Pulling off a full holiday meal on a tight timeline can feel overwhelming, especially after a year that’s already asked too much.
The key? “Keep it simple,” says Jesse Jones of Jesse Jones Concepts, a catering company in West Orange, New Jersey. Affectionately known as Chef Jesse, the award-winning private chef and author combines French cooking techniques with farm-to-table ingredients and unexpected seasonings. His signature “French twist” on Southern fare has earned him an impressive list of celebrity clients, including The View cohosts Whoopi Goldberg and Sonny Hostin and singer John Legend.
For a small gathering, an appetizer, an entrée, a few sides, and a dessert will do. And yes, store-bought items are fair game. If you want to try a new recipe to enliven your menu, though, Chef Jesse says, “make sure that it’s easy to understand and follow and that you’ve tested it first.”
Here, he gives you seven recipes for a spin on a delectable Christmas dinner from his book, POW! My Life in 40 Feasts: A Cookbook and Memoir by a Beloved American Chef, which he cowrote with Linda West Eckhardt.
On the big day, Chef Jesse suggests serving your meal buffet-style. In the kitchen, set up an ice and drink station, and place cups, plates, napkins, and utensils on the counter. Keep food warm on the stove and in the oven. “People can help themselves to what they want,” he says. Easy, breezy hosting is the goal.
This meal doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to bring people together. That’s the real magic.
Spiky Deviled Eggs
Makes 12 servings.
A serving is half an egg. To serve one egg per person, adjust ingredient portions accordingly.
6 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1 tablespoon Hellmann’s mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Garnish: sprinkling of chili powder and hot paprika
Cut eggs in half lengthwise and remove yolks to a small bowl. Mix yolks well with mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy. Using a small spoon, place mixture into the egg white halves. Top with chili powder and hot paprika. Refrigerate.
Pineapple-Spiked And Apple-Glazed Whole Ham
Makes 12 to 15 servings.
If you want to cut down on cooking time, then replace the fresh uncured bone-in ham with a 10-pound precooked spiral bone-in ham. To prepare, follow the package’s directions. In about half the time it takes for the ham to heat up, brush on half of Chef Jesse’s glaze. Brush on some more of the glaze toward the end of heating, reserving the rest to serve over the ham at dinnertime.
HAM
1 whole fresh ham (bone-in, uncured, 10 to 15 pounds)
1 tablespoon grape-seed oil
1 1/2 cups Chef Jesse’s Spice Blend
GLAZE
2 tablespoons rendered fat from the ham
1 whole fresh pineapple (peeled, cored, and diced)
3 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and diced)
1/2 cup bourbon
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons ground cloves
CHEF JESSE’S SPICE BLEND
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black and white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh tarragon, finely minced
To make Chef Jesse’s Spice Blend: In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the fresh thyme, rosemary, and tarragon. Store mixture in a closed glass jar in your pantry. At the time of serving, add the fresh thyme, rosemary, and tarragon.
To make the ham: In a medium bowl, combine grape-seed oil and Chef Jesse’s Spice Blend.
Mix well and then coat the ham on all sides. Marinate overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. The next day, preheat oven to 325°F. Place the ham on a roasting pan with a rack, and roast for 4 hours, uncovered, or until an internal temperature of 160°F is reached. About 2 hours in, make this sauce to brush over the ham for glaze: In a medium saucepan, add 2 tablespoons rendered ham fat and sauté the pineapple and apples for 5 minutes, or until sweated down. Pour in the bourbon and cook for 1 minute. Add the apple juice, brown sugar, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar. Cook, mixing in the crushed red pepper and ground cloves and adjusting to taste, and stir for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. When cool, take half of the sauce out to a bowl, and puree with a stick blender. Leave the rest of the mix whole. Add the pureed sauce into the chopped mix, and then brush half of glaze over the ham. With about 1 hour left in roasting time, brush some more of the glaze over the ham. Reserve the rest to serve over the ham. Let the ham rest on a rack for about 20 minutes before carving.
Roasted Winter Roots, Including Parsnips, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes and Winter Squash
Makes 8 servings.
Editors’ note: If you want to add more servings, adjust ingredient portions accordingly.
1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/4 inch pieces
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/4 inch pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 1/4 inch pieces
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Preheat oven to 375˚F. On a cutting board, cut the vegetables and then put them aside. In a hot oven, heat the oil in a large flat roasting pan until the oil is beading and going to the outer parts of the pan. Add the vegetables. Using an oven mitt, toss the vegetables around in the oil and season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and thyme. Roast for 1 1/2 hours. Every 15 minutes, give it a stir. Adjust the seasonings and then transfer into your favorite serving vessel. The veggies are great hot or at room temperature.
Christmas Salad With Baby Kale and Dried Cranberries With Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
4 cups baby kale, washed, spun-dried, and torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
APPLE CIDER VINAIGRETTE
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1 teaspoon chopped shallots
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons apple juice
1 1/2 cups grapeseed oil
Fresh black cracked pepper, to taste
To make the vinaigrette: In a blender, combine mustard, thyme, shallots, hot sauce, maple syrup, salt, apple cider vinegar, and apple juice. Pulse once, and then with the blender running on low speed, pour in grape-seed oil until mixture is thick. Adjust the taste. Finish with a few cranks of the cracked pepper. Transfer the vinaigrette to a covered jar and refrigerate until serving time. Arrange baby kale and dried cranberries in a nice bowl, and then just before serving, toss with vinaigrette.
Three Cheese Baked Macaroni
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked following package directions
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups evaporated milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch white pepper
BLENDED CHEESES
2 cups shredded white extra sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 cup Colby cheese, grated
2 large eggs, beaten
Paprika for sprinkling
Add sea salt to boiling water to cook the elbow macaroni.
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large, heavy-duty pot, melt 1 stick of butter in medium heat. Add flour to make the roux. Then add milk and stir until smooth with no lumps. Add salt, cayenne pepper, white pepper, and one half of the cheese blend. Save the remainder for topping. Melt the mixture, and then remove from heat. In a large mixing bowl, add cooked macaroni and the cheese sauce. Add salt to taste. Add 2 eggs. Mix well. Use remaining stick of butter to grease a 2-quart casserole dish. Pour macaroni and the cheese sauce mixture into the dish. Sprinkle top with saved cheese and paprika. Bake uncovered until golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Old-Fashioned Hummingbird Layer Cake
Makes 12 to 16 servings.
FROSTING
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
CAKE
Nonstick baking spray
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 4 medium)
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple and juice
Optional garnishes: sweetened coconut flakes and pecans
To make the frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese together with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar in increments. Last, beat in the lemon juice and vanilla extract.
To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 9-inch baking pans with nonstick baking spray. In a large mixing bowl, using metal beaters, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla at medium speed until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating just until combined after each addition. Add the mashed bananas and pineapple, beating until combined. Using a measuring cup, spoon the batter into each of the three prepared pans, one scoop at a time to ensure an even distribution. Slam the pans against the counter to get any air bubbles out of the batter. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely on wire racks. Spread some frosting between the layers. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with coconut and nuts, if desired.
For more info on Chef Jesse (@chef_jes1), go to chefjessejones.com.