It’s hard to believe that 2017 has nearly come and gone and we’re into the holiday season. Like many of you, it’s our favorite time of year—but also our busiest. How to entertain and enjoy the festivities while still getting everything done? We have a solution, with a simple menu for a holiday open house that will enable you to spend time with family and friends without spending too much time at the grocery store or in the kitchen. We hope this menu inspires you to invite the people who mean the most over to your home for some low-key and special holiday cheer.
THE MENU:
• Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Red Onion Marmalade and Creole Aioli • Baked Brie with Cranberry Pepper Jelly and Toasted Pecans • Belgian Endive with Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing, Cherry Tomatoes and Bacon • White Chocolate Cake Balls with Silver and Gold Sugar
Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Red Onion Marmalade and Creole Aioli
An easy menu item for a holiday open house is a meat platter. It is great filler and can help feed a hungry crowd. We suggest preparing easy, budget-friendly cuts of meat, like pork tenderloin. It is tender and delicious, whether roasted, grilled or even smoked as the recipe suggests. We serve our meat platter with fun toppings. The red onion marmalade is a wonderful complement to just about any meat. The onions are cooked down to bring out their natural sweetness and then enhanced with a hint of orange juice and zest along with a little tangy red wine vinegar. We also love the Creole Aioli. It has the right amount of kick and pairs well with anything.
Servings: 10 to 12
For the Smoked Pork Tenderloin:
2 (2-pound) pork tenderloins
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
¼ cup olive oil
1. Trim the excess fat off the pork tenderloins, and remove the silver skin. Place the pork on a baking sheet.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients to create a dry rub.
3. Divide the rub evenly between both tenderloins and spread it over the entire pork. Place the pork in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
4. Set your smoker for 225 degrees. Remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Smoke the tenderloins for 2½ hours or until the internal temperature reaches 150 to 155 degrees.
5. Remove the tenderloins from the smoker and allow them to rest 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. These smoked tenderloins can be made a day ahead of time. Just wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to slice them.
6. To serve, place the sliced smoked pork on a serving platter along with the Red Onion
Marmalade and Creole Aioli. Serve along with crusty French bread, mild pickled cherry peppers and bread and butter pickles.
For the Red Onion Marmalade:
4 large red onions
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried Herbes de Provence
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1 cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1. Peel the red onions, cut them in half, and slice the halves into ¼-inch slices.
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat and add the sliced onions.
3. Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, Herbes de Provence and sugar and reduce heat to medium. Allow the onions to cook down, stirring occasionally until they are very tender.
4. Pour in the orange juice, orange zest and vinegar, and stir well. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for another 35 to 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
5. The marmalade is ready when the onions are totally cooked down and brown in color. Remove from the heat and allow them to cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
For Creole Aioli:
2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons horseradish
2 tablespoons Creole mustard
1 clove minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch red pepper
1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients. Cover and chill for several hours.
2. Serve as a spread with the smoked pork and red onion marmalade.
3. Store the leftover Creole Aioli in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Baked Brie with Cranberry Pepper Jelly and Toasted Pecans
We love to make baked Brie wrapped in pastry dough. It is one of our go-to appetizers and always a crowd pleaser. However, we decided as much as we enjoy that, it is a whole lot easier to serve the Brie with a savory topping and good crusty bread. This is an easy appetizer to throw together in a matter of minutes, and your guests will never miss the pastry dough or the extra carbs.
Servings: 10-12
2 (¼-pound) wedges of Brie
1 cup prepared cranberry relish (canned or jarred work fine)
1 cup Tabasco Red Pepper Jelly
1 cup toasted pecan pieces
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2.Lightly grease an ovenproof dish or pie plate with a little butter or cooking spray.
3. Trim the rind off both Brie wedges. Combine the cranberry relish and pepper jelly, and stir.
4. Place one of the pieces of Brie in the prepared dish and spoon half the cranberry mixture over it. Set the second wedge on top of the first and top it with the remaining cranberry mixture.
5. Place the Brie into the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or just until it begins to bubble around the edges.
