No doubt, Christmas dinner has to be special. A time to pull out the china and make some fancy dishes.

The menu below is what I made last year for Christmas. I haven’t finalized my menu this year. 

The soup was a request from my husband and well worth the time. The salad was a recommendation from a client and prefect for the season. The fish was something we had done before and just love it. The Brussel sprouts were the first use of my new Instant Pot with a combo air fryer and came out so tasty. Finally, the pie was a first-time make and a decidiant but light way to end the meal. 

All this came together beautifully. Very fresh. Lots of variety in foods, textures, and flavors. 

I’d like to hear what you traditionally make for Christmas dinner. So comment below and let me know.

To a healthy and enjoyable holiday season,

Jen

Jen’s Christmas Dinner Menu

Soup Course:

• Kharcho - Stewed beef and rice in a tomato broth

Salad Course:

• Mixed Green Salad with Pomegranate Seeds, Feta and Pecans

Main Course:

• Whole Roasted Red Snapper with Potatoes and Onions - Half or quarter the potatoes 
• Air-Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Balsamic, and Soy

Dessert Course:

• French Silk Pie with a chocolate cookie crust and fresh whipped cream

I LOVE Thanksgiving food. The combo of sweet and savory. It is a meal when I enjoy the canned cranberry sauce, grocery store sweet rolls, and decadent dessert. Because I rarely eat such indulgent food, I am able to enjoy the splurge l for Thanksgiving and other main holidays without guilt. Plus, the years of training my body to really want the healthy, I tend not to overdo it on these occasions. I find I am fully satisfied with my small tastes. 

This menu is what I traditionally make for Thanksgiving. So check out it for any ideas you might want to use for your own feast. I provide you with all the details below. 

Jen’s Thanksgiving Dinner Menu:

• Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast
• Creamy Mashed potatoes
• Easy Stuffing 
• Fresh Green Beans
• Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts with Pecans 
• Cranberry Sauce
• Dinner Rolls
• Dessert - S’mores Pumpkin Pie

Let me know if you try any of these dishes. I would also love to hear what you like to make for Thanksgiving dinner. 

To a great Thanksgiving,

Jen

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

• A simple recipe from Food Network with fresh herbs and white wine.
• Note: The recipe calls for pouring 1 cup of white wine in the bottom of the pan. 1 cup isn’t enough. For the total baking time needed, I recommended a whole bottle. 

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

• A Thanksgiving requirement
• Ingredient amounts are really based on how many people you need to feed and taste preferences. 
• Key to making creamy mashed potatoes is using an immersion blender.

Ingredients:

• Russet potatoes, cubed, removing skin optional 
• Real butter, amount to preference
• Whole milk or heavy cream, amount to preference
• Salt, amount to preference 
• Pepper, amount to preference

Directions:

• Place cubed potatoes in a large pot. 
• Cover with water about 1 inch over the potatoes. 
• Boil until cooked through. Drain. 
• Return potatoes to the pot or other bowl. 
• Break up cubes with a potato masher. 
• Add butter, milk, salt and pepper to taste. 
• Mash more. Then use a hand mixer or for even more creaminess, an immersion blender to whip potatoes. 
• Taste and add extra butter, milk, salt, and pepper for desired taste. 

Easy Stuffing

• Yep! Stuffing from a bag, made a little fancier with some fresh veggies. 
• If not making your own stuffing from scratch, choose good quality stuffing.

Ingredients:

• Quality stuffing mix, I used Whole Foods brand
• Chicken or veggie broth, package may call for water, I like to use broth for extra flavor
• Onion, chopped, amount to preference
• Celery, thin sliced, amount to preference
• Butter, to sauté the vegetables and extra may be needed for package dressing

Directions:

• In a large pot, sauté onion and celery in butter over medium heat until tender. 
• Add to broth and butter, if noted on stuffing package, and bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and add stuffing mix, stirring until combined. 
• Let it sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Fresh Green Beans

• Must have greens! 

