Cooking Inspiration - Modernize Your Menu: Impressive Twists on Classic Christmas Dishes
Cooking Inspiration
Modernize Your Menu: Impressive Twists on Classic Christmas Dishes
Christmas time is near, and you are probably trying to prep for dinner at home. After all of these years of cooking Christmas dinner, you have eaten traditional dishes over and over. As delicious as these classics are, they can become mundane.
Below are some dishes that are twists on classic Christmas dishes that you can take with you or make for your own Christmas party that will be sure to impress everyone who tastes them!
Appetizers
Sweet and Spicy Pimento Cheese
You are running around getting everything prepared for your holiday dinner, and the kids have been waiting to eat all day. You know they’re hungry, so you need to whip up something for them to munch on while you are putting the final touches on dinner.
This is the perfect time to use this recipe for sweet and spicy pimento cheese. This cheese spread is so simple to make and is versatile. You can use any cheese that you have available in your fridge. Just throw a few simple ingredients together, and the result is a creamy, garlicky cheese spread with a hint of spice (that you can adjust to your liking) and a touch of sweet.
This spread can be served with crackers, or it is the perfect addition to a charcuterie board. The fun part of a charcuterie is you can add anything you like and have on hand, add fresh fruits, meats, and textures that are creamy, crunchy, or whatever you like.
Holiday Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce
Inspired By this Recipe from Cookpad
Meatballs are a great appetizer. They are easy to eat, and a holiday favorite. This recipe for Holiday Meatballs with Cranberry Sauce is a perfect go to option for your Christmas celebration. Your family will not mind waiting a few extra minutes for dinner while they have this delicious appetizer to hold them over.
Take the traditional cranberry sauce to the next level when you use it to sauce some delicious meatballs.
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup parsley
- ¼ Tbsp. Ketchup
- ¼ tsp. Syrup
- ½ diced onion
- ¼ tsp. garlic
- ¼ Tbsp. black pepper
- 2 Tbsp. Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Premium Cooking Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Sugar
Cranberry sauce:
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
- 12 oz.fresh cranberries
- Combine dry ingredients in one medium bowl and wet ingredients in another medium bowl. Mix the wet and dry ingredients with the ground beef. Form meatballs into 1-bite servings (makes about 40 meatballs.)
- Place the meatballs on a baking sheet. Bake them at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
- While the meatballs bake, make your cranberry sauce.
- Over medium heat in a saucepan, dissolve sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes, until the cranberries start to pop.
- Remove from heat and place in a large serving bowl. The cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.
- When the meatballs finish cooking, drain excess grease and cover completely with the cranberry sauce.
Entrees
Asian Pomegranate Coconut Chicken Skillet
Inspired By this Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings
If you are looking for a new, festive entree to serve at your holiday dinner, this is the recipe for you! The sauce is sweet, savory, and tangy. You will not be able to get enough of it. There are different layers of flavor and texture that create an outstanding entree.
Not only is the Asian Pomegranate Coconut Chicken skillet beautiful and festive with the red and green of the pomegranate and herbs, it will be ready in less than thirty minutes and cooked in a single skillet! Impress your loved ones without all the stress of cooking all day.
Ingredients:
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
Chicken Rub Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. each of ground ginger and garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. each of onion powder and salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
Pomegranate Coconut Sauce Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup quality coconut milk
- 3/4 cup pomegranate juice
- 3 Tbsp. quality Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Cooking Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. each of garlic powder and dried basil
- ½ tsp. each onion powder and ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. each salt and pepper
- 1 ½ tsp. Lee Kum Kee Sriracha Chili Sauce
Garnish Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup peanuts, crushed
- 1/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 3 Tbsp. pomegranate seeds
- fresh cilantro
How to make it:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together Pomegranate Coconut Sauce ingredients. Set that aside.
- Next, make the rub. Mix all rub ingredients together in a small bowl, then rub all over the chicken.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Add Pomegranate Coconut Sauce and simmer until thickened to desired consistency, Add chicken back to skillet, and spoon sauce over chicken.
- Garnish with desired toppings and serve over rice.
Side Dishes
Broccoli and Mushroom Mac and Cheese
Everyone loves a good mac and cheese. For a fun and slightly healthier mac and cheese try this recipe. You will have a classic creamy mac and cheese with an added twist of broccoli and mushrooms to deepen the flavor. Top this with bread crumbs for the perfect crispy topping.
This meal is prepared and ready to go into the oven in only ten minutes.
This twist on brussels sprouts will have everyone falling in love with them. Impress your loved ones with this simple side dish that is bursting with holiday flavors.
Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Sweet Soy Sauce is a great accompaniment to brussels sprouts. Toss in the holiday cheer with cranberries, pecans, and a touch of rosemary to bring together this wonderful side dish.
This recipe for vegan stuffing is simple but the flavors are extraordinary. It is a classic stuffing with all the depth of flavors, in a healthier way. Feel guilt-free going back for seconds of this delicious side dish.