It’s the holidays, and they’re coming FAST. I’ve already been Mariah-ed and Whammed, and it’s not event November 15.

One of the members of the Tanglewood Moms Facebook group asked for ideas for non-traditional Christmas dinners because she was tired of spending all day in the kitchen instead of with her family. Amen, sister!

Of course, Tanglewood Moms rallied around and came up with some great ideas, which we’ve gathered here. Quite honestly, if my family wouldn’t divorce me, I’d do any of these. So, get out of the kitchen and ENJOY your holidays!

• Tamales and sides
• Brisket (even better if you can get the man to do the work!)
• Enchiladas – made ahead
• Lasagna or other make-ahead pasta like baked ziti
• Baked potato, nacho, taco, or pasta bar
• Steaks
• Gumbo
• Sandwich board
• “Party” appetizers
• Pizza – points for make-your-own pizza bar
• Steak and ale pie
• Breakfast for dinner
• Chicken spaghetti
• Chicken and dumplings
• Waffle bar/pancake bar
• Soup
• Big roast and salad
• Pulled pork in the crockpot
• Seafood boil
• Soup and salad bar
• Go out for hibachi (several people suggested this!)
• Chicken pot pies
• Grazing table
• Chili
• Chicken and waffles
• Fondue
• Smoked salmon, bagels, and all the fixin’s with champagne in front of the fire once the baby was asleep (Editor’s note: This is what my then-husband and I did one year when our Christmas Eve flight was canceled. It was one of the best holidays I’ve ever spent!)

And of course, there is nothing to say that you can’t do any of these for Thanksgiving or any other big holiday gathering! Whatever you do, just make sure to remember that being together with friends and family is far more important that making the perfect meal!

The post As Determined by TWM: Non-Traditional Christmas Dinners first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Photo courtesy of Central Market

Christmas Meal Options Include:

• Holiday Feast Meal: Hickory-smoked and spiral-sliced bone-in ham with apricot ginger glaze, all-natural oven-roasted turkey, mixed greens with radicchio and butternut squash salad, traditional relish tray, savory cornbread dressing, whipped sweet potatoes, whipped potatoes, green beans with toasted almonds, oven-roasted vegetables, macaroni and cheese, turkey gravy, and cranberry sauce – $339.99 and serves 12 to 16 people.
• Hickory Smoked Ham Meal: Hickory-smoked and spiral-sliced bone-in ham with apricot ginger glaze, savory cornbread dressing, green beans with toasted almonds, whipped sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce – $139.99 and serves six to eight people.
• Braised Boneless Short Rib Meal: Braised boneless short rib with red wine sauce and cremini mushrooms, green beans with toasted almonds, herb-roasted delicata squash, whipped potatoes, and mixed greens with radicchio and butternut squash salad – $139.99 and serves four to six people.
• All-Natural Oven-Roasted Turkey Meal: All-natural oven-roasted turkey, savory cornbread dressing, green beans with toasted almonds, whipped potatoes, turkey gravy, and cranberry sauce – $149.99 and serves six to eight people.
• Herb-Encrusted Beef Tenderloin Meal: Herb-encrusted beef tenderloin with herb au jus, jalapeno pecan dressing, green beans with toasted almonds, and whipped potatoes – $259.99 and serves six to eight people.
• All-Natural Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast Meal:Oven-roasted turkey breast, savory cornbread dressing, green beans with toasted almonds, whipped potatoes, turkey gravy, and cranberry sauce – $119.99 and serves six to eight people.
• Vegetarian Spinach Artichoke Lasagna Meal:Vegetarian spinach artichoke lasagna, quinoa with sweet potatoes and apples, savory cornbread dressing, and cranberry sauce – $32.99 and serves two.

Photo courtesy of Central Market

All mains can be ordered à la carte along with Central Market’s side dishes and appetizers, including:

• Savory cornbread dressing
• Butternut squash and apple dressing
• Jalapeño pecan dressing
• Italian sausage bread stuffing
• Mixed greens with Radicchio and butternut squash salad
• Apple, walnut, and coastal cheddar salad
• Traditional relish tray
• Green beans with toasted almonds
• Green Bean casserole with porcini mushrooms and gruyere topping
• Oven-roasted vegetables
• Herb-roasted delicata squash
• Roasted Brussels sprouts
• macaroni and cheese
• Whipped sweet potatoes
• Whipped potatoes
• Cranberry sauce with orange and ginger
• Turkey gravy
• Herb au jus
• Apricot ginger glaze

Photo courtesy of Central Market

Holiday must-haves! Central Market’s fresh pies are baked in a flaky pie shell and come in nine flavors, including: four season, traditional apple, traditional cherry wild Maine blueberry, pumpkin chiffon, pumpkin cream cheese, traditional pecan, bourbon pecan, and maple walnut. Spread holiday cheer with chocolate bûche de noël and don’t forget pain au lait and brioche dinner rolls.

Photo courtesy of Central Market

All Fresh (from the meat market department):

• Mary’s All-Natural, Antibiotic-Free Whole Turkey
• Mary’s Certified Organic Whole Turkey
• Fire-Glazed Ham
• Natural Rack of Lamb
• Rack of Pork and Crown Roast
• Natural Angus Standing Rib Roast
• Natural Angus Whole Tenderloin Roast and Chateaubriand

‘Tis the season for tamales. Central Market offers a host of tamales options to complete any holiday meal, including: beef and pork, bean and cheddar cheese, chicken and tomatillo, bison and beef, chicken in red mole, and kale with fire-roasted tomatoes.

