Gourmet Night Christmas Party Recipes

Honey Pecan Chicken with Balsamic Reduction

Chicken:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sliced lengthwise in half)

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup honey

¾ cup pecan chopped finely (but not too fine)

¾ cup Ritz cracker crumbs

¼ cup butter, melted

salt and pepper

Marinate chicken in soy sauce and honey for a few hours. Add Ritz crackers and pecans to food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and coat in crumb and nut mixture. Place coated chicken breasts on greased cookie sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked thru. Serve chicken drizzled with balsamic glaze. 

Balsamic Glaze:

½ cup balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Add all ingredients to sauce pan and bring to a small boil, reduce heat to low and cook until liquid reduces by half. It will be thicker but do not reduce too much or it will burn. 

Gouda Potatoes

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced evenly

2 cups (8 ounces) grated Gouda cheese

3 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

In a greased 9”x13” baking dish, layer half the potatoes, half the cheese and then the remaining potatoes. Melt butter in a skillet and sauté garlic until golden brown, then pour over potatoes. Combine cream, salt and pepper and pour evenly over potatoes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours or until potatoes are tender.


Crock Pot Tomato Soup
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

1.  Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
2.  Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
3.  About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.  Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don't be afraid to always season to taste at the end).
4.  Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.


Christmas Salad


I head read leaf lettuce
1 Head green leaf lettuce
1 avocado
1 pint raspberries
1 cup pomegranate seeds
1 large pear
1 cup candied pecans


Dressing:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp poppy seeds


Blend dressing in food processor until well mixed. Refridgerate until ready to use. Arrange salad ingredients on plate and drizzle with dressing. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

3 sticks of butter

8 oz cream cheese

3 cups sugar

dash of salt

1 tsp vanilla

6 eggs

3 cups sifted flour

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 tsp vanilla

bag of powdered sugar

Blend cake ingredients. Grease and flour bunt cake pan. Bake at 325 for 80 minutes. Frost when cake is completely cooled. Enjoy!