl buffet. I do a couple protein options (steak, shrimp or chicken) for the meat eaters. For vegetarians/vegans, there is rice, black beans, avocado, and roasted/grilled veggies. The lactose intolerant can skip the cheese and sour cream. I’ll put out flour tortillas for those with hearty appetites, otherwise its gluten free. Those watching their calories can load up on lettuce, tomatoes, and other veggies.
^^ that sounds good, and we used to do that at home when all the kids were there. Then, everyone just takes what they want and can have.
No eggplant or butternut squash in the grocery store tonight. I didn’t want to make that thing anyway!
For those who like chipotle and want to make burrito bowls. Target sells a package of cilantro lime rice that tastes pretty similar to chipotle’s. It really makes the dish for us.
Are we talking about Christmas dinner?
I would eat a burrito bowl for Christmas dinner!!!
We always have shrimp scampi on Christmas eve. Christmas Day is casual - everyone brings a couple of appetizers that range from simple to the newest “one-bite” trends! It’s one of my favorite meals of the year! I cannot imagine having to put on a full nice dinner after all I went through to get to Christmas morning!!!
How about the brisket that @Consolation mentioned for the meat eaters, (fast and easy to make). A vegetable lasagna with ricotta cheese, (if the guest is not severely lactose intolerant), roasted parsnips and carrots with honey.