Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[jdmessner]

Each year our family puts on a Christmas appreciation dinner for friends and people that we work with. My two kids handle the appetizers, I do the entrees, and my wife does the decorations and desserts. Last year I got some good advice from several people on this forum and the dinner was a great success. I am banking on your help to get me through another year! The party is December 13.

Typically we serve buffet style and have 80 to 100 people attend. My hope is to serve food that is a bit different than the normal dinner party menu. Usually I do a beef, pork, and chicken dish. After trying MikeMcQ's twice smoked salmon, I will be adding that to the menu.

Here is where I'm at so far:
Beef: My plan is to wet age whole beef roast for 30 days. I'll pick it up this week. Looking at this week's ads, my best options seem to be a Whole Beef Top Sirloin ($2.99 lb.) or Whole NY Strip Loins ($2.75 lb.). After aging it, I'd like to thinly slice it and make individual serving sized roll-ups. This will eliminate the need to carve it during dinner, making serving that much easier. I hope to do some experimenting with fillings in the next day or two.

Pork: Hands down it is going to be DavidN's stuffed pork tenderloin. I made this a couple of weeks ago for my mom's birthday and really liked it. Looking at probably doing about 8 rolls. My guess is that by the eighth one I will finally figure out how to get a decent roll!!

Chicken: I have a good assortment of thighs, drumsticks, and breasts in the freezer; bone-in and boneless. Not really sure what to do with them. I'm thinking I could make some sort of casserole type of dish. 

Salmon:When the sandwiches are done it should work to slice the buns into 4-6 pieces depending on the size of the buns. Planning on smoking on 8-10 lbs of salmon.  

Haven't thought much about potatoes and a vegetable yet. I have been enjoying a lot of riced cauliflower this year, so I may include that somehow. 

Each year I try to to find things that will hold well and can be done ahead of time, so when it gets to crunch time all I need to do is pull things from the oven and serve. The salmon, chicken, and pork I will do on the pellet grill. Since I will probably sear the beef first, I don't know how much of an advantage it will be to cook it on the grill.

Questions: Best type of beef to buy? Any chicken, veggie or potato suggestions? Any other tips, advice, or insight?
Thanks in advance for your help.

[Kristin Meredith]

I do a very simple and easy potato dish which I think would hold well. 

Clean and wash yellow potatoes (or any thin skinned potato), cut into bite size chucks skin on, and cook (it usually only takes 10-15 minutes, just watch them).  When done, drain, add lots of butter and then sprinkle with herbs de provence.  Sorry, I don't have an amount for butter or herbs, I just add until it tastes and looks right to me -- that usually means lots of butter for me and a fair amount of herbs.  Stir and put in pan and hold until served.

The stirring should be gentle, but still will result in some flaking of potato into a bit of a mash which will hold the chucks together.  I will try to do some and post a pic.  Sounds like you already have a terrific menu!!!!  Lucky guests!

[jdmessner]

 

Clean and wash yellow potatoes (or any thin skinned potato), cut into bite size chucks skin on, and cook (it usually only takes 10-15 minutes, just watch them). 

That sounds good and it should hold quite well. When you say cook them, is that boiling, steaming, or baking? If baking would that be around 350*? Pictures would be great. Thanks for the heads up.

[yorkdude]

It all sounds good, now all we need is an address and time to arrive.............please.

[Kristin Meredith]

 

Clean and wash yellow potatoes (or any thin skinned potato), cut into bite size chucks skin on, and cook (it usually only takes 10-15 minutes, just watch them). 

That sounds good and it should hold quite well. When you say cook them, is that boiling, steaming, or baking? If baking would that be around 350*? Pictures would be great. Thanks for the heads up.

Sorry, should have said boil.  Then just hold in an oven, warm pit, warming drawer, etc.

[Bar-B-Lew]

It all sounds good, now all we need is an address and time to arrive.............please.

+1

[Bentley]

Dirty rice or Pilaf or corn pudding.  Only reason I suggest those is they can be cooked in large steam trays, cooked in the oven and are easy to serve. I also love them.

[cookingjnj]

Not sure how much cooking room you will have, but since you mentioned riced cauliflower, made me think of a simple roasted cauliflower.  Break the head up into individual florets, toss with a little EVOO, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  In at 425 for about 10 minutes, toss, top with a little shredded parm cheese back on at 425 for another 10 minutes or until nicely browned.  Comes out very nice, and we has re-heated pretty well too.

[jdmessner]

It all sounds good, now all we need is an address and time to arrive.............please.

+1

It is 6 p.m. on Friday December 13th. For any folks around SW Michigan at that time, send me a PM and I will be glad to send you more information. Just let me know if you want to wash or dry!!

[MysticRhythms]

You mentioned a casserole dish for the chicken, maybe a baked chicken, rice, and cream of mushroom soup?
I would think that it could be made to work in the pit if you wanted.

[jdmessner]

You mentioned a casserole dish for the chicken, maybe a baked chicken, rice, and cream of mushroom soup?
I would think that it could be made to work in the pit if you wanted.

That's a good idea and I have been looking at some recipes along those lines. The challenge comes from the assortment of chicken that I am working with; about half and half with the bone in and out. My thought is to smoke the chicken, then de-bone it, then dice it up, so I can make something out of it. That's where the casserole idea came from.

My current leaning is to make a variation of Spanikopita Chicken Meatballs. In addition to the spinach and chicken it calls for garlic, onions, parsley, lemon zest, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, fetta cheese and some eggs to bind it together. However, instead of making meatballs out of it, I am thinking of serving it on toast, the same way as the salmon. Just a thought. It will probably change a few more times before I'm done!

Thanks again for the ideas!!
 

[RWhyman]

For your chicken dish, how about a chicken jambalaya and for course throw in some andoullie or other spiced sausage.

[dk117]

you said your kids handle apps, and it sounds like timing and capacity could be an issue but I'm going to post anyway.   Bacon wrapped dates.   They have never once not completely disappeared at holiday parties.  Half a slice of thick cut bacon, wrapped around a date with a tooth pick.   Less than two hours on the pellet pit, renders out nicely, will hold for hours.

DK

[Kristin Meredith]

you said your kids handle apps, and it sounds like timing and capacity could be an issue but I'm going to post anyway.   Bacon wrapped dates.   They have never once not completely disappeared at holiday parties.  Half a slice of thick cut bacon, wrapped around a date with a tooth pick.   Less than two hours on the pellet pit, renders out nicely, will hold for hours.

DK

You cam also cut the date open and put a whole almond in it and prepare as stated above.

[Trooper]

Because of your previous PM invite, Bonnie and I are planning on coming.
I will firm that up with you shortly after Thanksgiving, so you will know for sure.

We will either wash or dry.