Favorite Recipe: Holiday Dinner

Thought I would share the menu from the Christmas party that we hosted at out house for the Husby's colleagues. Everything went off without a hitch, and the menu was simple, casual, delicious, and painless for the cook. I prepared all of the items the day before and put them in the refrigerator to bake the day of the party. If you choose to go this route, be sure to bring the food to room temperature before baking (after about an hour out of the refrigerator, they should be good to go). In order to bake everything at once, I adjusted the oven temperature to 350 degrees and increased the bake time for those items that needed to cook at a higher temperature. This menu will serve up to 12 people. Enjoy!

Holiday Dinner Menu:
Sunset Punch
Apple and Pomegranate Cider
Spiced Pecans
Spinach, Artichoke & Bacon Dip with Crusty French Bread
Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
Corn Casserole
Creamy Green Bean Casserole
Smashed Red Potatoes
Booze Meat
Bourbon Pecan Tart with Chocolate Drizzle

Sunset Punch

Ingredients:
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 large limes)
9 lime slices
1 (11.5-ounce) can apricot nectar
24 ounces champagne

Directions:
1) Combine first five ingredients in a large pitcher. Cover and chill.
2) Add champagne immediately before serving.

Apple and Pomegranate Cider

Ingredients:
6 whole cloves
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
1 (3-inch) strip lemon rind
1 (3-inch) strip orange rind
8 cups unfiltered apple cider
1 cup pomegranate juice
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1) Place first 4 ingredients on a double layer of cheesecloth. Gather edges of cheesecloth together; tie securely.
2) Combine cheesecloth bag, cider, and remaining ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a simmer. Cook 30 minutes. Discard cheesecloth bag.

Spiced Pecans

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound pecan halves
Cooking spray

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325°. Combine all ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl, tossing well to coat.
2) Spread mixture evenly on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Coat nuts with cooking spray.
3) Bake at 325° for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Spinach, Artichoke & Bacon Dip with Crusty French Bread

Ingredients:
2 (8-ounce) French bread baguettes, each cut into 32 (1/4-inch) slices
Olive oil-flavored cooking spray
1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
5 center-cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350°. Arrange baguette slices in a single layer on 2 large baking sheets, and coat bread with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.
2) Place mayonnaise, garlic, 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, and fat-free cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended and creamy.
3) Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, bacon, artichoke hearts, and spinach.
4) Spread mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
5) Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with toasted baguette slices.

Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

Ingredients:
1 bag spinach salad
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup bacon pieces
1 bottle bacon dressing

Directions:
1) Place spinach salad in a large bowl and top with egg slices, mushrooms, and bacon pieces.
2) Heat bacon dressing in the microwave for 1 minute and serve over salad.

Corn Casserole

Ingredients:
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8-ounce) package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter.
2) Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. 3) Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Creamy Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cans drained French cut green beans
8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons grated onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup crushed corn flakes
Cooking spray

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine first nine ingredients and mix until well combined.
2) Spread mixture into a glass baking dish and top with corn flakes. Spray corn flakes with cooking spray.
3) Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes.

Smashed Red Potatoes

Ingredients:
13 cups cubed red potato (about 4 pounds)
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon salt object
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Directions:
1) Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender; drain.
2) Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add sour cream and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Booze Meat

Ingredients:
3 cups red wine
3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons onion salt
2 teaspoons garlic salt
3 flank steaks

Directions:
1) Combine first seven ingredients, red wine through garlic salt, and stir well with a whisk.
2) Run a serrated knife over the outside of flank steaks to make shallow cuts in the surface of meat. Place steaks in a shallow glass dish.
3) Pour marinade mixture over steaks, cover, and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
4) Preheat grill and cook steaks until meat is at medium temperature. Slice flank steaks into thin slices.

Bourbon Pecan Tart with Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
2/3 cup pecan halves
1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)
Cooking spray
1/2 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Combine first 10 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in pecans.
3) Roll dough into a 13-inch circle; fit into a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan coated with cooking spray. Trim excess crust using a sharp knife.
4) Spoon sugar mixture into prepared crust. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on a wire rack.
5) Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over tart.