Christmas dinner - been done. Cocktail hour - done. Christmas morning brunch - also been done. But what about a Christmas Eve luncheon?
I got this idea because so many of our friends and family arrive into town on Christmas Eve and are looking for something to do. Granted, we host a big Christmas Eve dinner, where we open stockings, watch Christmas movies, and enjoy a bottle of Port before winding down and waiting for Santa.
But this year, we had a much smaller group for Christmas Eve, and contrary to my usual starving of the guests before dinner, I decided to host a Christmas Eve Lunch and invite friends and neighbors to join us for some holiday cheer mid-day. This meant serving a much lighter and simpler Christmas Eve dinner, but I think it made the entire day more enjoyable. After all, what's there really to do on Christmas Eve?
Because I'm in my fifth month of pregnancy, I'm afraid I do not have as much energy, nor zest for cooking, than I usually do. But that's ok...I'm pretty good at faking it. The entire lunch took a matter of minutes to prepare, especially because I pre-cut everything.
The inspiration for this menu came from one trip to Costco. Sometimes I find that wandering around Costco, Trader Joe's or World Market can inspire an entire meal. So, two days prior to the 24th, and at a complete lapse for ideas, I pushed my way down the aisles of Costco until I stumbled upon a Pomegranate Habenearo sauce and I thought, "How festive! What can I do with that?" And then I remembered seeing some Cranberry Chicken and Jalapeno Chicken Meatballs in the meat aisle, which coincidentally is the same brand as my favorite Weight Watcher-friendly chicken burgers.
The final component - the Turkey, Brie, and Strawberry Sandwiches - were inspired by what happened next. Starving, and with an hour to spare before my doctor's appoint, I headed to the local Village Bakery for a sandwich. For some reason, this brie and turkey sandwich stood out to me. It sounded fresh, yet festive, and OMG! It was the best sandwich ever. So I copied the recipe to best of my taste buds, made them open-faced, and broiled them in the oven for my own Newly Domestic twist!
Ok, so now that I've bored you with my culinary adventures during my Costco trip, I will cut to the chase...here are two great recipes for holiday hosting.
Turkey, Brie and Strawberry Salsa Sandies on Rosemary Bread
Ingredients:
Strawberry Salsa -
1 Bag Frozen Strawberries, thawed
1 - 2 TBSP Cilantro, chopped
3 Green Onions, chopped
Sandwich -
1 Loaf of Rosemary Bread (I used snack-sized slices fresh from the bakery at Fred Meyer)
1lb Deli Fresh Smoked Turkey, thinly sliced
1 Round of Brie, cut into thick slices
1 English Cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds
1 Red Onion, thinly sliced into slivers
Mayo
Salt
Pepper
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, mix together thawed strawberries, cilantro, and onions. Mix together until strawberries start to bleed juices, almost to a jam consistancy.
Grease a shallow cookie sheet with olive oil, and line rosemary bread. Spread a thick coat of mayo on the slices, followed by a 1/4" of strawberry salsa jam. Then top sandwhiches in this order: turkey, cucumber, onion, salt, pepper, brie.
Broil for a few minutes, until brie is just beginning to melt. Enjoy!
Kickin' Holiday Chicken Balls in Spicy Pomegranate Sauce
Ingredients:
1 Package AmyLu Kickin' Cranberry Chicken Meatballs (Costco)
1 Jar of Robert Rothschild Cherry Pomegranate Habanero Sauce (Costco)
Fresh Pomegranate Seeds
Red Onion, diced
1 Fuji Apple, diced
4 Green Onions, sliced
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low until meatballs are warm in center.
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| Turkey, Brie and Strawberry Salsa Sandies on Rosemary Bread |
 |
| Kickin' Holiday Chicken Balls in Spicy Pomegranate Sauce |
But this year, we had a much smaller group for Christmas Eve, and contrary to my usual starving of the guests before dinner, I decided to host a Christmas Eve Lunch and invite friends and neighbors to join us for some holiday cheer mid-day. This meant serving a much lighter and simpler Christmas Eve dinner, but I think it made the entire day more enjoyable. After all, what's there really to do on Christmas Eve?
Because I'm in my fifth month of pregnancy, I'm afraid I do not have as much energy, nor zest for cooking, than I usually do. But that's ok...I'm pretty good at faking it. The entire lunch took a matter of minutes to prepare, especially because I pre-cut everything.
The inspiration for this menu came from one trip to Costco. Sometimes I find that wandering around Costco, Trader Joe's or World Market can inspire an entire meal. So, two days prior to the 24th, and at a complete lapse for ideas, I pushed my way down the aisles of Costco until I stumbled upon a Pomegranate Habenearo sauce and I thought, "How festive! What can I do with that?" And then I remembered seeing some Cranberry Chicken and Jalapeno Chicken Meatballs in the meat aisle, which coincidentally is the same brand as my favorite Weight Watcher-friendly chicken burgers.
The final component - the Turkey, Brie, and Strawberry Sandwiches - were inspired by what happened next. Starving, and with an hour to spare before my doctor's appoint, I headed to the local Village Bakery for a sandwich. For some reason, this brie and turkey sandwich stood out to me. It sounded fresh, yet festive, and OMG! It was the best sandwich ever. So I copied the recipe to best of my taste buds, made them open-faced, and broiled them in the oven for my own Newly Domestic twist!Ok, so now that I've bored you with my culinary adventures during my Costco trip, I will cut to the chase...here are two great recipes for holiday hosting.
Turkey, Brie and Strawberry Salsa Sandies on Rosemary BreadIngredients:
Strawberry Salsa -
1 Bag Frozen Strawberries, thawed
1 - 2 TBSP Cilantro, chopped
3 Green Onions, chopped
Sandwich -
1 Loaf of Rosemary Bread (I used snack-sized slices fresh from the bakery at Fred Meyer)
1lb Deli Fresh Smoked Turkey, thinly sliced
1 Round of Brie, cut into thick slices1 English Cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds
1 Red Onion, thinly sliced into slivers
Mayo
Salt
Pepper
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, mix together thawed strawberries, cilantro, and onions. Mix together until strawberries start to bleed juices, almost to a jam consistancy.
Grease a shallow cookie sheet with olive oil, and line rosemary bread. Spread a thick coat of mayo on the slices, followed by a 1/4" of strawberry salsa jam. Then top sandwhiches in this order: turkey, cucumber, onion, salt, pepper, brie.
Broil for a few minutes, until brie is just beginning to melt. Enjoy!
Kickin' Holiday Chicken Balls in Spicy Pomegranate SauceIngredients:
1 Package AmyLu Kickin' Cranberry Chicken Meatballs (Costco)
1 Jar of Robert Rothschild Cherry Pomegranate Habanero Sauce (Costco)
Fresh Pomegranate Seeds
Red Onion, diced
1 Fuji Apple, diced
4 Green Onions, sliced
Instructions:Add all ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low until meatballs are warm in center.
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