pork dinners?

Question

I'm having guest for Christmas dinner. Not a good cook, but thought a pork loin pre-seasoned from Costco might be good. Is that okay for Chrsitmas? What kind of side dishes go with it? I have a great recipies for salmon scalloped potatoes, does that go?
HELP

Answer 1

Just some ideas...

"Golden Scalloped Potatoes" - 8 servings

1/4 cup butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
3 cups milk
5 large Yukon gold potatoes; peeled and thinly sliced

In large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
Place potatoes in a greased 9" square baking dish; add sauce and stir gently to coat. Cover and bake at 325* - 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 30-40 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.


"Pork Loin with Potatoes" - 8 to 10 servings

1 bone-in pork loin roast (5 lbs.)
3 garlic cloves; sliced
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
6 medium potatoes; peeled
1/2 tsp. salt
ONION-MUSHROOM GRAVY:
1 cup water
1 cup beef broth
2 medium onions; sliced
1 1/4 cups chopped fresh mushrooms
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. pepper

Cut slits in top of roast; insert garlic slices. Combine oil, paprika, pepper and thyme; rub over roast. Place in a large resealable plastic bag; seal and refrigerate overnight.
Transfer roast to a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350* for 1 3/4 hours. Meanwhile, place potatoes and salt in saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until almost tender. Drain; cool slightly. Cut potatoes into quarters; arrange around roast.
Bake 45 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160* and potatoes are tender, basting potatoes with drippings occasionally. Remove potatoes; keep warm. Cover roast and let stand 15 minutes before carving.
For gravy, pour drippings and loosened browned bits into measuring cup. Skim fat, reserving 2 tbsp. drippings; add water and broth to reserved drippings and set aside. In large saucepan, saute onions and mushrooms in butter and oil until tender.
Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in broth mixture. Bring to boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in parsley and pepper. Serve with roast and potatoes.

Answer 2

Pork loins are good but for Christmas? I always felt that dinner should be rather elegant. (not necessarily formal)
My choice if I wanted pork would be a crown roast (I've seen them at Costco). The look so nice it seems like it mught be hard, but it's not.
My preference is standing rib roast (they will have them too) and you really can't mess that up.
I wouldn't mind scalloped potatoes but, I'd leave off the salmon.

Whatever you do. Good luck and Happy Holidays.

Answer 3

Those pork loins are so yummy! You can't go wrong. Dress it up a little with some garnish and let people think you worked hard! We do a veggie, a rice dish. Some nice warmed apple slices with cinnamon. You also could try some noodles. Some small red potaotes kept whole, thinly sliced season with sea salt and some cracked pepper & Rosemary. I am not a great cook either, but you can't go wrong once you start with an EASY main dish like those pork loins!

Answer 4

That sounds like a lovely Holiday company dish. I would omit the salmon in the potatoes. Here's one idea. I would serve this with roasted asparagus, salad, etc. Happy Holidays.

Crown Roast of Pork with Rice d'Orange
Serving Size : 6

1 crown roast of pork, 14-16 lbs.
Salt and red pepper
1 cup chopped onions
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup dry sherry
6 cups hot cooked rice (cooked in chicken broth)
2 Tbsp. grated orange peel
2 oranges, peeled and sectioned

Season inside and out of prepared crown roast with salt and pepper. Place ribs down in shallow pan. Roast at 325F, basting occasionally, for about 2.5 hours, or until meat at center registers 175F on meat thermometer.

Meanwhile, saute onions in butter until soft but not brown. Add salt, thyme, raisins, orange juice and sherry. Cover and cook over low heat about 5 minutes or until raisins are plump. Stir in rice and 1 Tbsp. orange peel, tossing lightly to blend well.

About 15 minutes before meat is done, remove from oven. Pour off pan juices and reserve to make gravy, if desired. Turn roast, rib ends up. Fill center with orange rice. Spoon remaining rice around roast. Cover with foil and return to oven until meat is fully cooked. Sprinkle with remaining orange peel and garnish with orange sections before serving.

Answer 5

You gave no background info. so, I would say a good Honey baked ham is more traditional. It is pre seasoned. Just heat. The fish salmon is diff. not a good idea. Scalloped potatoes with some onion, milk, dill or parsley, Parmeasean sprinkled on top. Very tasty. Good green veg. string beans, or brocolli, Maybe side dish of corn with lima beans, Nice cold fruit. desserts. Sort of an old fashioned dinner. I like it all . good luck. I was there long ago.

