The house is decked out entirely in red and green, with stockings strung from the mantle, and the tree’s lights are sparkling. Good company and delicious cuisine are yet to come. Holiday get-togethers with family are unforgettable.
Holiday family gatherings call for scrumptious and hassle-free meals. There are many alternatives to pick from, and Carolina® Rice is here to make your holidays particularly special. From the traditional green bean casserole to roasted chicken with brown rice pilaf, we have it all! With the help of our holiday dinner suggestions, you can maximize your family time without sacrificing quality. Let’s look at some hosting advice before we start thinking about the meal for your gathering.
Hosting a Gathering Tips
- Prepare and Cook in Advance – Try to get as much done in advance as you can, if at all possible. The day of the gathering will be less stressful as a result, giving you more time to socialize.
- Use your Special China – What better time to break out the fancy china than during the holiday season? Abuela will be elated to see you are taking advantage of the gift she bought you.
- Get your House Ready – Your home will be in order if you consider what you might require, such as a new coat rack, sturdy rugs, or additional tables and chairs to make everyone feel at home.
- Assemble a Timeline – Everything will proceed without a hitch if you estimate the times of the events in your day and write them down.
- Ask for Help – Keep in mind that asking for assistance from other family members is acceptable.
Let’s move on to that menu now that you have an idea of how your day will go.
Get the Party Started with Delicious Appetizers
You want to start off your family gathering by wowing your visitors with wonderful and delectable appetizers. Carolina® Rice is fortunately available to assist with that. Start off with our Basmati Rice Crab Cakes. Dijon mustard, fresh parsley, green onions, and excellent crab meat are the ingredients in these delectable treats. Thanks to the egg and mayonnaise mixture that keeps them together, they rapidly take on a wonderful golden brown hue. When paired with a warm curry-mango sauce, these basmati rice and crab cakes will win over even the most discerning diner!
Simple Wild Stuffed Mushrooms are a crowd favorite every time. Our Carolina® Long Grain & Wild Rice Blend, finely chopped mushroom stems, salty Parmesan cheese, and scarlet pimientos are all generously included in this recipe. What more could you want from a filled vegetable than earthy flavors, nutty wild rice grains, savory red pepper, and salty melted Parmesan?
Turkey Holiday Recipe
Some people believe that Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without turkey as the main course! Are you curious as to why turkey is frequently consumed during the holidays? During his reign, King Henry VIII made the decision to substitute a turkey for the traditional goose for Christmas dinner. Following this, King Edward VII accepted the treat and popularized the Christmas turkey. Since then, numerous families have immediately adopted it as a tradition.
All of your guests will love our Roasted Turkey with Brown Rice Stuffing. A turkey that has been roasted to golden, juicy perfection, rich and creamy homemade pan gravy, and a fluffy and hearty stuffing made with brown rice instead of bread are all you need to impress any dinner guest with classic flavors. Sometimes the tried-and-true classics that everyone loves are all you need for a successful meal. #Playwithyourfood and use your imagination when deciding what ingredients you would like to use to stuff the turkey.
Alternative Main Courses
Green Bean Casserole, which gained popularity in the 1960s, has remained a staple of every holiday meal since then. With this tried-and-true recipe, Carolina® Rice encourages you to #playwithyourfood and give it an entirely different spin! You’ll adore it; we’re certain of it! With fluffy Carolina® Parboiled Rice for added texture and Mexican-style cheese for a lovely Mexican touch, our green bean casserole is a handcrafted rice meal.
Our parboiled rice is perfect for dishes like this since the grains are airy rather than sticky because it has already been partially cooked. If you’d rather try something different, use a less starchy variety of rice. To give the dish a fragrant undertone, jasmine rice may be used instead.
Any recipe with sweet corn is a perennial favorite for the holidays, and Carolina® Rice has the ideal one for you to try! Our Sweet Creamed Corn Risotto. This rich and creamy risotto mixes creamed corn with classic Italian flavors and is made with Carolina® Arborio Rice and shallots that have been expertly sautéed in butter and oil, simmered in stock, and topped with Parmesan.
Sweet Treat Classics
Delicious desserts are a must-have for every holiday celebration, and your guests will always have space for more.
Our Christmas Cake Rice Fritters with Brown Rice are a delicious treat and the ideal way to end any dinner. For years to come, you’ll have requests to make these delectable morsels for holiday feasts. They are made with flour, dried fruit, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, and Carolina® Brown Rice. They are then fried to a golden brown perfection and drizzled with a delightful homemade rum simple syrup.
Or try our Rompope Rice Pudding. This beautifully festive rice pudding is the perfect dessert for a holiday dinner or as a sweet treat whenever your sweet tooth calls. It is created with fluffy Carolina® White Rice, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, almonds, a little bit of rum, and of course, egg yolks.
Holiday Party Activity Ideas
Why not schedule a few activities to keep the fun going now that your guests are stuffed and the party is winding down?
- Play Holiday Games – Everyone loves charades!
- Set up a Gift Exchange – Making sure that everyone departs with a little something extra from the white elephant gift exchange will make your gathering a memorable one.
- Tree Decorating – Have your family help you make your tree the talk of the neighborhood!
For more recipe ideas, visit our page here.
