I would serve roasted cornish hens or baked ham, double stuffed baked potatoes, baked sweet potatoes or wild rice, green bean bundles or roasted asparagus with hollandaise sauce, jello salad, rolls, dessert.
A fully cooked spiral baked ham is so easy. Most come with a honey/brown sugar type glaze. Just bake at 325 until heated through. For cornish hens you can roast them with rice stuffing or serve rice as a side dish.
For double stuffed baked potatoes, just bake potatoes until done, cut in half and scoop out potato, leaving 1/4 inch so potato will hold its shape. Mix potato with sour cream, butter, salt, cheese, chives, etc., and just a little milk until creamy. Spoon back into potato shells. Garnish with cheese, bacon bits, chopped green onions, etc. These can be made ahead up to 1 day, covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated until reheated in oven until heated through.
Nothing easier than baking sweet potatoes. Wash and dry them. Rub all over with a light coat of oil. Microwave 6-10 minutes, depending on size, until soft. I combine 1 stick of softened butter with about 1/2 cup brown sugar and a drop or two of vanilla flavoring for a topping.
Lemon Glaze for Cornish Hens
1 sick butter, melted
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Combine ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves. Baste several times during baking.
Orange-Glazed Cornish Hens
Country Woman Christmas
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 cups cooked rice
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup grated orange peel
4 Cornish game hens (about 20 ounces each)
GLAZE:
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
In a skillet, saute the onion, celery and almonds in butter. Add rice, sugar, salt, thyme and orange peel; mix well. Loosely stuff hens. Place, breast side up, on a rack in a shallow baking pan. In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients; spoon some over hens. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40 minutes. Cover and bake 40 minutes longer until juices run clear, brushing often with remaining glaze. Yield: 4 servings.
This is a favorite.
Wild Rice with Pecans
2 boxes Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice, Original Recipe with seasoning packets
4 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1 cup pecans, toasted, chopped
Combine rice, seasoning packets and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered 25 minutes or until water is absorbed. Add butter, onions and pecans. Stir until butter has melted.
These can be made and refrigerated a day before brushing and baking.
Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed
1 lb bacon
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
Dissolve bouillon in pot of water, add beans and bring to a boil. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp tender. Drain and set aside. Cook bacon just until fat is rendered but still limp. Drain on paper towels. Melt butter in small pan on low heat, add brown sugar and garlic powder, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Place 5 to 6 beans on a slice of bacon. Brush beans with butter mixture, then spiral wrap bacon around beans. Place bundles on baking sheet or broiler pan. Brush remaining butter mixture over bundles. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until bacon is done.
Roasted Asparagus
Trim asparagus. Lay on baking sheet and spritz or brush very lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with Kosher salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes, until crisp tender.
This can be made ahead and gently re-warmed so sauce does not separate. Or use a packaged mix.
Hollandaise Sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons boiling water
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
Melt the butter and keep it warm.
Heat the lemon juice until just warmed.
Heat about a half cup of water until it boils.
Place the egg yolks in the top of a double boiler and whisk until they begin to thicken. Now add 1 tablespoon of the boiling water. Continue to beat the sauce until it begins to thicken. Repeat with the remaining water, one tablespoon at a time, beating the mixture after each addition.
Now add the warmed lemon juice. Remove the double boiler from the heat. Beat the sauce briskly with a wire whisk. Continue to beat the mixture as you slowly pour in the melted butter. Add the salt and cayenne and beat the sauce until it is thick.
This is also a great sauce for asparagus.
Lemon Cream Sauce
1/2 stick butter
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
Combine butter and broth in sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until reduced to 3/4 cup. Add lemon juice, salt and cream. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened, 5-10 minutes.
These are favorites. Great sides for ham or chicken.
Cherry Coke Jello Salad
2 cans dark, seedless cherries
1 cup sugar
2 small boxes cherry Jello
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
12 oz. Coca-Cola
1 cup pecans, chopped
Combine cherries with juice and sugar in a sauce pan. Cook until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add jello, stirring until it dissolves. Add pineapple, Coca-Cola, and nuts. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Refrigerate until set.
Topping:
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread jello on when set. Sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate.
Pink Fluffy Stuff
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
1 can (15 oz) crushed pineapple, drained
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 tub (12 oz) Cool Whip, thawed
Combine pie filling, pineapple, sweetened condensed milk and pecans. Fold in the Cool Whip. Refrigerate until cold.