Christmas Dinner Ideas

Is it your turn to host Christmas Dinner this year? Are you stumped for ideas on what to serve? Don't worry, you're not alone. Millions of people around the world are working on their Christmas Dinner menu right now. In this article I will give you a few ideas to help you on your way to making the best Christmas Dinner for your family and friends.

It is best not to over complicate this. Keep it simple and you will be able to enjoy your Christmas day. If you are a novice cook then you will want to plan a menu that is easy to execute. If you are a more experienced cook then you can get a little bit more creative with the menu. Planning is probably the most important part of the dinner preparation.

The first thing you need to do, is to work how many people are coming. This will let you work out how much food you need to buy. To lighten the load a bit you could always ask everyone to bring something to contribute to the dinner, you could even work out what you want each person to bring so that you don't double up on certain foods.

You can't go wrong with a traditional Christmas dinner. What is traditional? Well, it is turkey with all the trimmings followed by the traditional plum pudding for dessert. This sounds like a lot of work and in some parts of the world, such as Australia where it is summer, it's not really very practical. So what do you do then?

Well, one idea is to serve an informal buffet. This allows people to eat at leisure and it gives the cook more free time to spend with loved ones and less time chained the kitchen. A buffet also allows you to be more flexible with the type of food you serve. For instance, you can serve finger foods that are easy to eat while you are mingling with the family. In fact, the food choices for a buffet are practically limitless as you can choose from a host of different ethnicities, like Chinese, Italian and even American or Australian. You can even serve vegetarian if there are members of your family that don't eat meat.

These ideas are great if you have a large family, but what if you don't? What if there are only the two of you? Do you have to forgo a lovely Christmas dinner because all of the Christmas dinner menus cater for large gatherings? Of course you don't. I have some ideas here for you if there are only going to be two of you for Christmas dinner.

You have the opportunity here to turn the Christmas dinner into a romantic occasion. You can set the table formally and by adding candles you will give the meal a romantic glow. You and your partner can even dress formally if you want to, just to give the meal that added special touch.

If you are having a Christmas dinner for two it doesn't need to be a solemn occasion. It can be fun. You can prepare the menu in advance and as it won't be a big operation you will have more fun if you do it together, which will add to the romance. You can make it even more fun by reminiscing about past Christmases or of the time when you were dating.

Even if it is just the two of you, you can choose to have a traditional or non traditional meal, just do it on a much smaller scale. You may even choose to have someone else cook your meal. You will just need order it and then pick it up when it is time. This way you don't even have to cook it, just eat it.

These are all great ideas but what if you just don't want to cook this year. Like I said you have the option of ordering in but that may not appeal to you. Why not consider going out to a restaurant for your meal. Most restaurants offer Christmas dinner. If this is something that sounds good to you just be sure to make your reservation well in advance as these venues get booked out very fast.

Whatever you decide to do for your Christmas dinner this year just remember to have a good time and not get stressed out over it. Christmas is the time of year to enjoy spending time with loved ones so don't let the cooking of the dinner overshadow this.

If you want get some inspiration on what to serve for Christmas dinner this year then you need to check out these great Christmas dinner ideas [http://www.xmasideas.org/category/christmas-recipes].

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Fun Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas - Mexican Pizza and Mexican Tortilla Dinner

I love sharing quick and easy recipes with people who really need them. You know who you are; the rushed folks who want to eat at home but not spend forever cooking every day. Over the years I've published recipes that are family favorites and everyday comfort foods like soup and casseroles, slow cooker recipes, quick breads and holiday desserts.

My favorite recipes to share, however, are the fun recipes that kids love to help fix and of course eat. That's why I've found two great tasting Mexican-style recipes (since Mexican is my favorite cuisine) that will hopefully break-up the weekday monotony and make dinner fun. Hope you enjoy supper and spending some special time with your family.

Easy Mexican Cornbread Pizza

1 (8.5 ounce) package corn muffin mix
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package Taco Seasoning Mix
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Mix corn muffin ingredients as directed on package. Spread batter into greased 12-inch pizza pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Brown meat; drain. Add Seasoning Mix and 3/4 cup water; prepare as directed on package. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over baked crust. Top with meat mixture and remaining cheese. Bake 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite taco toppings such as shredded lettuce, chopped fresh tomatoes Thick 'N Chunky Salsa, Guacamole and Sour Cream. You may like to spread a layer of refried beans over the pizza crust before topping with the cheese and meat.

Easy Beef Tortilla Dinner

Onion flakes
2 lbs. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mild Rotel tomatoes
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp chili powder
1 dash garlic powder
4 oz. processed cheese, melted
¼ cup sour cream
4 flour tortillas
tortilla chips
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Brown beef and onion together. Mix all ingredients except for chips, tortillas and cheddar cheese together over medium heat until just bubbling. Spray 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Slice tortillas into 2 inch strips and layer bottom of dish Layer tortilla chips in dish with chicken mixture. Place a layer of tortilla strips on top. Cover with grated cheddar cheese. Bake in oven 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Feed your family well and spend less time cooking. Find out how at 'Quick and Easy Family Recipes' http://quickandeasyfamilyrecipes.com and 'Family Crock Pot Recipes' http://familycrockpotrecipes.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherry_Frewerd

5 Easy Dinner Ideas to Cook on Your Hiking Stove

So what do you cook on your hiking stove? Obviously you want lightweight foods that will last for as many days as you are hiking. There are many things you can do and here are a few ideas.

Couscous

Couscous is a good idea for your dinner on a hike as the ingredients all keep well, they are nutritious and filling. It doesn't use much gas as all you have to do is boil some water and then add the couscous and let it sit. We normally put some dried apricots, dried tomatoes, and sultanas in the couscous. Then we would add some spices - cumin, coriander, salt and pepper... Take these in small zip lock bags.

Rice Risotto

As per couscous rice risotto is easy, filling and tasty. If you want the easy version then you can get a packet from the supermarket with the rice and the flavorings and dried veggies. Otherwise, take your own rice, spices, salt and some freeze dried veggies.

Stir Fry

We normally take some pre cut veggies (carrots, capsicum, onion, zucchini) on our first day. Then our first dinner we have a stir fry and use the veggies, this means the extra weight is only for the first and second day and we don't have to worry about keeping fresh for longer than that. If you take them pre-cut this will reduce weight and rubbish. All you need for the stir fry is the veggies, oil, soy sauce, (sachet?), ginger, garlic (we take these anyway) and some spices that you already have with you. Cook these up with the veggies and serve over some rice.

Fried Rice

Fried rice can be made with freeze dried veggies or your own if you use them on the first or second day. Cook the rice, and then cook the veggies in some oil. Add some garlic and ginger and soy sauce. If you have taken some sweet chili add some of this too. Add the rice and fry for a minute or two.

Noodles

Noodles are another easy option for hiking food. Make sure you get noodles that are very compact otherwise it uses up valuable space. This is a good gas saver as all you have to do is boil the noodles and you can add the rest afterward. You can add flavorings that you brought - garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sun dried tomatoes. Or you can bring some sachets.

We always take a freeze dried meal or two with us as well as a back up but we prefer to cook most of our meals form scratch. These are basic ideas that can be played around with. You can add your own extras to make them tastier. But anything you eat on a hike always tastes way better than it will at home! For storage ideas for spices and sauces we find either the small plastic zip lock bags great or you can use empty film canisters. Both are small and easy to pack! Enjoy cooking on your hiking stove!

For more information on hiking food, portable hiking stoves and hiking supplies see [http://www.hikingsuppliescentral.com].

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L_Whiting