Unusual Holiday Dish Recipes

plainjane0415

What are yours?  5 of my friends from high school and I get together at Christmas time for a potluck dinner, I always bring pineapple casserole.  The first time I brought it everyone was SUPER skeptical to try it, but then once they tried it, they loved it, because well it's delicious!  What are your unusual holiday dishes?

climbingsingle

Meat trifle! 

I think the only thing that others might think is weird is ambrosia. We use tapioca pudding, lots of fruit and whipped cream. Yum. 

plainjane0415

ClimbingBrideNY said:

Meat trifle! 

I think the only thing that others might think is weird is ambrosia. We use tapioca pudding, lots of fruit and whipped cream. Yum. 

I've never had that.  Is it a salad type thing?

larrygaga

Russian Tea Cakes. Apparently nobody I know IRL even knows what these are, except my family. They are ever present at weddings and christmas.  I'm sure they aren't that weird.

Also, we don't have christmas dinner. Everyone brings appitzers and my mom will make a random soup voted upon at thanksgiving. Snacks all eve and day!!!

KeptInStitches

Lutefisk. I have my one taste every year with mashed potatoes in gratitude that I don't just have to eat lye-soaked fish.

Cookie Pusher

larrygaga said:

Russian Tea Cakes. Apparently nobody I know IRL even knows what these are, except my family. They are ever present at weddings and christmas.  I'm sure they aren't that weird.

Also, we don't have christmas dinner. Everyone brings appitzers and my mom will make a random soup voted upon at thanksgiving. Snacks all eve and day!!!

I used to make Russian Tea Cakes all the time! Not so much anymore because LAZY.

Umm.. the weirdest thing we ever have at holidays is celery with squeeze cheez (I don't partake, but DH's family is really into it).

climbingsingle

plainjane0415 said:

ClimbingBrideNY said:

Meat trifle! 

I think the only thing that others might think is weird is ambrosia. We use tapioca pudding, lots of fruit and whipped cream. Yum. 

I've never had that.  Is it a salad type thing?

We always had it as dessert. 

JCbride2015

I think most of the stuff we make at holidays would be considered pretty standard.  My dad usually cooks his turkey in a barrel smoker instead of in the oven, so that's a little unusual (and delicious).  My favorite appetizer to bring to somebody's house is baked brie, which most people around here seem to be really impressed by, but basically it's just cheese and crescent dough.  Yum.

mrscomposer

Our Boxing Day tradition is actually Chinese food - my grandma worked at a cafeteria in town, so by the time Christmas rolled around she was so sick and tired of turkey that she was going to strangle someone if she had to see another one.

So, homemade Chinese food.  SO GOOD.

WhatawagSBNy

I went to a small Christmas dinner party Sunday which the invitation said would have a green and red dinner. I thought, worse than St. Patrick's Day near Boston, where green chowder may be followed with green beer.

But it was GREAT. Lightly cooked steamed. Asparagus, and roasted sweet red pepper strips, that were wrapped in a thin spiced ham similar to prosciutto like a turnover crust is wrapped. Broiled for seconds on each side so the super thin meat was crisp all over but asparagus and peppers perfect and not overdone. With a drizzle of a mild sweet melted cheese on top when served.

I asked for her recipe and she said, family secret.
15 guests, 3 hosts, generous quantity of 3 wrapped bundles served each, and not a morsel left on any plate. Does anyone know this, like kind of cure on ham and likely kind of cheese? Similar but not Fontina. Anyone?

Inkdancer

Potato candy! When I tell people about it they say "ew" but when they eat it, they love it.

plainjane0415

Inkdancer said:

Potato candy! When I tell people about it they say "ew" but when they eat it, they love it.

What is potato candy??

Inkdancer

plainjane0415 said:

Inkdancer said:

Potato candy! When I tell people about it they say "ew" but when they eat it, they love it.

What is potato candy??

So, you cook a potato until it is mushy, and then mix it with powdered sugar to make a dough. Then you roll it out flat, spread peanut butter on it, roll it up, and cut it into pinwheels. It doesn't taste like potato, it's just peanut buttery sweet goodness.

WhatawagSBNy

Wow. All I could think was gnocchi or else potato. Pancakes. Potato Candy sounds yum.

plainjane0415

Inkdancer said:

plainjane0415 said:

Inkdancer said:

Potato candy! When I tell people about it they say "ew" but when they eat it, they love it.

What is potato candy??

