Family Dinner Recipes You Should Try This Christmas

With Christmas just a day away, the hassle for the perfect combination of healthy yet tasty foods for the big day begins. With a lot of options to choose from and a lot of family to cater for, it can be a bit overwhelming deciding quality and wholesome dishes that will appeal to the taste of everyone. Nonetheless, with creativity and versatility at its peak these days, there are various recipes that steal the show every time. They create the perfect mix of fun, creative, healthy and tasty nourishment. Thus, ensuring the entire family has a string of wonderful and intimate dinners over the holidays. 

So, whether you are cooking for vegans, vegetarians, or pollotarians, these recipes have you shining. As they are the ultimate mix of everything an enjoyable Christmas dinner entails. 

In this regard, here are the recipes I think you should try if you want meals that rival what is under the tree this season:

 Lemon Cranberry Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:1 glass of water, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander, 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of paprika, table Salt, freshly ground black pepper, 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, chopped cucumbers, crumbled goat cheese, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves.

1. Pour quinoa into a mesh strainer and rinse with water three to four times to remove bitter taste. 

2. Put quinoa inside a small pot, add heat, and let it boil for a few minutes. When the pot comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6-10 minutes.

3. Once quinoa becomes tender and slightly firm, add lemon juice, ground coriander, ground cumin, paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, cranberries, cilantro, and quinoa.

4. Mix everything in a bowl until ready.

5. Serve lemon cranberry quinoa salad

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients: 8 potatoes (peeled and quartered), 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup butter, 2 cloves garlic (minced), salt, 1 pinch of ground white pepper, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds.

1. Heat a large pot of water. 

2. Add potatoes and boil until soft (20 to 25 minutes).

3. Once potatoes are soft, drain them and place in a large bowl. 

4. Add milk, butter, garlic, salt, and pepper to potatoes. 

5. Mash potatoes with a potato masher until potatoes reach the desired consistency.

6. Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve.

Creamed-Spinach-Stuffed Meatloaf 

Ingredients: Filling: 1 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 large red onion, 2 grams of chilled cream cheese, 1 teaspoons of Diamond Crystal, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 large egg, ⅔ cup of panko, frozen chopped spinach (thawed and dry), 4 grams of extra-sharp cheddar (coarsely grated), ⅓ cup of chopped pickled cherry).

Meatloaf and assembly: 1 large eggs, 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth, 1 cup of panko, ¼ of cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of Diamond Crystal, 2 pounds of ground beef, ½ cup of ketchup, parsley leaves with tender stems (for serving).

Filling

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet.

2. Cut 1 large red onion in ½ pieces and cook. Then, stir occasionally until softened and translucent. When ready, transfer to a medium bowl.

3. Add chilled cream cheese, Diamond Crystal, garlic powder to bowl and mix inside a mixture of egg and panko. 

4. Add frozen chopped spinach, cheddar, and chopped pickled cherry and mix again.

5. Set filling aside

Meatloaf and assembly  

1. Place a rack in middle of oven. 

2. Lightly whisk 2 large eggs in a large bowl, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

3. Stir in chicken broth, panko, soy sauce, and Diamond Crystal. Allow to settle at least 15 minutes.

4. Add ground beef (15–20% fat) to bowl with egg mixture and mix until fully incorporated. 

5. Lay a few large pieces of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface to create about a 15″ square. 

6. Transfer meat mixture to plastic wrap and pat into a ½”-thick 13×9″ rectangle. Then, scatter spinach filling over meat mixture and pat into an even layer, leaving a ½” border of meat mixture exposed on long sides.

7. Roll meat mixture into a log, enclosing filling, using plastic wrap to lift and shape log. Using plastic wrap again, squeeze ends of log closed to seal. 

8. Transfer log to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Carefully remove and discard plastic wrap.

9. Bake meatloaf for 30–40 minutes until golden brown. Brush meatloaf with ¼ cup ofketchup. Then, bake until ketchup feels tacky. Brush remaining ¼ cup of ketchup on top and bake until surface is tacky and thermometer inserted into the center registers 155°. Let meatloaf cool on b
10. Transfer meatloaf to a platter and top with parsley leaves.

11. Serve alongside drained pickled vegetables. 

Roasted Fennel With Delicata Squash & Apples

Ingredients: 1 shallot,1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar, 2 medium fennel bulbs,1 small delicata or acorn squash, halved, 2 crisp apples, 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 toasted, chopped hazelnuts, 1/3 cup of pomegranate seeds, 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley.

1. Preheat oven to 400º.

2.  Mix shallot, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let sit, while vegetables roast.

3. Toss fennel, squash, apple, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper unto a large rimmed baking sheet. Transfer some of the fennel mixture to another baking sheet so vegetablees are in an even layer.

4. Roast vegetables for 35-40 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and tender. 

5. Transfer vegetables to a platter. Top with pickled shallots, hazelnuts, pomegranate seeds, and parsley.

6. Serve with love. 

And these are a couple of recipes that will make you stand out during the holidays.  Feel free to add yours. Wishing you a Merry Christmas to you and yours