Three Easy Side Dishes to Elevate Your Christmas Feast
Discover three quick and tasty appetizer ideas to elevate your Christmas dinner. These light, flavorful dishes include yogurt-marinated beet toasts, pear and blue cheese roll-ups, and a fresh greens salad with champagne vinaigrette. Perfect for starting your holiday feast, these recipes are easy to prepare and add a festive touch to your celebration.
Enhance your Christmas celebration with delicious and simple side dishes that complement your main course. Typical holiday mains include roasted turkey, honey-glazed ham, roasted duck, rack of lamb, or roast chicken, finished with sweet desserts for a memorable dinner. Starting with light appetizers helps curb hunger and leaves room for the main feast. Here are three quick and flavorful appetizer ideas for Christmas:
Yogurt-Marinated Beet Toasts: This tasty starter doubles as a side dish, offering a vibrant flavor boost.
To prepare this dish, gather 1 pound of cooked, vacuum-packed beets sliced into quarter-inch wedges, a small finely chopped shallot, 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 4 tablespoons olive oil divided, 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1½ cups full-fat Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons horseradish, slices of whole-grain bread toasted and halved, a small bunch of thinly sliced radishes, and chopped chives. Mix shallots, beets, vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, blend horseradish, yogurt, remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the yogurt mixture on toasted bread, top with marinated beets, radishes, and chives.
Pear and Blue Cheese Roll-Ups: Ready in under 10 minutes, these delicious bites include 2 pears cut into eighths, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1 cup arugula, 3 ounces blue cheese in small pieces, and 6 ounces prosciutto sliced lengthwise. Toss pears with lemon juice. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around a pear, a leaf of arugula, and cheese. Serve immediately.
Fresh Greens with Champagne Vinaigrette: A beautiful, colorful salad made with crisp greens, perfect for Christmas. Combine 2½ teaspoons Dijon mustard, ¼ cup champagne or white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 cup olive oil, finely chopped shallot, Boston or Bibb lettuce, fresh dill, parsley, tarragon, chives, and chervil. Whisk vinegar, mustard, honey, and water. Gradually add olive oil while whisking to create the vinaigrette. Toss greens with dressing and serve as a refreshing side.
