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Gather All

The Simple Joy of Christmas Dinner

By Ruth Brister

Since turkey is the traditional bird of choice for Thanksgiving, try serving our Cranberry-Orange Glazed Ham for your Christmas dinner. You will find hams available in either boneless or bone-in. Boneless hams are easier to slice and have little or no waste, and will be the best buy even though the price is higher. Allow yourself at least an hour preparation time and up to four hours for the actual baking. Using a meat thermometer is always wise and usually the best way to know whether or not the meat has reached the right temperature.

Most likely there was an abundance of green bean casseroles and maybe a bowl of mashed potatoes or two at your last family get-together. So why not try something a little different? You can still serve a green vegetable -- only this time choose broccoli. For all of the spud lovers, try serving our stuffed sweet potatoes. Since your oven will be busy baking ham, try cooking these potatoes in the microwave. You will have to put them in the oven to achieve the end result -- but only for few minutes. Consider doing this after the ham has been removed and while you are warming the rolls or bread.

You can smother your cran-orange basted ham in this Spiced Cranberries recipe or just serve in its own natural juices. For the grand finale of your delightful dinner try one of these two rich desserts guaranteed to get a request for recipes. This would be the ultimate compliment for the cook who not only takes pride in a well-cooked meal, but one that also has been carefully planned.