My Go-To Holiday Menu & What I Cooked Last Week
How to perfectly roast prime rib, Thai basil chicken fried rice, crunchy Parmesan potato wedges, shrimp sushi bites, Mom's Creamed Spinach au Gratin
Hi everyone,
Hope you had a great week! Doug and I are really enjoying being back in LA, and I just decorated the house for Christmas, which always makes everything feel extra cozy.
With the holidays approaching, I thought I’d share my go-to menu for Christmas. Below, I’m walking you through a failproof method for cooking prime rib, along with sides and appetizers that pair perfectly with it. I’m also including a sneak peek recipe from my cookbook: the spinach salad I made last year to serve alongside the roast.
First, here’s a recipe for Thai fried rice my mom and I made when she was in town. It comes together with shallots, garlic, scallions, and fried eggs folded right into the rice. We followed her method of letting the rice cook in butter until you get lots of crispy bits, and it turned out so delicious.
Also, if you’d like to preorder a copy of my cookbook as a gift, you can print a gift voucher. Thank you so much for your support 🤍
What I Cooked Last Week! ↓
Thai Basil Chicken Fried Rice
This fried rice is inspired by Thai-basil chicken. It’s savory and aromatic, with a touch of sweetness and a bit of spice.
You can download the PDF recipe above and watch the video here :)
Crunchy Parmesan Potato Wedges
These potatoes are covered in crunchy bits from a mixture of olive oil, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs, while the insides stay pillowy and tender.
Mom's Creamed Spinach au Gratin
This is a special holiday side dish in my family. My mom always makes it with whole milk instead of heavy cream, so it’s creamy yet light.
Shrimp Sushi Bites
These bites are one of my favorite appetizers to make when I’m hosting for the holidays because I can prep them in advance. They come together so easily and quickly.
My Go-To Holiday Menu
In my family, we usually cook a beautiful prime rib for Christmas. It’s always felt like the most delicious and special kind of roast you can make at home. We like to get ours at Costco and look for the USDA prime bone-in rib roast. For sides, we’ll usually make cheesy scalloped potatoes or cheesy mashed potatoes, plus either creamed spinach or a spinach salad. (If you’re doing cheesy potatoes and creamed spinach, you can omit the cheese from the spinach for a simpler version.) Last year, I made the spinach salad from my cookbook (read on for the recipe!) and added some crispy pieces of bacon to make it extra special.
There are several ways to cook prime rib. About four years ago, when it was my first time being in charge of the roast, I spent hours researching different methods to figure out the best one.
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