Answer 6

Slow-Roasted Pork Shoulder with Cranberry Pecan Relish:

* 3 hr., 25 mins.
* Serves 6

Ingredients

* 1 boneless pork shoulder (about 4 pounds)
* 4 garlic cloves
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
* 2 tbsps fennel seeds
* 4 tbsps kosher salt (1 tablespoon for every pound of meat)
* 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Cooking Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 325°F.

Toast the fennel seeds in a pan over medium heat until fragrant. Place the garlic, rosemary, sage, toasted fennel seeds, salt and pepper into a food processor and pulse. Add the olive oil as it blends to form a paste. Take the herb paste and rub all over the pork. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

After marinated, pre-heat oven and allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Place the pork, fat-side up, in a roasting pan loosely tented with aluminium foil and roast for 3 hours. Save pan juice in a gravy boat for later. Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing and serve with cranberry pecan relish on top of pork slices and drizzled pan juice (see recipe below).
Cranberry Pecan Relish

* 1 1/2 lbs fresh cranberries
* 2 tbsps light brown sugar
* 1 orange zested and juiced
* 1 cup crushed amaretto cookies
* 1/3 cup toasted pecan halves

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse several times until ingredients are incorporated. The texture of the relish should remain chunky. Allow to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature so flavors can blend.

Answer 7

Turkey diner rings the bell wen u say chrisms, But Pork diner.. is quite unusual but that's nt a bad idea either. Side dishes.i wld say ;stired bamboo shoots or hot plate tofu n red wine will go hand in hand with ur Pork dish.

Answer 8

Sounds great! Here are some side dishes that would also go with the pork loin and salmon potatoes

Dill Bread Rolls

1/2 c. warm water
2 pkg. yeast
4 tsp. brown sugar
2 c. large curd creamed cottage cheese
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 tsp. dried dillweed
2 eggs
1 T. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
5 c. flour
2 more eggs
2 T. milk

Combine 1/2 c. warm milk, yeast and sugar in a large bowl; whisk until blended. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Generously grease another bowl; set aside.

Mix cottage cheese, butter, dill, 2 eggs, salt and baking soda in the food processor until smooth. Add to yeast, blending well. Stir in 1 c. flour; mix thoroughly. Gradually add remaining flour, mixing until dough comes away
from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured board, and knead until smooth and elastic. Transfer to greased bowl, turning to coat all surfaces. Cover and let stand in warm area until doubled, about 1 1/2 hr.

Generously grease baking sheets. Punch dough down, then turn out onto lightly floured surface. If dough feels sticky, knead again with a little flour. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Working quickly (dough is very active), break off small walnut-sized pieces of dough from each portion and shape into balls. Arrange side by side on prepared baking sheet. Beat last 2 eggs with 2 T. milk; brush this lightly on top of rolls. Let rise 15-20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake 5 minutes, brush with more of the egg mixture. Repeat. Then continue baking, watching carefully and covering loosely with foil in rolls brown too quickly. Transfer to rack and let cool.

Variation: Form rolls in shape of two grape clusters, using some of the dough to form stems and leaves for decoration. Brush and bake as above.


Spinach with Blue Cheese & Pecans
Serves 6

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion (about 8 oz),halved and thinly sliced
1 & 1/4 lb baby spinach
2 Tbsp balsamic or sherry vinegar
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add spinach; cook, tossing, until spinach has started to wilt, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter.

Add vinegar to skillet, and heat just about 5 seconds and drizzle over spinach and onion. Sprinkle with pecans and blue cheese. Gently toss. Serve immediately.



Oven-Roasted Green Beans


2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 lb green beans, trimmed
Sea salt OR kosher salt to taste


Preheat oven to 450°.

Lightly grease a large sheet pan or shallow roasting pan with about 2 teaspoons oil. Arrange the green beans on the pan in a single, un-crowded layer. Drizzle with the remaining oil; roll the beans until they are evenly coated.

Roast for about 15 minutes, or until beans are well-browned in spots, shaking the pan occasionally for even cooking. Transfer the beans to a shallow serving bowl or platter; sprinkle with salt. Serve immediately.

Answer 9

Sounds wonderful. Try any veggie to round out your meal and maybe toss a salad if you want. Ask your guest to bring the desssert.

Answer 10

Sounds good to me, what time is dinner? LOL Try the traditional green bean casserole, maybe a big lettuce salad
Merry Christmas!!