Host a Trial Run Christmas Dinner

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Christmas dinner at your house?! What?! Don’t panic! Not yet anyways. Having a beautiful spread on your dinner table doesn’t have to be complicated, scary, intimidating, or any other terrifying word you can think of. I have the perfect idea to help calm your nerves this year and get you prepared in no time.

Host a Trial Run Christmas Dinner

Why not have a trial run dinner and invite your friends and neighbors that wouldn’t normally come on Christmas Day for a special gathering? You can start a new tradition this year. Plus I’m sure their full bellies will thank you afterwards too.

The perfect way to start your Christmas dinner without any stress is to think about a meat that is already fully cooked but just has to be heated. Then you aren’t standing over the oven all day constantly worrying if the ham will be ready. Hormel Cure 81 bone-in ham is the perfect solution. You can even get it in a Cherrywood flavor at Walmart too along with any other groceries for dinner you may need.

I heated mine according to the package directions and also made a glaze for the ham consisting of brown sugar mixture that came with the ham and soda poured over the top a few minutes before being finished.

You can tell someone else really wanted in on the action while I was cooking it. He is my little helper chef.

This ham really just consists of heating it up and then adding a little pizazz with the glaze making it look and taste much more complicated. Your guests will never know the difference. Why not get the same taste without all the extra work? Save that time and energy for wrapping presents. Plus it was absolutely delicious.

Now what’s a ham without some delicious side dishes? No worries. I’ve got you covered there too. I am going to share a recipe for a delicious sweet potato soufflé that you just can’t pass up. The brown sugar crumble on top pairs perfectly with the glaze on the ham too.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sized  mashed Sweet Potatoes
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/3 stick Butter
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Milk

Topping:

• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup Pecans, crushed
• 1/2 stick Butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a hand mixer, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, eggs, salt, and milk.

Spoon into a greased baking dish.

In a separate bowl combine the brown sugar, flour, pecans, and butter.

Sprinkle the sugar mixture on top of the sweet potato mixture.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes.

My family usually requests I make this for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. It’s so tasty that I could almost just skip dessert (keyword being almost).

Now just add some dinner rolls and deviled eggs along with the Hormel Cure 81 bone-in ham and you have a delicious dinner that is perfect for any Christmas gathering. Cooking and hosting for the holidays doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated.

Try your own trial run dinner this year with neighbors while being a blessing to them at the same time. It’s never a bad thing to share the love this time of year and always. Plus they can give you their opinion too before the big day!

If you decide to have your own trial run, please let me know how it goes. I would love to know. Plus let me know in the comments below what your go-to recipes are to make Christmas dinner easier for you.

Also if you have not already, please join me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. I would love to hear from you with any comments, suggestions, or ideas you may have.

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