Fancy without the fuss

Southern Living, Dec 2004 by Satterwhite, Shannon Sliter

Dress up this simple menu with your best serving pieces for a dazzling Christmas Eve buffet.

Entertaining family and friends is Amy Westmoreland's favorite part of the holidays-that and, of course, the food. "We love any tradition that has to do with eating," jokes Amy, a seventh-grade French teacher. For nearly 10 years, the Scottsboro, Alabama, hostess and her husband, John, have been cooking up a scrumptious Christmas Eve dinner, arguably the most anticipated party in town.

For dessert, Amy shares fudge and other goodies that she receives as gifts throughout the season; though nothing compares to her homemade cookies. Flip to page 156 for more tempting treats, and help yourself to this bountiful buffet.

BLUE CHEESE-BACON DIP

MAKES 12 TO 15 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN., BAKE: 15 MIN.

This rich, creamy dip goes a long way. It can be baked in individual cups or a 1-quart dish.

7 bacon slices, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup half-and-half

4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted

Grape clusters

Flatbread or assorted crackers

COOK chopped bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until crisp. Drain bacon, and set aside. Add minced garlic to skillet, and sauté 1 minute.

BEAT cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add half-and-half, beating until combined. Stir in bacon, garlic, blue cheese, and chives. Spoon mixture evenly into 4 (1-cup) individual baking dishes.

BAKE at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle evenly with chopped walnuts, and serve with grape clusters and flatbread or assorted crackers.

RASPBERRY-BRIE TARTLETS

MAKES 5 DOZEN

PREP: 1 HR., BAKE: 17 MIN.

According to Amy, not all of these deliciously gooey appetizers make it to the table. She says, "We can't resist sneaking a few right off the baking sheet!"

20 white bread slices

Melted butter

1 (8-ounce) wedge Brie, cut up

1 (13-ounce) jar raspberry jam

REMOVE crusts from bread with a serrated knife. Roll and flatten each bread slice with a rolling pin. Cut 3 circles out of each bread slice with a 1 ¾-inch fluted or round cookie cutter.

BRUSH mini muffin pans with melted butter. Press bread circles on bottom and up sides of muffin cups; brush bread cups with melted butter.

BAKE at 350° for 7 minutes or until lightly toasted.

REMOVE bread cups from muffin pans, and place on ungreased baking sheets. Fill cups evenly with cheese pieces; top each with ¼ teaspoon jam.

BAKE at 300° for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

NOTE: To make ahead, freeze toasted bread shells up to 1 month in advance. Thaw at room temperature about 30 minutes. Assemble tartlets, and bake as directed.

PORK TENDERLOIN SANDWICHES WITH CRANBERRY-CORIANDER CONSERVE

MAKES 12 TO 15 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN., COOK: 3 MIN., BAKE: 45 MIN., STAND: 15 MIN.

3 (11-ounce) packages frozen dinner rolls

8 teaspoons coriander seeds, divided*

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 pounds small boneless pork tenderloins

Melted butter

Poppy or sesame seeds (optional)

Cranberry-Coriander Conserve

THAW dinner rolls according to package directions.

PREHEAT oven to 375°.

COOK coriander seeds in a hot skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until seeds are toasted and fragrant.

PULSE coriander seeds in an electric spice or coffee grinder until crushed. (If you don't have a grinder, use a mortar and pestle, or place coriander seeds in a zip-top plastic bag, seal, and pound seeds with a meat mallet or rolling pin until crushed.) Reserve 2 teaspoons crushed coriander for Cranberry-Coriander Conserve.

STIR together remaining crushed coriander, olive oil, and next 4 ingredients. Place pork on a lightly greased rack in a broiling pan. Rub all sides of pork with spice mixture.

PLACE pork in preheated oven. Increase heat to 450°, and bake 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 150°. Remove pork from oven, and reduce heat to 350°. Cover pork loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand 15 minutes or until thermometer registers 160°.

BRUSH thawed dinner rolls with melted butter; sprinkle evenly with poppy or sesame seeds, if desired.

BAKE rolls at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.

CUT pork into ¼-inch slices, and serve with Cranberry-Coriander Conserve and dinner rolls.

* 3 teaspoons store-bought ground coriander may be substituted. Omit toasting and crushing steps. Reserve ¾ teaspoon for Cranberry-Coriander Conserve; use remaining as directed.

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Sister Schubert's Parker House Style frozen yeast rolls.

Cranberry-Coriander Conserve:

MAKES 2 CUPS

PREP: 10 MIN., COOK: 30 MIN., CHILL: 2 HRS.

Prepare this spiced mixture up to 1 week ahead, and store in the refrigerator.

3 cups fresh cranberries

1 ½ cups orange juice

2/3 cup apple cider

½ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons reserved crushed or ¾ teaspoon ground coriander