Christmas Day Dinner

The menu:

Spiral Cut Honey Glazed Ham

Ranch Potatoes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Green Beans with sliced almonds

Waldorf Salad

Rolls

And for dessert:

Cranberry Pecan Pie (pictured), Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie --all available with either sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Coffee, Tea, or Milk

The special recipes:

Ranch Potatoes

2 lbs, russet potatoes, washed and unpeeled, sliced thin as you would for scalloped potatoes

1/2 cup butter, cut into slices

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups sour cream

1 pkg Ranch Dressing mix

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Layer the sliced potatoes and butter in a 2 qt covered casserole. Sprinkle each layer with a little salt and pepper, if desired. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Combine sour cream and the dressing mix. Spread evenly over hot potatoes, top with grated cheese. Return to oven, uncovered, until cheese melts. About 5 minutes. Do not overcook.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes - baked, peeled and mashed

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

6 Tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Wash, pierce with a knife and wrap potatoes with aluminum foil, bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool completely. (I do this the day before I'm going to make the casserole) With a potato masher, mash the potatoes. Stir in eggs, melted butter, sugar and spices. Mix well. Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Topping:

3/4 cup crushed corn flake cereal

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

6 Tablespoons melted butter

Place cereal in a ziploc bag, crush into crumbs. Into the bag add the pecans and brown sugar and shake to mix well. When casserole comes out of the oven, sprinkle this topping evenly onto the top and then drizzle the melted butter over all. Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes.

Cranberry Pecan Pie

1 – 9 inch Pie Crust
3 Eggs
1 Cup Corn Syrup
2/3 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Butter, melted
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Fresh Cranberries
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fit crust into a 9 inch pie dish. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla until blended. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Pour into crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees; bake 35 – 40 minutes longer or until filling is almost set. Cool completely on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight before slicing. Yield: 6 – 8 servings.