Overview: From Poland to France, we’ve rounded up some of the best traditional treats served around the world during the Christmas season.
Christmas is almost here! Among those who celebrate around the world, traditions vary from country to country and region to region, but one thing is constant everywhere we look: a love for food!
As we get into the holiday spirit, we’ve decided to gather some colorful food ideas from around the world to adorn our tables. If you’re cooking for this Christmas this year, try these easy-yet-impressive festive recipes!
From starters to mains, from desserts to sides, our Christmas meal ideas will guarantee your menu is exciting. And don’t forget the eggnog!
Let’s get started!
Kolaczki Cheese Cookies – Poland:
Ingredients:
◻ 220g cream cheese
◻ 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
◻ 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
◻ 1/2 cup fruit preserves or jam (your choice)
◻ Confectioner’s sugar for dusting
Directions:
Take a large bowl and beat cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer. Gradually, beat in the flour until you get a soft dough. Divide the dough in three parts, covering each part with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. While you wait, take one of the three parts of the dough and dust your surface with flour. Take a rolling pan and roll out the dough really thin, less than 1/8″. Cut into 2-inch squares.
Place 1/4 tsp of the filling in the center of each square. Moisten opposite corners of the square with water and overlap them to center. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough. Bake for 15-18 mins until lightly brown. Transfer to wire rack and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Enjoy!
Looking for more inspiring ideas for cookies? Here are 40 unique cookie ideas from around the world for you to try!
Clotted Cream Rice Pudding – Canada:
Ingredients:
◻ 250g butter
◻ 15oz full-fat milk
◻ 227g tub clotted cream
◻ 100g short grain rice pudding
◻ 1 cup heavy cream
◻ 1 split vanilla pod (Click here for instructions on how to split a vanilla pod)
◻ 85g golden caster sugar
◻ Freshly grated nutmeg
Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F and lightly butter up a shallow oven-friendly pan. Wash the rice well under cold water and drain. In another pan, add milk, vanilla pod, and creams to boil. Add the rice, sugar, and stir well.
Tip the rice into the prepared dish, grate a little nutmeg over the top, and dot with knobs of butter. Bake the mixture for about 15 minutes and lower the oven to 325°F. Bake for another 50 minutes to an hour until the pudding is golden brown and creamy underneath. Serve with raspberry jam and enjoy!
Related Reading: 85 holiday desserts you should try
Olivier Salad – Russia:
Ingredients:
◻ 1/2 lb chicken breast
◻ 4oz mayonnaise
◻ 2 medium potatoes, boiled and diced
◻ 2 carrots, boiled, peeled, and diced
◻ 3 hard boiled eggs – finely diced
◻ 3 large dill pickles
◻ Juice from 1/2 lemon
◻ 1 tbsp mustard
◻ 1 tbsp thyme
◻ Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Boil the chicken until it’s tender. Shred or dice the chicken evenly. Mix the egg with pickles, carrots, potatoes, and peas. Add dill (to taste) and thyme. Sprinkle in salt and pepper. Add mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice in a bowl with a pinch of sugar (it adds great taste).
Mix the paste with vegetables right before serving them. The salad is better without it if you’re taking some time before serving. You can serve the salad as a side with your main menu, or prior to the entree. Either way, it’ll satisfy those holiday appetites!
Beef Bourguignon – France:
Ingredients:
◻ 180g bacon
◻ 1 tbsp olive oil
◻ 3 lbs stewing beef
◻ 1 chopped onion
◻ 1 sliced carrot
◻ 1 tsp salt
◻ 2 tbsp flour
◻ 1/4 tsp pepper
◻ 3 cups red wine
◻ 3 cups red wine
◻ 2-3 cups beef stock
◻ 1 tbsp tomato juice
◻ 2 mashed garlic cloves
For Braised Onion:
◻ 20-25 small white onions
◻ 1 1/2 tbsp butter
◻ 1/2 cup brown stock
◻ 1 pinch of salt and pepper
Sauteed Mushrooms:
◻ 2 tbsp butter
◻ 1 tbsp oil
◻ 225g fresh mushrooms
◻ salt and pepper to taste
Get your ingredients from us at Redlands Ranch Market!
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven in an oven-safe pan. Cook the bacon for 2-3 minutes until it’s slightly browned. Once done, remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Let the remaining fat in there, we’ll cook beef in it.
Take a few paper towels and pat dry the beef — this step is important as the beef won’t dry if it’s too damp. Reheat the fat and saute the beef cubes until the pieces are equally brown from each side. Remove the beef and set aside.
Add carrot and onion in the same pan and brown them for a few minutes. Pour out the fat in a bowl and leave vegetables in the pan. Re-add the beef and bacon in the same pan and toss them with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour and mix them altogether.
Place the pan in the preheated oven for 4 mins. Take the pan out, toss the meat, and place it again in the oven for another 4 mins until the meat is fork tender. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325°F.
It’s time to cook the braised onions — Heat the butter and oil in a skillet until bubbly. Add the sliced onions and let it cook for 10 minutes on a low flame, rolling them from around time to time. Pour in the beef stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and lower the heat. If you’re using frozen onions, let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes — in other way, you’ll need to let the mixture simmer for at least 50 minutes before it evaporates. Let the stock evaporate and get the onions browned.
The sauteed mushrooms: Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 mins, and stir until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
The assembly: Pour all the mixture through a sieve once the meat is cooked. Arrange the onions and mushroom over the meat. Skim fat off the sauce and you should get about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Pour the sauce over beef, onions, and mushrooms.
In Summary:
We believe in bringing people together; there’s nothing better than a good meal for everyone to enjoy and appreciate. Christmas brings joy and is that time of the year when everything feels the best. We hope these Christmas recipes from around the world will satisfy the taste buds of everyone at your holiday table. And we hope they won’t require too much time spent in the kitchen so you can get to the important business of opening presents!
Of course, you’ll need produce and various other ingredients for all these recipes. Fortunately, at Redlands Ranch Market we have fresh, organic veggies and meat, sauces, dairy products, and just about anything else you might need. It’s more fresh food than you could fit into Santa’s bag! So while you’re prepping for these recipes, drop by and pay us a visit!
We wish you a safe, fun, and Merry Christmas!