Upcoming Holiday Cooking

So it looks like we are doing two Christmases this year. One with my brother and sister's families and one for just me, the wife and step kids.  I'll be cooking 3 meals at a minimum this time. So much for getting out of cooking for Thanksgiving!

Christmas with my family will be the standard meal my mother would always make.  We will be having Chicken Fried Steak, Cream Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and/or Corn, Mrs. Bairds Brown-n-Serve rolls, Banana Pudding and probably a Red Velvet Cake.  I haven't decided on what I am going to put out for munching on before and after. Maybe I'll do a cheese plate, possibly shrimp cocktail or my dad's shrimp dip, queso & chips always goes over well.  With this crowd I have to keep it pretty simple.  No ceviche's or goat cheese or anything off the wall.  Just your basics.

Christmas Eve I have a little more wiggle room for the menu. I plan on doing my Pepper Crusted Beef Tenderloin along with an option of Salt Crusted Baked Potato and/or Cheese Enchilada with Red Sauce. Don't tell anyone but I'm gonna cut a corner and use the El Pato Red Sauce this time. I will dress it up a little but since no company is coming over I'll make it easy.  I like their red sauce for cheese enchiladas.  Great flavor.  No decision on veggies yet. I'd like to do brussel sprouts but the jury is out. What I'll probably end up doing is roasting some corn the day before then cutting it from the cob and make creamed corn with green chiles.  I'll make some Jalapeno-Garlic Bread to go along with the main course.  I'll definitely have the shrimp dip and some queso and chips. Its just the 4 of us so we don't need that many options.  Dessert will most likely be Red Velvet or Carrot Cake. I know I'll throw down some Rum Glazed Banana Bread at some point. Hard to pass that up.

Christmas Dinner is basically going to be Turkey and Dressing.   I'll smoke a turkey breast or two with mesquite, make some dressing (cornbread would be good), potatoes, green beans, rolls, sweet potatoes and some gravy.  I plan to bake a pumpkin pie and a bourbon pecan pie. Should I sub out the bourbon for rum? Hmm, maybe!