Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Wonderful New Year
I hope you enjoy this New Mexican Holiday Feast!
For many of us, the past few years have been challenging with many ups and downs and necessary changes to lifestyles, daily routines, work, school, and even eating. Getting groceries has at times been a challenge but has forced us to be more diligent in menu planning so we can shop every two weeks instead of once a week. I can’t go the store, so it’s all up to Bobby.
When you have challenges, planning a holiday menu can always be made easier by go with your favorite comfort foods – foods that make you happy and celebrate your wonderful life wherever your live as well as take you back to younger days growing up. So to celebrate our adult lives in New Mexico and growing up in Louisiana, we chose a mix of New Mexican and Southern foods for this year’s holiday.
As with planning any menu, think about what ingredient you already have in the freezer or pantry. This will make your grocery list easier to make and lower the cost. Also, include recipes that provide enough leftovers for another meal. For a New Mexican holiday feast with a touch of southern tastes, below is a suggested menu and other dishes that could be substituted.
Please share some of your holiday dishes in the comment section.
Day 1
Breakfast – Migas: Scrambled eggs with green chile and tortilla chips served with a side of crispy home fries.
Dinner – Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo for a taste of the south. I haven’t posted my gumbo recipe, but here is a link to one that is very close to mine. The primary difference is that I don’t use okra. Instead I use tomatoes and filé. I also add a little garlic, more herbs, cayenne, and crab meat if I have it.
Day 2
Breakfast – Green Chile Cheese Cornbread Pancakes – Top with a touch of maple syrup or honey for a sweet and savory what to start the day.
Dinner – A bowl of pinto beans topped with red chile, cheese, plain yogurt, diced onion and slice black olives. Actually, you could use bolita beans or black beans depending on what bean you have in the pantry.
Day 3
Breakfast – Cranberry Bread with orange juice. A tried and true quick bread that my mother made every Christmas and a tradition that I have continued to follow.
Dinner – For dinner, this is a good night to give the cooks a rest. Get take out. We love the chile rellenos from our favorite New Mexican restaurant – Cervantes. One of our holiday traditions has always been to eat at Cervantes during the holidays because they go all out with Christmas decorations. It’s very festive and puts one in the holiday spirit. However, since we still don’t eat at restaurants anymore, we get take-out and enjoy their food in the comfort of our home with nice fire in the fireplace.
Chile Rellenos can be quite messy and time consuming to make from scratch; therefore, it’s a dish I order when we eat out. However, if you want to make them yourself, here is a relatively easy recipe from Made in New Mexico. He uses a red chile sauce with his, whereas I prefer green chile, but then you could always do Christmas (red and green).
Day 4 – Christmas Eve
Breakfast – A hot bowl of Grits and Green Chile is the perfect way to start a cold, winter day. For many years this has been our most comforting cold weather breakfast. It’s hot and spicy and a reminder of our roots in Louisiana while enjoying New Mexico’s delicious green chile.
Dinner – Christmas Eve is traditional always New Mexican food. Our favorite mea; for Christmas Eve is Carne Adovada, pork tamales (from Cervantes), and beans, all smothered in red chile.
Pork tamales are another meal that is extremely time consuming and a lot of work, so if you want to try making pork tamales, check out these recipes from New Mexico Nomad. Today, I go the easy route as with these Red Chile Cheese tamales, because I do love tamales.
Day 5 – Christmas Day
Breakfast – You just can’t have a New Mexico holiday feast without at least one breakfast of Huevos Rancheros. So what a better way than to start the day than with a comforting plate of eggs, hash browns and red chile.
Christmas Day Dinner – While others are cooking away making a huge entrée and lots of side dishes, spend your time making a big pot of Green Chile Stew and homemade Corn Tortillas. What a great Christmas meal!
Dessert – One could stick stick with eating the massive amounts of cookies made during the holidays like these ginger cookies. They are so good! But by Christmas Day you may want a change. These scrumptious Chocolate Tamales with Port Infused Cherries is a tasty choice. It’s hard to get through a holiday without them.
Lunches – Our main meals of the day are breakfast and dinner. For lunch eat leftovers, or snack on popcorn, fruit and snacks, chips and salsa, some type of cheese tray.