So, you cook a potato until it is mushy, and then mix it with powdered sugar to make a dough. Then you roll it out flat, spread peanut butter on it, roll it up, and cut it into pinwheels. It doesn't taste like potato, it's just peanut buttery sweet goodness.

WOW.

KatWAG

KeptInStitches said:

Lutefisk. I have my one taste every year with mashed potatoes in gratitude that I don't just have to eat lye-soaked fish.

@keptinstitches You must be Norwegian like me! Lutefisk is nasty. My Grandparents used to LOVE it, when they cooked it their whole house would stink. Thinking about it makes in gag.

But I do have a fridge full of lefse right now!  

WhatawagSBNy

Disgusting stuff. Cultural heritage. I would suffer mightily if I lived where half my family comes from. Uncooked whale blubber, dear? YUK.

Jells2dot0

Cookie Pusher said:

larrygaga said:

Russian Tea Cakes. Apparently nobody I know IRL even knows what these are, except my family. They are ever present at weddings and christmas.  I'm sure they aren't that weird.

Also, we don't have christmas dinner. Everyone brings appitzers and my mom will make a random soup voted upon at thanksgiving. Snacks all eve and day!!!

I used to make Russian Tea Cakes all the time! Not so much anymore because LAZY.

Umm.. the weirdest thing we ever have at holidays is celery with squeeze cheez (I don't partake, but DH's family is really into it).

Russian Tea Cakes are a staple in my household! My mom makes them every year

plainjane0415

Jells2dot0 said:

Cookie Pusher said:

larrygaga said:

Russian Tea Cakes. Apparently nobody I know IRL even knows what these are, except my family. They are ever present at weddings and christmas.  I'm sure they aren't that weird.

Also, we don't have christmas dinner. Everyone brings appitzers and my mom will make a random soup voted upon at thanksgiving. Snacks all eve and day!!!

I used to make Russian Tea Cakes all the time! Not so much anymore because LAZY.

Umm.. the weirdest thing we ever have at holidays is celery with squeeze cheez (I don't partake, but DH's family is really into it).

Russian Tea Cakes are a staple in my household! My mom makes them every year

Are Russian Tea Cakes shortbread like cookies covered in powdered sugar?

Cookie Pusher

Jells2dot0 said:

Cookie Pusher said:

larrygaga said:

Russian Tea Cakes. Apparently nobody I know IRL even knows what these are, except my family. They are ever present at weddings and christmas.  I'm sure they aren't that weird.

Also, we don't have christmas dinner. Everyone brings appitzers and my mom will make a random soup voted upon at thanksgiving. Snacks all eve and day!!!

I used to make Russian Tea Cakes all the time! Not so much anymore because LAZY.

Umm.. the weirdest thing we ever have at holidays is celery with squeeze cheez (I don't partake, but DH's family is really into it).

Russian Tea Cakes are a staple in my household! My mom makes them every year

Your mom and I should get together. I hate baking a billion kinds of cookies by myself since none of my friends bake.

Jells2dot0

@plainjane0415- they are shaped like a ball, covered in powdered sugar, and have walnuts in them (at least my mom adds walnuts). I guess I'd classify it as a shortbread.

plainjane0415

Jells2dot0 said:

@plainjane0415- they are shaped like a ball, covered in powdered sugar, and have walnuts in them (at least my mom adds walnuts). I guess I'd classify it as a shortbread.

Yes!  I love these!  My granny used to make them, but she called them Savino Sandies. I have also heard them called Mexican Wedding Cookies.  They are delicious.

Inkdancer

plainjane0415 said:

Jells2dot0 said:

@plainjane0415- they are shaped like a ball, covered in powdered sugar, and have walnuts in them (at least my mom adds walnuts). I guess I'd classify it as a shortbread.

Yes!  I love these!  My granny used to make them, but she called them Savino Sandies. I have also heard them called Mexican Wedding Cookies.  They are delicious.

Last weekend at a party, my hubs brought a dessert. Someone walked in and said, "Oh, Mexican Wedding Cookies! I love these!" and shoved one into his mouth before I could speak. His face then went really red, because they were bourbon balls and they were quite strong.

wandajune6

plainjane0415 said:

Jells2dot0 said:

@plainjane0415- they are shaped like a ball, covered in powdered sugar, and have walnuts in them (at least my mom adds walnuts). I guess I'd classify it as a shortbread.

Yes!  I love these!  My granny used to make them, but she called them Savino Sandies. I have also heard them called Mexican Wedding Cookies.  They are delicious.

