Countdown-Menu for Christmas & New Year

We do something I call nontraditional. We do a buffet set up with foods we like in appetizer style. We always have a huge shrimp ring with regular cocktail sauce and Pace picante. We have Spanikopita (spinach/cream cheese puffs) mini quiches, a few pinwheel sandwiches, tamales, mexican cheese dip, artichoke dip, and cheesecake, cobbler or pie, plus cookies etc.
This is for 6 people.

TexasShadow I’m thinking your tamales idea would go real well with the pork roasts. Enchiladas and empanadas too. I’ll let the family know we’d like some brought to the feast. We’re expecting 49 family+. That number might climb but if everyone brings a dish we should survive and enjoy.
Thanks.

I'm lazy and I'm not into cooking for hours or days nor am I into washing pots, pans & dishes for hours.

My "festive" dinners are either "eat out at a restaurant" or fast and easy. I am only cooking for two and prefer to not eat leftovers for days or months.

Meat (choice of 1):
- Brie & Cranberry Stuffed Chicken (Barber Foods, frozen- toss into the oven and bake or I have also steam baked them in an instant pot)
- Small beef brisket (It is tossed into the instant pot)
- Cooked whole rotisserie chicken (I buy it a day or two ahead and break it down into leg quarters which goes in the refrigerator. I freeze the two breast halves and the remaining carcass)

Green Vegetable (choice of 1):
Broccoli Florets (steamable bag in the microwave)
Country style green beans (cooked with bacon and onions)
Brussels Sprouts (fresh, steamed in the instant pot)

Starchy Side (choice of one):
Mashed potatoes (I use a food service instant that tastes like homemade)
Steamed rice (love the rice cooker)

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce (Homemade Reduced sugar made a day or two earlier so it sets up)
Dinner rolls (from the Sam's Club Bakery)

Dessert (only one):
Cupcakes (small batch - If I make cupcakes this year, it will probably be Italian Cream)
Banana tea loaf (I have a really good recipe - it's my birthday "cake" this year)
Pie (apple, cherry, pumpkin or a Razzleberry pie - maybe homemade, maybe store bought)

Well, this thread is likely driven towards people living or planning to be in their RV's at Christmas. We're normally in our RV at Thanksgiving and do ALL the traditional Turkey Day Foods......All of them. For Christmas, we will not be in our RV so I will be curing a ham from scratch and prolly a turkey with ALL the other normal "goes with Turkey" foods.

My wife and I produced the first grandchild on either side of the family, which made our house "The Christmas House" and we've had Christmas day here since the early 90s. I've always loved having everyone over here and not having to drive anywhere, but I hated having to halt all the merriment with the kids to stop and set up the tables and set everything up for a sit-down dinner.

And then maybe twenty years ago my in-laws gave each of our families a fondue pot for Christmas and my wife and her brothers got the idea for us to kill the sit-down dinner and switch to a stand-up fondue in our kitchen.

It's a blast. It's utter mayhem with everyone forgetting which forks are theirs and accidentally leaving a scallop in the oil for fifteen minutes. We have to bring in extension cords because we can't run four pots on the same breaker. Totally worth it.

The day before, my wife and I and whichever kids are home for the holiday spend a few hours prepping the meats & veggies and making the sauces. One brother brings all the fixins for cheese fondue, another brings the dessert fondue, and we do all the "main courses" (meats & veggies).

It couldn't be easier and it's so much more fun than doing a serious sit-down meal. It makes an awful mess, but it's quicker to clean the mess than to set up and tear down all the tables and deal with the china and the silver.

I hope we never switch.

dedmiston wrote:
My wife and I produced the first grandchild on either side of the family, which made our house "The Christmas House" and we've had Christmas day here since the early 90s. I've always loved having everyone over here and not having to drive anywhere, but I hated having to halt all the merriment with the kids to stop and set up the tables and set everything up for a sit-down dinner.

And then maybe twenty years ago my in-laws gave each of our families a fondue pot for Christmas and my wife and her brothers got the idea for us to kill the sit-down dinner and switch to a stand-up fondue in our kitchen.

It's a blast. It's utter mayhem with everyone forgetting which forks are theirs and accidentally leaving a scallop in the oil for fifteen minutes. We have to bring in extension cords because we can't run four pots on the same breaker. Totally worth it.

The day before, my wife and I and whichever kids are home for the holiday spend a few hours prepping the meats & veggies and making the sauces. One brother brings all the fixins for cheese fondue, another brings the dessert fondue, and we do all the "main courses" (meats & veggies).

It couldn't be easier and it's so much more fun than doing a serious sit-down meal. It makes an awful mess, but it's quicker to clean the mess than to set up and tear down all the tables and deal with the china and the silver.

I hope we never switch.

We don't do the formal china plate sit-downs either. It's all disposable. We set the food out on the dining room table pot-luck style. My wife and I do the meats. The rest of the dishes are brought by family. I have garbage cans set up outside with liners and everyone helps pick up and cleanup. Then the ones that can stay watch "It's a Wonderful Life" with us. The family that has to travel long distances stay with us, or in the cg or in a local motel. Everyone else waddles out to go home locally.

With all the health issues, we decided to be very simple this year. We're ordering Schlotzky's sandwiches. We'll have a veggie tray, chips and dip, and stollen with Rumtopf for dessert. The stollen and Rumtopf are already made and aging in the pantry. We'll only need to pick up the sandwiches, veggie tray, and made a couple dips.

Depending on the weather, we'll either sit outside on the deck and enjoy the day, or watch "White Christmas" inside.

We have done burgers and fries from our favorite local sandwich shop for the last few years. We order 2 each for every man, woman, and child. Everyone has all they want and we have several for leftovers. Best thing is 0 cleanup! Everyone’s happy.