We are in the home stretch for holiday preparations (I need to start wrapping gifts!) and I thought it would be the perfect time to share some easy ideas for a simple Christmas dinner! On Christmas Eve my family usually spends the afternoon at a family friends house for an annual party. When we arrive back home there is a short window to prep dinner, so I’m always thinking of creative ways to make items ahead of time and use some shortcuts to speed up the time in the kitchen. My friends at The Honey Baked Ham Company shared some of their delicious products with me, and I used them to design a tasty Christmas menu.
The Honey Baked Bone in Ham is the star of the show! I actually have to admit that we didn’t typically have ham at our holidays when I was growing up, so I never had the taste for it until I started spending holidays with my husband’s family. It’s one of my husband’s favorite menu items for big celebrations like Christmas and Easter, and once I tried it I got the hype too. My mother-in-law also makes an amazing raisin sauce to pair with it and I am getting hungry just thinking about it! There isn’t much to do to prepare the Honey Baked Ham – they do all of the hard work for you by slow-smoking it for 24 hours. I like to go big on the presentation and garnish the ham with sliced oranges, fresh cranberries, and sage and bay leaves tucked underneath. The spiral slices and all of the seasonal garnishes make a showstopping centerpiece on the dinner table!
For the sides, I paired The Honey Baked Ham Company’s Tuscan-Style Broccoli with some warm dinner rolls and a big batch of my homemade macaroni and cheese. I love that you can prep the mac and cheese in advance and just pop it in the oven with your veggie dish, like the Tuscan-Style Broccoli, to warm up before dinner is served. While those are in the oven getting up to temperature you can set out a cheese plate for appetizers, add ice and drinks to the bar and make sure everything is set on the table for your guests. You might even have time to get desserts set for after dinner – I paired The Honey Baked Ham Company’s pecan pie with some of our favorite family Christmas cookies. After dinner, all you’ll need to do is clear the table and maybe make some homemade whipped cream – yum! — it’s the perfect holiday dinner! (PS: If you are thinking about ordering a Honey Baked Ham for the holidays, I have a $5 off coupon code to share with my readers here!)
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Please note: This post was created in partnership with The Honey Baked Ham Company. All opinions, images and content are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site.
