Christmas Lunch for 12 on a Budget...

[TnTWalter]

thinking ham and turkey sliders ? [hawaiin rolls, etc.]

mac n cheese

big salad

dessert ideas? app ideas?

What are you all doing?

 

[ForMyBoys]

We will have a spiral cut ham with homemade honey mustard sauce, cheesy potatoes or mashed potatoes, a jello mold, hawaiin rolls, green beans and homemade sugar cookies. I also make a slush punch. My SILs bring the wine, my mom brings the potatoes and my MIL does the jello mold and greenbeans. So we just do the rolls, ham and honey mustard, cookies and punch. It works out well to split it up a bit.

 

[kymom99]

For Christmas Eve I’m having pasta dishes. Pasta baked with meat sauce and cheese. Salad, bread, fruit. Done

 

[TwoMisfits]

thinking ham and turkey sliders ? [hawaiin rolls, etc.]

mac n cheese

big salad

dessert ideas? app ideas?

What are you all doing?

Rather than sliders, I'd just serve the ham or turkey as is. They are both uber-cheap as is, and probably cheaper than the condiments and rolls you'd need...and then you don't have everyone holding up the table trying to make their sandwich "perfect." And with the lack of rolls/condiments, I'd do one of the fruit salads here - you can dice the apple/pear early (a few hours) and keep it in a lemon juice/water bath til you need them...and the other fruits can be pre-prepped...these are gorgeous, inviting, and delicious (AND kid-friendly and naturally gluten-free, if needed) - pick the "dressing" your family likes better (with the ingredients you might already have) or the fruit components on the best sale (and you can leave out any one that's uber-pricey or unavailable)...PS, I'm partial to honey lime, but I love both those flavors...

https://juliasalbum.com/fruit-salad-with-honey-lime-poppy-seed-dressing/
https://juliasalbum.com/winter-fruit-salad-with-maple-lime-dressing/

For dessert, it's lunch, so I'd stick to cookies and truffles - finger food that's light and Christmasy...

PS - And if your group loves them, deviled eggs are a cheap, easy, and protein-packed (and naturally gluten-free) app idea. Serve them with some homemade spiced/candied nuts (which also happen to be much cheaper this time of year), and your guests will be pretty happy.

 

[sk8jdgca]

Are you making the sliders that are cooked in the oven? Those are just amazing... https://recipesforourdailybread.com/hot-ham-cheese-sliders/

We made this for thanksgiving. It was easy and very good.
https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipes/a54931/pumpkin-spice-poke-cake-recipe/
I didn’t use the nuts and you could make your own Carmel to make it cheaper.

 

[TnTWalter]

thanks all for the tips. yes pre-cooked sliders. they can choose ham or turkey. so good. love the side ideas. Thanks.

 

[Katy Belle]

A cake mix and tub of frosting is super cheap. Food coloring and/or sprinkles can make it look festive.

 

[dromio42]

Roasted potatoes? I just chopped a whole bag and tossed them in olive oil. They are inexpensive and usually popular. Also if you like roasted veggies and belong to BJs, they have a huge bag of organic carrots for like 3.50. Roast the whole bag and it would be enough for all.

 

[kirstenb1]

Roasted potatoes? I just chopped a whole bag and tossed them in olive oil. They are inexpensive and usually popular. Also if you like roasted veggies and belong to BJs, they have a huge bag of organic carrots for like 3.50. Roast the whole bag and it would be enough for all.

I do the same thing with red potatoes, then throw a bag of cooked whole green beans in with the potatoes just before putting it on the table. The green beans add a festive color, and since they're fairly bland, the flavor doesn't conflict with the potatoes.