Whether you’re hosting Christmas dinner or attending a festive potluck dinner party, it’s hard to walk the line between tradition and innovation. Some people are happy with the same turkey, mashed potatoes and jell-o your family has been making all your life, which is to say, as long as time itself. However, some people like to branch out and try cooking and consuming new and exciting things. Although I look forward to eating my Granny’s pies and making jokes about jell-o all year long, I also like exploring new foods. Here is my list of dishes to try this Christmas that are exotic enough to be exciting, but inconspicuous enough to entice even the most stringent of tradition upholders.
- Jalapeño Poppers
- Look for red jalapeno peppers as well as green to spice things up
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Bring the squash from dessert to a soup course that is easy to make and serve in large quantities
- Cauliflower and Cheese Casserole
- Much better than the traditional British “Cauliflower Cheese”
- Glazed Carrots and Parsnips
- Even children will like these sweet and hot vegetables
- Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Cheese
- Brussels sprouts are in season and some people like them…
- Scalloped Potatoes
- More difficult to make, but easy to multiply
- Homemade Butter-Flake Rolls
- Tastier than cold, plain, store-bought rolls
- A Christmas Goose
- Strange to most Canadians, but common on other dinner tables
- Crown Roast of Lamb
- A fancier meat, and very pretty too
- Candied Bacon
- Everybody likes bacon, just ask a vegetarian
- Sugarplums
- A traditional Christmas treat we’ve all forgotten about
- Sweet Potato Pie
- The best “pumpkin” pie you’ll ever have
- Christmas Pudding
- A staple in my family, but most people will go their whole lives without trying it