Update: Help me make an American Christmas dinner for the first time.

[Caca-faat]

Ok ya’ll my partner is from the south and I want to make him a southern Christmas Dinner. I’ve never had any of the food so don’t know how it’s supposed to taste, nor what is traditional. He hasn’t been back to the south for years and doesn’t know any recipes, so I’m doing it without much input from him. Can you guys help me to construct a menu? I know we’re still in September but I always plan way in advance so I can work out the kinks and plan aesthetics.

So I know he wants the following

Banana pudding -I have a rough idea of how to do it. Is the baked merengue topping essential? I’m fine to do it but would love you guys opinion.

or banana pudding with merengue

Hot water corn bread - Any tips on how to make it. I’ve watched videos but I need some guidance. Is it served warm? Is it for sopping up gravy?

Collard Greens - this is the one I think I’m gonna struggle with the most. I have no frame of reference. All he told me is that it’s turnip greens. I know it has ham hock in it for Smokeyness, but are the leaves supposed to have bite? Am I adding vinegar to it, to counteract the bitterness of the leaves or just hot sauce at the end?


I believe the below are standard:
I’ll roast a bird or do 2 Cornish hens
Brown gravy
Make Mac and cheese

Optional

I’ll do a ham if he wants one, but I need to buy a joint from the butcher. I wouldn’t know where to start with a canned ham.

I won’t do a potato salad, this one seems the most tricky and the one most likely to go wrong.

Candied yams? Is this essential? Are marshmallows a requirement?

Anything else? What’s missing?

 

[NoMoreWhiteWoman2020]

Make the cornbread in a skillet
Oven bake that Mac n cheese

What time are you serving dinner? Might want to make a sharkcutery board for appetizers

 

[Caca-faat]

Make the cornbread in a skillet
Oven bake that Mac n cheese

What time are you serving dinner? Might want to make a sharkcutery board for appetizers

He wants hot water cornbread so that’s fried right?
Oven baked Mac is standard
It’s just the 2 of us, I would usually make appetisers but I will make a brunch to tide us over.

 

[NoMoreWhiteWoman2020]

He wants hot water cornbread so that’s fried right?
Oven baked Mac is standard
It’s just the 2 of us, I would usually make appetisers but I will make a brunch to tide us over.

Yes, we call those hoecakes down here (the cornbread)
He must be from the Carolinas or Georgia, because that’s a staple of their regional soul food repertoire

 

[QueenVirgo85]

So you’re fixing turnip greens instead of collard greens? It’s really not that hard to make it just takes time.

 

[DonB90]

Turnip greens are bitter so I'd cook collard greens to just cut all combat bitterness shyt out tbh. Throw some smoked neckbones (pig or turkey) in there for flavor. Just wash em first look up youtube vids on how to wash and cut em and all that.


Cornbread in an iron cast skillet but you from up Nawf so I don't know it that's a "thing" to have an iron cast skillet.

Mac n cheese should be relatively easy

I can't help you with the pudding I don't really make or eat that sorry.

 

[Caca-faat]

So you’re fixing turnip greens instead of collard greens? It’s really not that hard to make it just takes time.

He said it’s turnip greens, is the cooking process the same, it seems to take a long time, are the leaves supposed to still have a little bite to them?

 

[Elle Seven]

I would say you're missing cornbread dressing and gravy.

Homemade red velvet cake is great for dessert if you decide not to do the banana pudding.

ETA - nix the dressing, if he asked you to make the hot water cornbread. Sorry - didn't see that before in your post.

 

[Rhapscallion Démone]

Honey baked pineapple Ham if he doesn't eat pork you could do rotisserie chicken, fried chicken(is always a backup plan) or turkey
Macaroni and cheese
Cornbread
Collard Greens
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Candy yams
Sweet potato pie

 

[QueenVirgo85]

He said it’s turnip greens, is the cooking process the same, it seems to take a long time, are the leaves supposed to still have a little bite to them?

Cooking process is the same it’s just a different taste. I’m not sure what you mean by bite to them? I use turkey legs instead of ham hock with chicken broth, onions, sometimes I add in bacon grease. Make sure you clean the greens good before cooking them.

 

[Payday23]

Honey baked pineapple Ham if he doesn't eat pork you could do rotisserie chicken, fried chicken(is always a backup plan) or turkey
Macaroni and cheese
Cornbread
Collard Greens
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Candy yams
Sweet potato pie

This is making me hungry. Rotisserie chicken is . Cornish hens are like the short gang version of em.

 

[Caca-faat]

Turnip greens are bitter so I'd cook collard greens to just cut all combat bitterness shyt out tbh. Throw some smoked neckbones (pig or turkey) in there for flavor. Just wash em first look up youtube vids on how to wash and cut em and all that.


Cornbread in an iron cast skillet but you from up Nawf so I don't know it that's a "thing" to have an iron cast skillet.

Mac n cheese should be relatively easy

I can't help you with the pudding I don't really make or eat that sorry.

He won’t have a skillet, but he wants the fried version any way (someone up thread told me they know them as hoe cakes) so I’ll look up recipes for that.

 

[Caca-faat]

Cooking process is the same it’s just a different taste. I’m not sure what you mean by bite to them? I use turkey legs instead of ham hock with chicken broth, onions, sometimes I add in bacon grease. Make sure you clean the greens good before cooking them.

I mean are the leaves meant to be mushy after cooking, or are they still going to have a bite, like fried cabbage? A little integrity to the leaves, I guess is the terminology.

 

[ScoopNScore]

What time are you serving dinner? Might want to make a sharkcutery board for appetizers

 

[Caca-faat]

Honey baked pineapple Ham if he doesn't eat pork you could do rotisserie chicken, fried chicken(is always a backup plan) or turkey
Macaroni and cheese
Cornbread
Collard Greens
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Candy yams
Sweet potato pie

Yes, I’ll do mash potatoes, I’ll make a brown gravy to go with mash potatoes.

I’ll do Cornish hens or a Roast chicken, and make gravy with chicken stock.

If I do a ham, I’ll do a pineapple glazed ham.