Whether you’re making your first Christmas dinner or your 50th, cooking an entire holiday meal can be tricky. Making sure everything is properly cooked and comes out on time is stressful. To help alleviate some of the stress, I thought I’d share some Blue Ribbon recipes that are not only delicious but are easy to make too.
“Me cook prime rib, no way,” says Linda Franklin (Roanoke, VA). But she quickly learned her no way, went to “yes way and to perfection” with her No-Fear Prime Rib recipe.
Preparing prime rib can sound super intimidating. For the price, overcooking the meat would be a disaster. Linda’s smoky recipe puts deliciously done prime rib within our reach.
Raymond Pagor (Cleveland, OH) made his first prime rib using the recipe and it was a resounding success. “At 500 degrees, I was a nervous wreck hearing it sizzle as it was searing,” shares Raymond. “The end result was an awesome success, it turned out great. For my first time, I was ecstatic. It tasted delicious and the whole family LOVED it.” This is an ideal holiday pick!
Does your family prefer ham at Christmas? Take a look at Monica Keleher’s (Methuen, MA) Whiskey Wild Cherry Coke Glazed Ham recipe then.
“This ham is such an incredible hit at our house,” reveals Monica. “The boys devour it.” The mix of Cherry Coke and whiskey makes for an incredibly flavorful holiday ham. You do need to baste every 15 minutes, but that’s the hardest part. It really helps to intensify the flavors. So yummy.
Oysters make Peggi Anne Tebben’s (Granbury, TX) Oyster Dressing exceptionally moist. They are a bit indulgent but perfect for the holidays. “We used to have mega buffets on four holidays of the year and we made several hotel pans of this every time,” explains Peggi Anne.
If you like oysters and want a special addition to dinner, add this recipe to your menu. The flavor of them along with the sage is evident in every bite. The bread is toasted the night before. So, day of, all that’s needed is to mix the ingredients together and bake. Super easy.
Another recipe that can be prepared ahead of time is Kim Kelemen’s (Bourbon, MO) Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes. They are so creamy and easy to make. Boil the potatoes on Christmas Eve. Blend with other ingredients (cream cheese adds a little tang) and put in the baking dish. Then on Christmas, simply take out of the fridge and bake. One less thing to worry about.
I love green bean casserole as part of my holiday menu. Jennifer DeShazo (Rossville, TN) thinks so too. “Holidays just aren’t the same without green bean casserole,” says Jennifer. “My family loves the extra ‘umph’ the added mushrooms and cheese provide!”
When I saw Jennifer had added cheese to this traditional green bean casserole recipe I knew I had to try it. And much to my delight, the cheese took it up several notches. To show you how simple this is to prepare her Cheesy Green Bean Casserole, we’ve put together a video (find it here) that’ll show you. Seriously cheesy, this will be a stellar addition to any holiday table.
Whether you decide to try all of these scrumptious recipes or just one, they’ll be a hit on your holiday dinner and will help take a little stress away over meal planning. If you do try one, make sure to leave your review. Next week, I’ll be sharing some holiday desserts that’ll end the day on a sweet note. Happy Pinching!