Holiday Online Pick-Up:

Holiday Online meals will be available for pick-up during the designated time slot through the Café entrance of the store. The following pick-up date options are available for Christmas meals: Thursday, Dec. 22; Friday, Dec. 23; Saturday, Dec. 24. A minimum of $50 is required for all Holiday Meal online orders. Orders must be received at least 48 hours before pick-up and are subject to availability. Early shopping is encouraged to ensure availability.

Expanded Store Hours:

Central Market will offer extended Christmas store hours: Thursday, Dec. 22 through Friday, Dec. 23, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 24, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed on Sunday, Dec. 25 (Christmas Day)

Photo courtesy of Central Market

The post Central Market’s “To All a Good Bite” first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

You’re right. It doesn’t scan well.

While I will never become the next holiday songwriting sensation, I, along with Central Market, can help with the holiday feasting! Central Market stands ready to help with everything holiday, from the food to the drinks, from the flowers to the Christmas cards. I’ve gathered some ideas that will make your holiday hosting a little easier, as well as merry and bright!

Christmas Eve Tamales

Tamales are a Texan tradition around Christmas, but most of us don’t have the time (or the skills) to make our own from scratch. Central Market has you covered! My husband and I love doing tamales on Christmas Eve; it’s easy to steam them while we’re frantically wrapping the last-minute gifts, and they’re delicious to boot! My favorites are the beef and pork, with the chicken tomatillo running a close second. And I love the sweet pumpkin and piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar) for dessert. There are vegetarian and vegan options available, too!

Greenberg Smoked Turkey with Mama Stamberg’s Cranberry Relish

My family has served a Greenberg smoked turkey for Christmas for as long as I can remember, and, as my daughters will tell you, I’m OLD. We used to order them directly from Greenberg’s in Tyler, but now it’s so easy to get them from Central Market. And I’ve discovered a cranberry relish that is amazingly delicious with the smoked turkey. Every year on NPR, Susan Stamberg tells about her mother-in-law’s cranberry relish, and I finally got up the courage to try it. It’s shockingly pink (think Pepto Bismol), it’s a little weird (horseradish?), but it’s utterly delicious. Sweet and tangy, full of cranberries and horseradish, it pairs perfectly with the richness of the smoked turkey. Best of all, you can make it a couple of weeks ahead because you have to freeze it! Here’s a link for this year’s story, and I’ve reprinted the recipe with some notes below.

Ingredients

2 cups whole, raw cranberries, washed

1 small onion, roughly chopped

¾ cup sour cream

½ cup sugar

2 tbs horseradish from a jar (Lee’s note: don’t use cream horseradish for this, please! I like hot horseradish, but the red horseradish is a little milder, and it adds more of a pink shade.)

Directions

Grind the raw berries and onion together. (Lee’s note: Susan uses an old-fashioned meat grinder, but I’ve found that if you pulse the cranberries and onion, you can get a nice, chunky mixture that works beautifully) Add everything else and mix. Put in a plastic container and freeze. Several hours before serving, move it from the freezer to the refrigerator compartment to thaw. (It should still have some icy slivers left.) The relish will be thick, creamy and shockingly pink. (OK, Pepto-Bismol pink.) Makes 1 1/2 pints.

Panettone Bread Pudding with Amaretto Hard Sauce

Several years ago, everyone gave me panettone for Christmas. And I do mean EVERYone. I ended up with 14 of the lovely Italian sweet breads. After some judicious re-gifting (which I will deny this if you ever bring it up again), I was left with three. So I made some bread pudding. The sweet bread with candied citrus and raisins makes a gorgeous bread pudding, and I’ve added an amaretto hard sauce to up the deliciousness!

Ingredients

For the Bread Pudding:

1 panettone, cut into cubes

6 large eggs plus 6 egg yolks

4 cups half and half

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup sliced almonds (optional)

1 tablespoon softened butter for greasing the baking dish

For the Hard Sauce:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Scant ½ cup powdered sugar

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° and butter a 9” x 12” baking dish. Spread the panettone cubes on a baking sheet and toast for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the panettone is lightly browned. Combine the eggs, egg yolks, half and half, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Place the toasted panettone in the baking dish and pour the custard over it. Set aside for about 10 minutes so that the panettone can soak up the custard. Sprinkle the almonds over the top, if you are using them.

Some cooks prefer to use a water bath to cook their bread puddings. I’m not quite as fussy. I find that if I tent the pudding with foil and bake it for about 30 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for about 30 minutes more, my pudding comes out beautifully. You do need to allow the pudding to set for at least 20 minutes before serving.

While the pudding is cooking (or up to a couple of days ahead of time), make the hard sauce. Using a hand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and salt. Slowly add in the amaretto liqueur. This can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, but you will need to bring it to room temperature before serving. The pudding and the sauce serves 6 to 8 people.

To make your holidays even easier, order from Central Market online! It is so very simple, and they really do have everything you could need to make a holiday feast both easy and delicious!

From all of us at Tanglewood Moms/Madeworthy, we hope that your holiday feasts are full of good food, laughter, and love!

The post Merry and Bright Holiday Meals With a Little Help From Central Market first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.