Easy Recipes To Throw A Perfect Christmas Dinner

Are you a newlywed who wants to impress the family by throwing a perfect Christmas dinner? Stressed, aren’t you. Relax, preparing a perfect Christmas dinner doesn’t have to be nerve-racking. Use my handy tips to make sure you spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the family.

First of all, determine whether you want a sit-down dinner or a buffet style. From my personal experience, buffet is much easier; you can get dishes out quickly and keep them warm while guests fill their plates by themselves. The next step is deciding on what you plan to serve. If uncertain what dishes will best please your hubby’s family, go with Christmas classics. Here is one menu idea with few easy recipes you can use to wow your in-laws.

Main Dish: Roasted Beef with Caramelized Shallots

Ingredients:

3 kg boneless rib-eye roast (with fat)

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 kg shallots (peeled and halved if large)

2 teaspoons light-brown sugar

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard.

Instructions: Turn the oven to 250°C. Season the beef with salt and pepper, and place the mustard on top of the meat. Place it in a large roasting pan and roast until it becomes golden brown. Then reduce the temperature to 150°C and place shallots around the beef and roast for one more hour. Keep turning the shallots on each side after 30 minutes.

After 1 hour, transfer the beef to a platter (cover with foil to keep the meat warm) and put the shallots into a shallow bowl and toss with sugar and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Pour out the fat from the pan, add the wine and cook on medium heat. Add 2 cups water and cook the sauce until it becomes thick like a gravy. When everybody is on the table, chop the meat in small pieces, pour from the gravy and serve the shallots.

Side Dish: Mashed-Potato Gratin

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons of butter

1,5 kg potatoes (peeled and chopped)

salt

3 egg yolks

1 cup of milk

1 cup of coarsely grated Swiss cheese

Instructions: Turn the oven to 180°C. In a large pot, cover the potatoes with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and boil them. Once boiled, drain the potatoes. In another bowl, add butter and mash the potatoes with the egg yolks, milk and the cheese until you get a homogenous mixture. Cool slightly. Spread the mashed potatoes on a dish, top with the remaining cheese and bake until it becomes golden brown.

Dessert: 6-Layer Glazed Chocolate Cake

Ingredients for the cake:

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

coarse salt

5 eggs-plus 2 egg yolks

¾ cup of granulated sugar

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter (melted and cooled).

Ingredients for the filling:

2 eggs

2 cups of mascarpone cheese

1 cup of confectioners sugar

1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon orange zest

3 tablespoons of brandy

Glaze – 150 gr bittersweet chocolate, ¾ cup heavy cream.

Topping (optional) – 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Cake – Turn the oven to 200°C, and coat two jelly roll baking pans with cooking spray. In a stand mixer  bowl, mix the eggs, yolks and the sugar. Pour the flour over the egg mixture and mix again. Pour butter and mix until you get a soft mixture. Divide the mixture between the pans and bake until the cakes become golden.

Filling – In a large bowl, stir together egg yolks, mascarpone cheese, sugar, cocoa, orange zest and a pinch of salt. In another large bowl, with a stand mixer, mix egg whites with a pinch of salt.

Glaze – Place bittersweet chocolate (finely chopped) in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream on medium-high temperature. When the cream starts bubbling around the edges, pour the chocolate. Let it cool for 5 minutes, and then whisk until you get shiny and smooth glaze.

Place the cakes onto your work surface. With a serrated knife, cut both cakes crosswise into thirds. Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter, brush it with brandy first, then spread with 1 cup filling. Do the same with remaining layers (brandy first then the filling), ending with a layer of cake (brush with brandy only; do not top with the filling). Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes to cool, then pour the glaze over the cake; top with chopped walnuts; cover with plastic foil and refrigerate. It is best to make the cake one day in advance to allow it to settle and for the flavours to blend.