Well here I am on the other side of Christmas.  Dinner on Christmas Eve was a success!  Fifteen members of my family went home to await the arrival of Santa Claus with full bellies and visions of mincemeat pies dancing in their heads.

I had promised to take pictures… and of course, forgot!  But I can share the menu and some of the recipes (at least for the items I made).

Antipasto

Veggie tray: One of my Christmas platters filled to the brim with bite sized pieces of broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, celery, cucumber, red peppers and grape tomatoes.  I had a small bowl of spinach dip for my sister-in-law who likes to dip her veggies.  The rest of us made do with raw.

Deli plate: The classic staple on my family’s dinner table.  Prosciutto and salami.  I also had a small serving dish with bocconcini and another with olives.

Cheese platter: Another festive platter filled with bite sized pieces of 5 year old aged cheddar, 2 year old aged white cheddar, swiss cheese, parmesan, and brie.  Rice crackers and bread sticks were in handy reach of all the different platters.

Appetizer

Minestrone Soup

BBQ Meatballs (for my nephews)

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 large egg
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Combine ingredients.  Form into 1-inch meatballs.  Brown in skillet.  Drain.  Serve with tomato sauce or barbecue dipping sauce.  Can be made one day ahead and reheated.

Entree

Vegetarian Lasagna courtesy of my sister

Prime Rib Roast

I honestly don’t know how many pounds my prime rib roast weighed.  I know it was 8 bones.  That’s what I asked the butcher for when I went to pick up the cut of meat.  It’s hard to give precise measurements for seasonings but I’ll post the basic quantities for a smaller roast and you can adjust as required.  I let the prime rib rest uncovered in the bottom of my fridge for two days before roasting.  Makes the meat much more tender.

3 pounds beef
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
olive oil

Mix seasonings together.  Rinse beef and pat dry.  Rub roast liberally with olive oil.  Pat roast liberally with seasonings.  Insert meat thermometer.  Cook in roasting pan on low heat (200F to 250F) until roast hits internal temperature of 145F.

Sides

Caesar salad

Milestones Salad

My sister-in-law eats at Milestone’s often and always orders this salad.  While I don’t know the real recipe, she said my version is just as good as that in the restaurant.

4 cups mixed baby green salad
12 whole strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup walnut halves, carmelized
1 tablespoon goat cheese
honey dijon dressing, to taste

Mix first four ingredients.  Toss with honey dijon dressing minutes before serving.  Variation: I added a handful of dried cranberries and a handful of sunflower seeds for an extra special treat.

Scallop Potatoes, courtesy of my sister-in-law

Roast Potatoes

Dessert

Believe it or not, people had room left over for dessert.  I spent a few hours in the kitchen the day before our Christmas eve dinner baking up a storm.  Cheesecake, chocolate brownies, macaroons and almond butter cookies.  I also picked up some desserts at the bakery.  I haven’t quite mastered Greek pastries yet and didn’t think this was the year to try LOL

There was also a big fruit platter: strawberries, honeydew melon, cantaloupe and pineapple.  As well as a billowing bowl of oranges, apples and pears.

And my nephew got his little hands on the chocolate covered profiteroles and proclaimed them “Soooo good!”

No one went hungry, that’s for sure!  And my parents and brothers left with a week’s worth of leftovers.  I have a fridge full of leftovers too.  Keep an eye out for the leftover recipes LOL

Happy holidays!  I hope you were able to enjoy good food and laughter with family and friends.