While each family has their own recipes and traditions, the basic components of an English and American Christmas dinner are fairly similar. The photo to the left displays a typical plate of Christmas dinner fare in the UK. The turkey, potatoes (Americans do mashed more often then roasted, I’d say), cranberry sauce, stuffing and assorted veg are faithfully duplicated on tables in the US .
I’m going to skip the pigs in a blanket because while it appears to be part of the actual dinner in the UK, in the States it would be more of an amuse-bouche set out to ruin your appetite in advance of the actual meal.
What I’ve chosen to focus on here is a particular vegetable that I don’t think of when it comes to a Christmas feast – the dreaded Brussels sprout. We eat them in America of course, at least some people do, but my experience with them has not been positive. I vividly remember a dinner at my aunt’s house when I was a child: the unpleasant, sulfur-like odor as I entered the kitchen, the mushy texture and the strong cabbage flavor. I may have even spat out my first mouthful. Needless to say, I was not a fan. In my defense, however, my aunt probably didn’t prepare the sprouts thusly:
And if you don’t care for the taste of Brussels sprouts, you can always employ them as festive projectiles:
What makes your mouth water? Regardless of your land of origin, please share your menu for the classic Christmas dinner in the comments.
Nothing says the holidays for me without this food. While I could not find an image, here is the recipe for my mother’s (and probably her mother’s) Hawaiian Sweet Potato Balls – http://www.cooks.com/recipe/ik8g50dp/hawaiian-sweet-potato-balls.html . 🙂
They are yummy!
Sprouts, lovely. Although as a vegetarian I used to have some sort of nut loaf, but think we have Quorn roll this year. That is particularly lovely slicing the leftovers cold for sandwiches with the other leftovers in the days after Christmas.
I’ve always LOVED brussel sprouts!! I used to boil them but not I saute them with garlic.
Used to hate them, now I love them. And I’ve grown to like bread sauce. After years of refusing it on my plate for Christmas tea in the UK, I finally gave in and made some (from scratch — not out of one of the packets they sell over there). Now I love it!!!
My family has always eaten sprouts. But I prefer the way we in the US prepare stuffing. I find those individual pieces of stuffing much too dry.
After all the positive sprout comments, it looks as though I might have to give those tiny cabbages another try…
parsnips are essential
Good to know Ruby! That’s another vegetable I don’t have much experience with.
Aah! The dreaded brussels sprouts, universally hated by children (and a lot of adults!). But Marks & Spencers (the UK department store chain) have come to the rescue this year, with chocolate brussels sprouts to rival the bags of chocolate coins that often appear in childrens’ Christmas stockings. They’re little milk chocolate balls wrapped in silver paper that is printed to look like a brussels sprout. Just the thing!
My family and I love brussel sprouts. A few things to try making to compliment brussels is to make your own sweet chunky apple sauce it goes well with Christmas dinner and the brussels, Turkey or chicken or pork, and the bread sauce.Some ppl make crispy bacon bits and stir them in with the brussels, this is not something we do tho as we find that the brussels are quite rich in flavour and the bacon is jst too much added richness. But thats our personal taste and everyone must jst cook their christmas dinners in their own way and enjoy their Christmas dinner. U could try lightly frying up some chopped onions and fresh tomatoes, stir them in with your bowl of brussel sprouts. Also we have never made pigs in a blanket [pork sausage wrapped in bacon], its jst too much food and we don’t enjoy them with our Christmas dinner. Usually we have only a few brussels on our plates, 4 or 5 is enough. A few brussels cooked very well and mashed up in a stew gives this hearty dish a deeper richer flavour too. As they are an acquired taste there are many ppl who don’t like them at all.