I always thought Mexican Wedding Cookies used pecans. The Mexican side of the family loves them but never knew the name for them. I make them for that side of the family at Christmas.

labro

KatWAG said:

KeptInStitches said:

Lutefisk. I have my one taste every year with mashed potatoes in gratitude that I don't just have to eat lye-soaked fish.

@keptinstitches You must be Norwegian like me! Lutefisk is nasty. My Grandparents used to LOVE it, when they cooked it their whole house would stink. Thinking about it makes in gag.

But I do have a fridge full of lefse right now!  

Ugh! My Norwegian grandmother loves lutefisk but thankfully she doesn't ask the rest of us to eat it! We do have lefse at Christmas though whenever she visits!! It's so wonderful!

We're German on my mom's side so we always have schnitzel at Christmas and cucumber salad and German potato salad or fried potatoes (depending on what we feel like) and spatzle (noodles!). None of that stuff is weird at least, but it fits into the whole cultural heritage thing. This year is the first year I won't be spending Christmas with my parents. We're going to H's family home instead. So I'm making our traditional dinner for them and I'm adding braised red cabbage to the menu with the schnitzel, cucumber salad, potatoes, mushroom sauce, and spatzle.

mrscomposer

Mmmmm, lefse.... the absolute best.  Any other Norwegians eat krumkake?

[Deleted User]

ohannabelle

Oh, pepperoni rolls! They are a you better have them or it isn't Christmas thing. Homemade bread shaped into little tiny perfect loaves, about the length of a thumb, and stuffed with good quality pepperoni. God invented these so there would be the perfect thing to go with wine. 

Also great as a side with homemade minestrone.

Moose will eat about twenty, if not stopped. 

My oldest boy's best friend calls and asks when pepperoni roll baking is scheduled, to coincide his holiday visit. Like Moose, he needs to be watched around them.

Nobody watches me, so I hide some. 

Don't even compare them to pigs in a blanket. A pig in a blanket is a very lowly distant cousin that lays in bed dreaming that they were a pepperoni roll. 

plainjane0415

ohannabelle said:

Oh, pepperoni rolls! They are a you better have them or it isn't Christmas thing. Homemade bread shaped into little tiny perfect loaves, about the length of a thumb, and stuffed with good quality pepperoni. God invented these so there would be the perfect thing to go with wine. 

Also great as a side with homemade minestrone.

Moose will eat about twenty, if not stopped. 

My oldest boy's best friend calls and asks when pepperoni roll baking is scheduled, to coincide his holiday visit. Like Moose, he needs to be watched around them.

Nobody watches me, so I hide some. 

Don't even compare them to pigs in a blanket. A pig in a blanket is a very lowly distant cousin that lays in bed dreaming that they were a pepperoni roll. 

@ohannabelle, I had these at a Christmas party last night. They are delicious!

Inkdancer

ohannabelle said:

Oh, pepperoni rolls! They are a you better have them or it isn't Christmas thing. Homemade bread shaped into little tiny perfect loaves, about the length of a thumb, and stuffed with good quality pepperoni. God invented these so there would be the perfect thing to go with wine. 

Also great as a side with homemade minestrone.

Moose will eat about twenty, if not stopped. 

My oldest boy's best friend calls and asks when pepperoni roll baking is scheduled, to coincide his holiday visit. Like Moose, he needs to be watched around them.

Nobody watches me, so I hide some. 

Don't even compare them to pigs in a blanket. A pig in a blanket is a very lowly distant cousin that lays in bed dreaming that they were a pepperoni roll. 

When I make pepperoni rolls, I make them the size of a small loaf of bread and add mozzarella.

ohannabelle

Inkdancer said:

ohannabelle said:

Oh, pepperoni rolls! They are a you better have them or it isn't Christmas thing. Homemade bread shaped into little tiny perfect loaves, about the length of a thumb, and stuffed with good quality pepperoni. God invented these so there would be the perfect thing to go with wine. 

Also great as a side with homemade minestrone.

Moose will eat about twenty, if not stopped. 

My oldest boy's best friend calls and asks when pepperoni roll baking is scheduled, to coincide his holiday visit. Like Moose, he needs to be watched around them.

Nobody watches me, so I hide some. 

Don't even compare them to pigs in a blanket. A pig in a blanket is a very lowly distant cousin that lays in bed dreaming that they were a pepperoni roll. 

When I make pepperoni rolls, I make them the size of a small loaf of bread and add mozzarella.

Mmmm. That sounds good, too.  More like a panzerotti. Oh, man, that sounds good right now.