Weekly Meal Plan December 17, 20235 (1)
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to everyone! We hope you’re all super excited for the holidays and are ready to wind down, relax, and enjoy some yummy food! If that’s the case then we’ve got you covered, as our Weekly meal Plan for December 17 is all about the Christmas feast. This meal plan is all about the kind of Christmas feast that we would love to eat; comforting, warming, and most importantly of all, delicious food!
The centerpiece of the feast is our Epic Cook Up of the week. A beautiful Beef and Guinness Pie. The classic English savory pie packed full of deliciously rich gravy and melt in the mouth slow cooked beef. This recipe is ‘generous’ to say the least in terms of proportions, the perfect main event for a big feast with family and friends. We know you’ll love it as much as we do!
For a healthy salad to pair well with this delicious pie, look no further than our super tasty Tomato Strawberry Burrata Salad. This is a great, fresh take on using fruit in salads and the pairing of Tomato and Strawberry is a wonderful combination. What more, there’s a huge piece of amazing Burrata Cheese placed on top. Cut into it and let that delicious cheese ooze all over the salad and you’ve got a show stopping salad
Lots of Appetizers and Sides makes for a Great Feast!
It goes without saying that lots of apps and side dishes make for a great party. Having ample food for your guests to graze on while having a drink and chatting away is just a joy. So, here are some of our favorite Appetizers and Sides perfect for Christmas
We kick it off with our fun Homemade Garlic Knots. Beautifully baked bread filled with Butter and Garlic! Nothing could be simpler, yet so tasty as these amazing bites of deliciousness. Of course, the classic pairing is not complete unless you’re serving them alongside some beautiful Red Sauce. Our homemade Red Sauce (or Marinara Sauce) requires very little work, even less ingredients yet tastes phenomenal
To ramp up the flavor you can add some Red Wine to the sauce. We imagine the supply of Red Wine should be plentiful in the house at this time of year too!
A Couple of Classics
What Christmas party wouldn’t be complete without a couple of classics? Gingerbread Cookies are on the menu this week and they taste amazing. They are not only super easy to make, taking just 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook, but they’re fun to get the kids involved. Cut out all kinds of fun shapes, and have your kids decorate their own cookies! A great activity for the holiday leading up to the big feast
Finally, another Classic Dish to add to the feast are our delicious Candied Walnuts. Delicious, Caramel Walnuts that are so addictive you can’t just stop at eating one. In fact, we highly recommend making a double, or triple batch as these will go fast!
We hope you all enjoy the holiday season and eat well!
Happy Cooking!
| Epic Cook Up | Beef and Guinness Pie |
| Healthy Dish | Tomato Strawberry Burrata Salad |
| Fun and Interesting Dish | Homemade Garlic Knots |
| Classic Dish | Homemade Red Sauce |
| Classic Dish | Easy Gingerbread Cookies |
| Fun and Interesting Dish | Candied Walnuts |
Epic Cook Up – Beef and Guinness Pie
This traditional savory pie from England is an absolute treat and will feed the whole crew. Deliciously rich gravy with melt in the mouth slow cooked beef finished with puff pastry. A true showstopper
Healthy Dish – Tomato Strawberry Burrata Salad
A fun take on a salad with fruit that surprisingly pair very well together. The Strawberry and Tomatoes work so well with the slightly sweet vinaigrette. Topping it off – a huge piece of Burrata Cheese no less!
Fun and Interesting Dish – Homemade Garlic Knots
In honor of a famous establishment we love to eat at in Venice, CA, we’ve made these simply stunning Homemade Garlic Knots. Doused in melted Butter and Garlic, each bite is just magic, and you can’t stop at one
Classic Dish – Homemade Red Sauce
What would Garlic Knots be without a delicious side of beautiful Red Sauce / Marinara Sauce. This recipe requires just 5 ingredients so it’s super simple to make. The key is patience. Slow cook this sauce for maximum flavor
Classic Dish – Easy Gingerbread Cookies
A true Christmas time classic, everyone’s favorite – Gingerbread Cookies are on the menu. This one is easy to make, and you can get the kids involved in making their very own shapes and decorations!
Fun and Interesting Dish – Candied Walnuts
As addictive as a bowl of M&Ms or Chips and Salsa. Put these down on the table and watch them disappear one by one. Crunchy, sweet, and absolutely delicious!
Weekly Meal Plan December 17 2023
Full list of Ingredients
- 4 lbs. Beef Chuck or Beef Cheeks
- 2 sheets of Puff Pastry
- 1,200g (2.6 lbs.) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 2 ¼ tsp. Yeast (standard package size)
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp. White Sugar
- 150g Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 ball of Burrata (approx. 8 oz.)
- 1 cup Cheddar Cheese
- 1 tsp. Honey
- 1.6L (3.5 lbs.) Canned Tomatoes
- 4 tbsp. Tomato Paste
- 2 cups (16 oz.) Walnuts
- 1 large Carrot
- 2 Celery Stick
- 2 Yellow Onions
- 2 Whole Garlic Bulbs
- 4 sprigs of Thyme
- 4 sprigs of Rosemary
- 2 large ripe Tomatoes
- 2 cups Strawberries
- 1 tbsp. Ground Ginger
- 1 tbsp. Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp. Ground All-Spice
- ½ tsp. Ground Cloves
- ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp. Dried Italian Herbs (Oregano can be used as a substitute)
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 200g Molasses
- 2 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 x 440 ml can of Guinness
- 1 cup Beef Stock
- 4 tsp. Vegetable / Canola Oil
- ½ cup Olive Oil
- 250g Unsalted Butter
- Salt and Pepper
- Optional: Cake Decorations
- Optional: 1 cup Red Wine
- Optional: 1 Parmesan Rind
Equipment needed: Stand Mixer with paddle and dough hook attachments
We hope you enjoy our Weekly Meal Plan December 17 – Christmas edition. Happy Holidays to everyone and enjoy some good eating!
