Festive Holiday Menus

A Modern Christmas

by Susie Middleton All the classics—roast beef and trifle included—get a fresh, new look in this festive holiday dinner This menu for eight has all the classics you want for the ultimate Christmas dinner (including a juicy roast beef), updated with a stylish, modern flare. And never mind the 12 days of Christmas. We have an easy plan that gets you started three days ahead, so you have lots of time to do the cooking—and enjoy your eggnog, too. Download a pdf of this menu, including all recipes, shopping list, and timeline. the menu

• Champagne Cosmo
• Crab & Scallion Stuffed Shrimp
• Slow-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Double-Mushroom Ragoût
• Individual Savory Horseradish Bread Puddings
• Lemon-Thyme Spinach Ginger Cake
• Trifles with Caramelized Apples, Cranberries & Whipped Cream

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A Dressed Up Holiday Menu

by Nancy Oakes This menu is luxury on a plate, featuring a show-stopping beef roast with a creamy morel mushroom sauce and chocolate soufflés. This menu practically screams special occasion (and feeds a small crowd), starting with the salt-crusted standing rib roast. The crust blankets the roast while it cooks, sealing in all the juices and infusing the meat with flavor. The result is tender, perfectly medium-rare beef that’s seasoned all the way through. With a creamy sauce of dried morel mushrooms and Marsala wine, it’s luxury on a plate. The menu is completed with winter vegetables at their best: A silky puréed cauliflower soup; rainbow chard and fennel sparkling with fresh lemon segments and Parmigiano shavings; and buttery little Yukon Gold potato cakes. Easy recipes, sophisticated results. Want something a little more casual? Try the dressed-down version of this menu. Download a pdf of this menu, including all recipes, shopping list, and timeline. the menu

• THerb-and-Salt-Crusted Standing Rib Roast with Morel Sauce
• Cauliflower Soup with Marcona Almond and Piquillo Pepper Relish
• Crushed Potato and Watercress Cakes
• Rainbow Chard with Lemon, Fennel, and Parmigiano
• Chocolate Soufflés with Brown Sugar and Rum Whipped Cream

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A Sensational Make-Ahead Holiday Dinner

by Randall Price Wrap up a filet of beef and a savory mushroom filling like a gift to create the centerpiece of this do-ahead menu Those of us who love to cook and entertain are often torn when it comes to holiday parties: make a spectacular meal that will delight and satisfy your guests, or actually spend some quality time with those guests? This menu lets you have it both ways. It will surely garner you many compliments, and yet it won't cause last-minute stress. The soup and dessert can and should be made days ahead, while the main course is assembled in advance, and popped in the oven just as you and your guests sit down to the first course. Download a pdf of this menu, including all recipes, shopping list, and timeline. the menu

• Tomato Soup with Orange & Cumin
• Individual Beef Croustades with Boursin & Mushrooms
• Baby Spinach with Scallions
• Lemon Chocolate Mousse

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A Christmas Eve Italian Seafood Feast

A modern take on the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes The Feast of Seven Fishes is a Christmas Eve tradition in Southern Italy; what was once considered a meat-free fast has evolved into a lavish dinner of at least seven different kinds of seafood--often more. This menu is more doable for one cook than many traditional menus, but still plenty festive. It starts with two fried seafood hors d'oeuvres: salt-cod fritters and calamari rings. Next, it moves onto a mixed shellfish dish with crusty bread to mop up the delicious garlicky sauce. For the main course, red snapper in a spicy puttanesca sauce is paired with sautéed broccoli raab and a simple spaghetti with pecorino and garlic. A rich cannoli-inspired cheesecake, flecked with orange zest and chocolate chips, finishes the meal. This menu serves four but can easily be doubled. To serve eight, double all recipes except the fritters, calamari, and cheesecake. the menu Salt Cod and Crab Fritters Simple Fried Calamari Shellfish with Fennel, Escarole, and Kale Braised Red Snapper Puttanesca Spaghetti with Garlic, Hot Pepper and Pecorino Sautéed Broccoli Raab with Chile, Garlic and Lemon Cannoli Cheesecake More... Create your own Christmas dinner menu