Simple Christmas Menu Plan

This is a repost from last year, however, I suspect that my menu plan will be just about the same!

Christmas is just a few days away, can you believe it?  Are you prepared with your menu plan for the long holiday weekend?

Being without an oven for several weeks now and without a dishwasher since Thanksgiving (long story), my menu plan ideas have been somewhat limited.  I’m told that both will be repaired by Christmas, however, I’ve lived long enough to know that when you cut things this close, the odds are 50/50.

Rather than put undo pressure on myself when I need to be in a good mood, I think it’s best to plan to be without the appliances.  Then, if they do happen to be working, I’ll rejoice and bake more cookies and throw all the cookie sheets in the dishwasher.

Yet upon some reflection, my appliance deficit is really a blessing in disguise.

Simplicity is once again the resounding theme of my life and likely for my own good.

As I flipped through and considered my holiday recipes, most of them require an oven.  I can bake a little something in the microwave or the small top oven that still works, but not much at one time.  So, I’ve decided to go with 2 simple meats in my slow-cookers, turkey and beef.

Further, requiring a stove only, I will make mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, heating them up in the microwave if necessary.  I will also serve broccoli from the freezer, with butter and a little salt and pepper.  How simple is that?

A lovely raw fruit and vegetable plate with be part of the meal with ranch dressing for dipping.

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball (recipe below) looks perfectly sinful and I can’t wait to make this.  My girlfriend, Melissa, brought this over one day when she visited and got me hooked.

Homemade candy and Candied nuts will be a wonderful addition to the meal.

If the oven is fixed, I hope to do some cookie baking and add those to the meal.  I really feel like something has been missing this holiday season.  In the meantime, I need to “Just Get ‘em Fed“…..

Christmas Eve

Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker

One turkey breast

2 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper

Cook for 7-8 hours on low.

Chuck Roast in the Slow Cooker

#3 chuck roast, give or take

2 cups of beef broth

1 onion quartered

1 pkg. onion soup mix if desired, but not necessary

Salt and pepper

Cook for 6-7 hours on low.

Mashed Potatoes

#10 of peeled potatoes

1 stick butter

2 cups milk

Salt and pepper

Peel and boil potatoes until tender.  Drain water and return pot to stove top, turning burner off.  Add milk and butter, then smash potatoes with hand masher.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Potatoes

Baked in the microwave.

Fresh fruit and vegetable plate

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans (I’ll omit)

Graham crackers / Chocolate animal crackers

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy.  Gradually add sugars;  beat until just combined.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Place cream cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap; shape into a ball.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Just before serving, roll chocolate chip cheese ball in pecans.  Serve with chocolate graham crackers and/or chocolate animal crackers.  Yum!

Recipe from Taste of Home

Christmas Morning

Breakfast Casserole along with Sour Cream Coffee cake, wonderfully brewed coffee and fresh fruit.  Pretty simple!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Streusel:

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Cake:

2 cups cake flour

1 cup flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

12 tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temp

1 cup sour cream, at room temp

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze:

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tbsp. whole milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°, grease a 12-cup Bundt pan (although I will be using a casserole dish because that’s all I can fit into my little oven).

Make streusel by combining walnuts, sugars, cinnamon and salt, set aside.

Make cake: In a bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder and salt.  Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat both sugars and butter until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition, then beat in yolk.  Beat in half of the flour mixture, until just combined.  Stir in sour cream and vanilla, then fold in remaining flour mixture.  Do not over mix, batter will be thick.

Spread 2/3 of batter evenly in pan.  Sprinkle streusel over, then top with remaining batter, gently spreading until streusel is covered.  Bake until tester comes out of center clean, 35 to 40 minutes.  Let cake cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out of pan onto rack.

Make glaze: Sift confectioners sugar into a small bowl, add milk and vanilla and mix with fork until smooth.  Drizzle glaze over top of cake, allowing some to drip over edge.  Recipe from All You magazine.

Yum!

Christmas Evening

Somewhere between the kids playing with gifts and the second (or third!) pot of coffee, I’ll put my Slow Cooker Lasagna together.  The aroma of it cooking all day will be scrumptious.  Knowing that dinner is taken care of will free me up to play with my peeps.

I’ve purchased a couple of lovely loaves of whole wheat french bread today at Walmart for this meal, and we’ll munch on the rest of the leftovers.

*****

How’s this for simple?  What are YOUR menu plans or thoughts?