CHRISTMAS holidays are here, and we all know what that means. It’s all about good music, pretty decorations, classic Christmas food and lots of fun. There’s a lot that goes into planning a great Christmas celebration. From gifts to clothes and list of menus of main dishes, appetizers, desserts and cookies. As we all know, every family around the world has their own approved classic menu for Christmas every year. However, here’s a list of what other Christmas food the holiday season has to offer!
1. Gingerbread cookies
Gingerbread is a Christmas tradition in most of the families. The modern tradition of making gingerbread has even become a family event around the world. Celebrating without it would be just fine, but it doesn’t feel the same. The classic Christmas flavour features cinnamon, ginger, spices and molasses that give a rich taste to it. Bake a batch of festive gingerbreads biscuits to give as gifts or hang on the tree. Kids will love decorating the yummy cookies and ornate gingerbread houses.
2. Fruit cakes
Christmas isn’t Christmas without a few slices of fruit cake. A rich Christmas fruit cake contains fruits and nuts and laced with alcohol. It gives the cake a moist texture and allows it to be stored for long. An easy, festive and flavourful fruit cake to enjoy all holiday season. Some people genuinely enjoy the sticky, moist fruit cake but many don’t. However, they can’t seem to get rid of it, as it’s a Christmas tradition and almost expected at Christmas parties.
3. Roast carrots
This dish always features as a part of Christmas dinner. Even though it is the holiday season, it isn’t healthy to be eating sweet desserts all the time. Roast carrots go perfectly with the holiday mains, and balance your Christmas dinner. As the main dishes usually take up all the attention every year, you can try to make your side dishes stand out by cooking them differently, with garlic parmesan or maple syrup. Go creative this year so that they do not have look and taste boring compared to the richer dishes.
4. Eggnog
Eggnog is a traditional holiday drink made from eggs, cream, milk, alcohol and desired flavourings. However, alcohol is not a necessity for this drink and you can choose to exclude it from the recipe if you want to. This chilled beverage is traditionally served in gatherings during holidays. A holiday classic! Our Asian version of an eggnog is known as bubble tea, and comes with a variety of different flavours. This particular drink has gained popularity around the world and enjoyed by people of all ages.
5. Plum puddings
No Christmas is complete without Christmas pudding. December is the best time of the year to get involved in desserts. Plum puddings are boiled or steamed puddings that contain flour, dried fruits, spice, breadcrumbs, a hint of brandy and are straight up delicious. It is a perfect make-ahead dessert, as the flavours get better over time. Traditionally, coins are hidden inside the pudding and whomever finds it when the pudding is being cut, is said to have good fortune given to them.
6. Mashed potatoes
Creamed mashed potatoes deserves its rightful place on a Christmas Day menu. It never goes out of style. Along with a rich roast, mashed potatoes is the definition of comfort food. If you are going to be doing mashed potatoes, it has to be done right with the right recipe or it can get a little disappointing. That means lots of butter and full fat milk. These ultra-creamy mashed potatoes can be made ahead. That also means it saves you a lot of time.
7. Roasted potatoes
Yes, potatoes are on the list again. These sublime golden lumps of joy are everyone favourite and a must have dish on the table. It is not a Christmas dinner if there aren’t crispy, golden roasties on the table. They cover every base, from carbs, crunch and salt, to fat and delicious excess. Start with the right type of potatoes. Take your roast potatoes to the next phase with the right amount of spices and cook up the perfect Christmas roast potatoes to satisfy all your loved ones.
8. Pineapple glazed ham
Each traditional Christmas dinner menu features a main course and ham is one of them. Pineapple glazed ham’s sweet and salty taste will have everyone coming back for more. It requires a few simple ingredients and turns into a delicious glaze that pairs beautifully with ham. It is one of those old school traditions that has stayed around. It is a classic and has variety of flavour combinations to try on. Paired with the best holiday sides, the ham will look gorgeous on your dining table. Impress your guests, slice by slice.
9. Stuffing
It is undeniable that a dish full of stuffing is very important on a Christmas day. Not to mention, it is one of the easiest dishes to make. At its simplest, stuffing is a seasoned bread cube mixture of onion and herbs. Tear your own bread, chop some veggies, toss some fresh herbs in there. A roast dinner without stuffing doesn’t feel right. There are a variety of stuffing recipes out there, so you are able to choose your sweet and flavourful ones.
10. Turkey and gravy
What is Christmas without the traditional turkey? It’s always the big bird that attracts people’s attention. The star of every Christmas dinner that gets everyone in the holiday spirit, it’s moist and super flavorful. Your dinner spread will look and taste better. Making the best turkey gravy comes down to one thing – those tasty, caramelised and flavoursome brown bits at the bottom of the pan after roasting the fowl, along with some of the fat and pan juices. The combination of the classic turkey and turkey gravy gives a rich taste that people cannot resist.
