Recipe(tried): Our Family's Christmas Menu (and recipes)

Hi all, as you know, I am new to this board but I have a love for cooking, as well as the rest of my family members, as you will see in the menu and recipe's to follow. One year, I compiled a Family Cookbook with all of our favorites. A Treasure for all. Here is our favorite Christmas Menu.

Terri's Spinach Dip (my daughter-in-law)
Gan's Cheese Ball (Gan, is what my grandchildren call me)
Gan's Tamale Dip (For my young ones, ha older ones too)
Diane's Bacon Wrapped Shrimp (another daughter-in-law)

Gan's Beef Tenderloin
Gan's Pyramid Potatoes (My grandchildren's favorite)
Diane's Green Beans
Gan's Corn Casserole
Terri's Apple Cranberry Casserole
Gan's Strawberry Romaine Salad
Hot Rolls
Coffee, wine and Diane's Almond Tea
Terri's Chocolate Mousse
Diane's Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
Grandma's Fresh Coconut Cake
Mama Doile's Apple Pie (my 92 year old Mother's recipe)
assortment of homemade cookies and candies

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TERRI'S SPINACH DIP

1 cup onion chopped
2 tsp. oil
2 medium chopped tomatoes
3 tsp. chopped Jalapenos
1-10 oz. box frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
2 1/2 Cups Monterrey Jack Cheese
4 oz. cream cheese
1 cup light cream
1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Saute onion in oil until tender. Add 2/3 of tomatoes and all jalapenos. Cook 2 minutes, transfer to large bowl.
Stir in spinach, 2 cups cheese, cream cheese, vinegar, salt and pepper. Spoon into 1 1/2 baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and tomatoes. Garnish with sliced black olives. Serve with Pita Chips. A wonderful dip.

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GAN'S CHEESE BALL

Grate 1 long bar of Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar Cheese in Cuisinart, set aside to soften.
Soften 2 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese
Mix both cheese in Cuisinart until well blended but not liquefied, ha.
In a mixing bowl:
Drain 1 small jar chopped pimentos
Dice green pepper to measure 1 small jar of pimentos
1 TBS chopped onion
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all together. Add combined cheese and mix well.
Form into a ball and place pecan halves scattered over ball.
Wrap in ball until ready to serve. May freeze. Serve with fancy crackers. A wonderful cheese ball for gifts.

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TAMALE DIP

1 Jar (13 1/2 oz.) Tamales chopped
1 Can chili, without beans
1 (8-oz) box Velveeta Cheese, cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Melt Velveeta, add rest of ingredients and heat. Serve with your favorite chips. So easy and the men really love this dip.

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DIANE'S BACON WRAPPED SHRIMP

Devein shrimp and leave tails on
Wrap 1/2 piece bacon around each shrimp and secure with a toothpick.
Broil 4 minutes or until shrimp are golden.
Dip in Barbecue Sauce or Cocktail Sauce.

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GAN'S BEEF TENDERLOIN

1 cup ruby port wine
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 0r 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
several dashes hot pepper sauce
1 4-6 lb. beef tenderloin
16 to 20 sliced of bacon

For marinade, combine port wine, soy sauce, olive oil, pepper, garlic, bay leaf and hot pepper sauce. Place tenderloin in a plastic bag set into shallow dish. Pour marinade over tenderloin. Close Bag. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, turning 1 or 2 times to distribute marinate.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Drain tenderloin. Wrap bacon slices around tenderloin, securing with toothpicks. Insert a meat thermometer into thickest part of tenderoin. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, tucking the thin end under to make it as thick as the rest of the meat....roast for 25 to 35 minutes for rare. This is the best tenderloin that I have even eaten and I now double the recipe for my grandchildren absolutely devour the loin and fight over the medium rare part, ha. I sometimes serve Paula's mushrooms on the side, but my grandchildren love my easy Hunter sauce with mushroom gravy. A package of Knorr Hunter's Sauce...follow the directions and add 1 large jar of sliced mushrooms. Serve in a gravy bowl on the side.

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GAN'S PYRAMID POTATOES

6 large all purpose potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) pkg of cream cheese, softened
1 cup dairy sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

Peel and cube potatoes. In a 4 quart dutch oven, cook potates in a small amount of boiling salted water, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes until tender. Drain well. Place in a large mixing bowl, beat with mixture on low spped. Add milk and butter, beat until fluffy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese, sour cream, salt, pepper and garlic into potato mixute. Stir in onion. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole. Top with cheese. Bake about 30 minutes or until bubbly.

I prepare this dish the night before and add cheese before baking the next day. Great dish to make the day before. These are absolutely everyone's favorite potatoes and I also double recipe due to the size of our family....but the recipe makes enough for 8 people.

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DIANE'S GREEN BEANS

2 Cans french style green beans
6 strips of bacon
6 Tbs. of Vinegar
6 Tbs. of sugar
Onion siiced in ringlet's
Slivered almonds

Fry bacon and set aside. Using all of bacon drippings, add sugar and vinegar and boil until sugar dissolves. Place green beans in casserole dish, top with onion slices, almonds and crumbled bacon.
Pour sugar/vinegar mixture over green beans and marinate overnight.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Wonderful beans...like the bundled ones, but soooo much easier. Again we double the recipe.

Will post rest of recipes later...WOW, Gena, June, Manyhats, Jackie, Carolyn, Micha, and Gladys....a heck of a lot of work, but fun too. Happy Holidays to all.
XXOO Phyllis