Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - December 5 - Christmas Recipes

We have hosted Christmas Eve for my large extended family for many years. It started when my children were younger and it seemed easier to host than to try to get everything in the car and travel to my parent's farm. Now there are several family members that live out of state. So the last couple of years we have changed it from an every year event to an every other year event. Our last Christmas Eve was an ugly sweater theme. Even some of the grandkids participated and there were several prizes awarded.

The Grandkids

Christmas Eve tends to be pretty casual at our house when it comes to food. When there is a crowd at our house on Christmas Eve, we serve two types of stew. Oyster stew is the traditional stew served over the years.

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Holiday Oyster Stew

The original recipe is from the 1974 version of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and has been slightly altered over the years. It is served every Christmas Eve to those who enjoy the “bugs” as we call the oysters. “How many bugs do you want in your stew?”

3 pints shucked fresh oysters, undrained
½ cup butter
¾ gallon of milk
1 or 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
dash of Tobasco sauce
10-16 saltine crackers crushed
½ teaspoon salt

Simmer oysters in 3-quart pan until edges start to curl, stirring gently. Meanwhile, slowly heat milk in 6-quart dutch oven. Add butter, Worcestershire, Tobasco and salt to milk mixture. When edges of oysters have curled, drain most of liquid and add to milk mixture. Stir in crushed saltines. Better made a day ahead or earlier in the day of serving.1

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We added this Broccoli Cheese Holiday Stew for those family members who are afraid of oysters. It requires minimum effort and is basically just opening cans and heating frozen vegetables. But it has a good flavor and goes well with a plate of cheese, cold cuts and dinners rolls. Complete the buffet spread with fresh vegetables and fruit trays and some appetizers and everyone is happy.

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Broccoli Cheese Holiday Stew

This very easy stew is made every Christmas Eve in a large 22 quart roaster oven to serve the crowd at the Tenney house.

4 cans Campbells cheddar cheese soup
2 cans chicken broth

2 cans milk

3 2-lb bags of frozen broccoli
2 2-lb bags of frozen hash browns (OʼBrien style is good as it has peppers and onions
)
1 8-oz bag of frozen onions

Heat roaster oven to soup setting. Add soups, milk to roaster and stir to blend. Can add more milk and/or chicken broth if needed to thin. Pre-cook vegetables in microwave and add to roaster. Cook at low setting for a couple hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with oyster crackers.

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There is one thing that I like to do every year whether we are going to be serving a crowd or not. I like to make hot apple cider with cinnamon and cloves and start it about 30 minutes before the first guest is expected. It is such a wonderful aroma and almost everyone comments when they walk in the door, "It smells so good in here!"

The siblings and spouses

1Multiple editors, Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Meridith Corp., 1974, page 297.

"The Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories (ACM) allows you to share your family’s holiday history twenty-four different ways during December! Learn more at http://adventcalendar.geneabloggers.com.”