6. Remove from the oven and top with the toasted pecans. Serve immediately with water crackers or toasted pieces of crusty bread.
Belgian Endive with Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing, Cherry Tomatoes and Bacon
This little pick-up hors d’oeuvre is a favorite because it doubles as a crudité or even as a bite-size salad. It’s simple to prepare and reminiscent of the popular blue cheese wedge salad, but the extra bite from the endive makes it a little more sophisticated and savory.
Servings: 10-12
2 heads Belgian endive
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese 1⁄3 cup buttermilk
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 clove crushed garlic
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1. Trim the bottom off the Belgian endive and pull the leaves apart.
2. Rinse the leaves and dry them well, and place them in a single layer on a sheet tray. Cover the endive leaves and keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to top them. This can be done a day ahead of time.
3. In a small bowl, combine the crumbled blue cheese along with the buttermilk, mayonnaise, crushed garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Cover this dressing and chill until you are ready to top the endives. This may also be done a day ahead of time.
5. Before stuffing the Belgian endive leaves, cook the bacon until crisp and crumble it into bits.
6. To assemble, place a teaspoon of the chunky blue cheese dressing down the center of each endive leaf.
7. Place a couple of cherry tomato slices on top of each dressed leaf. Top with a little crumbled bacon.
8. Arrange the endive on a serving platter and serve.
White Chocolate Cake Balls with Silver and Gold Sugar
A holiday party is not a party without a little pick-up sweet. Of course, we love to make cookies and gingerbread, but one of our true favorite treats is cake balls. These sound like a labor of love, and though they do take a little time to assemble, cake balls can be made several weeks in advance and stored in the freezer. Plus, they can be made using a box cake mix. With a little doctoring up and an easy homemade icing, they are simply delicious and a festive treat. Recipe is by Tracey and Maggie Koch.
Servings: Yields 24 cake balls
1 box French vanilla cake mix
3 eggs
1¼ cup water 1⁄3 cup melted butter
½ cup melted white chocolate
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a little cooking spray. Pour the cake mix into a large mixing bowl.
2. Use an electric mixer to beat in the eggs, water and melted butter.
3. With the mixer running slowly add in the melted white chocolate and vanilla until everything is incorporated.
4. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake the cake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.
5. Allow the cake to cool completely. Crumble it into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
To form cake balls:
½ cup white chocolate chips
¼ cup whole milk
1 stick butter softened
2 cups Confectioner’s sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1. In a microwave-safe cup, heat the white chocolate chips and milk for 30 seconds. Stir and heat again for another 15 to 20 seconds. Stir again until smooth. Cool slightly.
2. In a mixing bowl, add the softened butter. Use an electric mixer to whip until fluffy.
3. With the mixer on low, add the Confectioner’s sugar and beat until creamy.
4. Keep beating and add the melted white chocolate mixture, salt and vanilla until all is incorporated.
5. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of this white chocolate frosting into the crumbled cake. (Note: There will be leftover frosting. Reserve the remainder for another use.)
6. Use your hands to mix everything together until it all just begins to come together.
7. Line a tray with parchment and roll the cake mixture into 24 balls. Place the cake balls into the freezer for an hour before dipping.
To dip cake balls:
2 (20-ounce) blocks of white almond bark
Silver and gold sugar
1. Place half the almond bark in a large, 4-cup microwave-safe measuring cup, and heat on high for 1 minute.
2. Stir the almond bark. Heat for another 1 to 1½ minutes and stir until smooth.
3. Line another baking sheet with parchment. Working in batches, use a metal skewer to dip each cake ball into the melted almond bark. Gently shake off any of the excess bark, and place the cake balls onto the lined baking sheet.
4. While the almond bark is still wet on the cake balls, sprinkle them with silver and gold sugar to decorate. Repeat the steps with the second half of the cake balls and the other half of the almond bark.
5. Once the cake balls are all dry, cover them and keep them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can also keep the dried cake balls in a single layer in plastic freezer bags for up to one month.
This article was originally published in the December 2017 issue of 225 Magazine.
