Christmas 
TopA Beginner's Guide To Hosting Christmas: Recipes And Tips
Plan Your Christmas Menu
For a level of organization worthy of Santa’s workshop, plan your menu down to the last detail several weeks in advance. By planning ahead, you can make a list of the ingredients you’ll need, from appetizers to desserts, and come up with an efficient cooking schedule.
The first thing you need to figure out is what type of meal you want to serve. Here are some inspirational ideas from your grocer:
- A traditional dinner. Why not kick off your hosting career by revisiting the classics? Go for sure-fire hits like tourtière with pork and veal, a roasted turkey, or a meatball stew, served alongside glazed carrots and garlic mashed potatoes. (Don’t forget the must-have condiment, cranberry sauce! You can freeze it well in advance, just like tourtière...)
- A fancy feast. Want to impress the crowd right out of the gate? Welcome your guests with a glass of kir, and set the tone with salmon tartare. Next, serve a duck breast à l’orange with ginger (ready in just 30 minutes!) on a celeriac purée. As a final touch, serve up an assortment of desserts with bold, luxurious flavour profiles: chocolate and lime, aged cheddar and fruit, raspberries and fleur de sel—you’ll impress even the most discerning of palates, guaranteed!
- A simple cocktail party. If you prefer something more informal, fill your table with appetizers and let your guests choose their own adventure. Oysters, salmon fritters with mango mayonnaise, apple-infused mini tourtières, lemon-ricotta tartlets with basil—put a modern twist on traditional dishes! Here’s a tip to make things easier: use certain ingredients in more than one recipe. Cranberries, for example, can be used in bite-sized meatballs and in a yule log.
- A spotlight on local producers. Bring local producers to your table by preparing a Quebec leg of lamb baked with two kinds of mustard, honey, and fine herbs, or a roasted chicken glazed with maple syrup. Serve a roasted beet salad and make a platter of Première Moisson cold cuts and breads the centrepiece of your table.
Prepare Your Christmas Dishes In Advance
Got your menu figured out? Now it’s time to prioritize and get started.
- Prepare anything that freezes well—like pies, meatballs, gravy, cookies, and yule logs—in advance.
- Spread out the rest of the cooking over several weekends, and combine recipes that share common ingredients. For instance, tapenade bites and pear puffs both use puff pastry and goat cheese. Cooking them on the same day will save you time and energy!
If you’re pressed for time, stock your freezer with store-bought treats that are reminiscent of home cooking, like our Irresistibles appetizers and a Première Moisson yule log.
Awaken Your Inner Sommelier
To help you pair your food and drinks like a pro, your Metro grocer provides wine pairings for each recipe. Take a look: you’ll see that herb-crusted beef tenderloin pairs well with the strong, complex flavours of full-bodied, aromatic red wines, and that an ice cider rack of pork pairs perfectly with smooth, fruity beers. Serving turkey? Go for red wines with supple tannins, or whites with toasted, mineral notes.
You can also count on sommelier Jessica Harnois for tips on how to serve the right wine in the right glass. For instance, you’ll learn that white wine with a greener hue pairs wonderfully well with oysters whereas wines that are more yellow or golden are a lovely complement to smoked salmon or pizza. Light red wines are recommended for a charcuterie platter or fondue and full-bodied wines enhance the flavours of duck magret or beef. Have you made your choice?
Have you made your choice? An impressive selection of beers and wines is available at Metro so you can get everything you need in one spot!