Ingredients:

• Fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• Butter, amount to preference
• Salt and pepper, amount to preference

Directions:

• Steam green beans in a steamer basket until tender
• In a bowl, toss green beans in butter, salt, and pepper to taste. 

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts with Pecans

• Always more veggies. 2 veggies in one dish.
• A little crunch with the pecans.
• A little sweet with the savory.

Click here for the full recipe with an option to print.

Cranberry Sauce

• Totally from the can. I am not making my own. 
• I am the only one who eats it in my family.
• Get good quality.

Dinner Rolls

• From the store. Easy peasy 
• Again, get good quality. 
• Enjoy butter with it if you want.
• Wrap in foil and warm in the turned-off oven after everything is baked and you are setting the table.

Dessert - S’mores Pumpkin Pie

I have such a sweet tooth. So, in some ways, I eat dinner so I can have dessert. Last year I discovered a recipe I had not heard of before - S’mores Pumpkin Pie. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! 

For the pie base: 

• I used the pumpkin pie and chocolate base from Love and Olive Oil’s S’more Pumpkin Pie recipe. 
• Their topping requires making your own marshmallow topping and that fits in the category of “more complicated than I wanted,” since I was already making the main part of the pie from scratch. 

For the marshmallow topping:

• After the pie had cooled, I topped the pie with a generous layer of mini marshmallows and then placed dark chocolate chips randomly on top of the marshmallows. 
• Broiled the pie on high until the marshmallows were a nice toasted color. 
• Allow the pie to cool some before cutting. 

My family and I regularly get together with our neighbors and we always eat well! Meats commonly found on the menu are skirt steak, brisket, or pulled pork. Gourmet salads, grilled vegetables, and other fancy sides typically accompany the main dish. Oh! And homemade pies! One neighbor is called the Pie Guy for his incredible sweet treats. We are very fortunate to have such awesome neighbors to hang out with.

A few weeks ago, we had another fabulous neighborhood gathering and I wanted to bring a new salad. I had extra green beans, fingerling potatoes, and fresh dill I needed to use. Together those sounded like they could make a tasty side dish.

Googling recipes with those ingredients, I couldn’t find one I liked so I ventured to make my own adding other ingredients I had available - tomatoes and radishes.

The neighbors loved the creation and most got second helpings. Thankfully there was some for me to take home and have the next day for Sunday lunch.

Do you have a salad with green beans and potatoes you love? I’d like to hear about it. Share your recipe with me in the comments.

To a successful, busy, AND healthy lifestyle,

Jen

Dilly Green Bean and Roasted Potato Salad

Serves: 8

Total time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 4 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
• ½ pound fingerling or small red potatoes
• 1 ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2-3 radishes, halved and sliced
• 1 small shallot, diced
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the dressing:

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
• 1 tsp of lemon zest
• 1 ½ tsp of lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. 
2. Slice potatoes about ¼ inch thick and lay out on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browning and tender. Set aside to cool.
3. While the potatoes are roasting, blanch the green beans by first bringing a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add the green beans and cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl over half way with ice, then fill with water to rapidly cool the green beans in after cooking. Drain the green beans in a colander and then add to the bowl of ice water. Let sit until cool, then drain again. 
4. In a large bowl combine green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, radishes, and shallot. 
5. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat.
6. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.

This recipe was created for last year’s Thanksgiving. It combines two vegetables I love roasted with the flavor of candied pecans. Delicious sweet and savory for this side dish. It is simple and easy to make. 

Share below your favorite roasted vegetables or Thanksgiving sides.

Cheers!

Jen

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts with Pecans

Serves: 4-6  

Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, cubed

• 2 cups of Brussels sprouts, halved
• Avocado or olive oil 
• Salt 
• 1 ½ tbsp of butter
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup of pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up. 
2. Place sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts on baking sheet and drizzle with avocado or olive oil.
3. Spread vegetables out evenly. 
4. Roast for about 15 minutes, then toss. 
5. Roasted for another 15 minutes. 
6. In a small saucepan, combine butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and pecans. Warm over medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
7. Pour pecan mixture over sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts and roast for an additional 5-10 minutes.