The Rest of the Holiday
The week between Christmas and New Years give yourself a rest and eat leftovers from the previous week. Leftover green chile stew and tamales make great leftovers. Leftover tortillas and carne adovada can be made into enchiladas and leftover beans become Fajita Style Bean Burritos or tostadas. However, one can’t go through the holidays without a bowl of posole. For a little change from all the traditional New Mexican flavors, this kale and Swiss chard posole is quite delicious – Italian Sausage posole with a mix of greens.
If kale and sausage posole doesn’t appeal to you then check these other posoles – traditional and non-traditional.
Last but not least – New Year’s Day
Black-eyed Peas and Greens (aka Hoppin John) – Having black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day has been a tradition ever since I can remember. Served with a side of cornbread and you’re off to a great start for the coming year.
I hope you enjoyed this New Mexican Holiday Feast and that you can find at least one dish to bring a little of New Mexico into your home this holiday season.
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!
Thank you all for your comments, emails and support through the years.
Beautiful collection to enjoy true and comfort food with a group of friends or alone, depending on your preferences or circumstances. Honestly, I need a bit of silence and a bowl of goodness so I’ll make some of your dishes definitely, being alone or not.
I wish you happy holidays and healthy new year!
Everything looks and sounds so good MJ! But I am particularly interested in the Chocolate Tamales with Port Infused Cherries. They sound incredibly delicious.
Thanks Darlin. The chocolate tamales are addicting and we just can’t get enough of them. I hope you get a chance to try them.
Share my holiday dishes? This space might not be enough as we had been moving around friends houses for 12 days since 24th, and each friends house was a feast (lunch and dinner). We ate a lot probably more than 8 types of dishes a day (at the very least), only cooked once when we were the hosts. Anyways all your holiday dishes look amazing too! Have a Happy New Year
Thanks Raymund! What a fabulous way to spend the holidays! Family, friends and food…what more could one ask for. Hope you all stayed healthy and safe and that you have a wonderful 2021.
That’s a lot of good eating, MJ! Love the idea of eating out on the holiday, it gets so tiring spending the day in the kitchen. Warm wishes for a wonderful New Year!
Thanks Kelly! Hope your 2021 is off to a good start.
Happy New Year MJ! My husband and I spent Christmas in NM quarantine-style. We’ve been hiking and eating LOL. This is an awesome collection of recipes, and when I have my home pantry, I’ll have to try a few. The persimmon parfait caught my eye because I’ve been getting some beautiful persimmons, and just tossing them in spinach salads. The parfait will be an exciting change…
Thanks Tamara! Sounds like a lovely and well deserved trip to NM! What a great place to be quarantined. 🙂 I love persimmons and the season is just so short that I try to make the best of them.
This all sounds delicious!
Thanks Jeff!
Cozy cover photo MJ… loving the view ♥. The circumstances sure have called upon our creativity and expansion. I’m with you in the quest for comfort — lots of dressed beans over here these days — your toppings are the perfect example of how to yummify :))– (haven’t done huevos in ages, good idea!). Cheers to the land of enchantment and blessings to you & Bobby in 2021, x.
Thanks Kelly! I hope you and your family had wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to a healthy and happy 2021!
What a delicious roundup of recipes for the holidays! I often stare in my freezer wondering what the heck I’m going to cook next! You’re much more organized and have offered some yummy dishes to try! Happy New Year, MJ!!!
Thanks Liz! It took me years to get organized with the freezer but when I realized how much was getting buried and thrown, I figured it was time. Happy New Year to you as well!
I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and have a happy, healthy New Year! These all look delicious, but I really like that persimmon and cranberry parfait!
Thanks Amy. It’s persimmon season, so it’s a nice breakfast right now.
merry christmas! and a safe 2021 to you.
And a safe and Merry Christmas to you as well! See you in 2021!
Chocolate Tamales with Port infused cherries???? MJ, you’re lucky that I’m not jumping in the car, driving down to ALB to camp on your doorstep until you let me in. 🙂 I love everything about this post. So many new ideas and a new restaurant to try next time we’re in your neck of the woods. I’ve been wanting to make chiles rellanos, so thanks for that link. The recipe I tried years ago just wasn’t right. I’m going to try my hand at making blue corn tortillas today. I found a bag of blue masa that I brought back from NM … it’s been in the freezer and I forgot about it. Wish me luck.
Last year we ordered tamales from El Parasol in Santa Fe, our neighbors (who are from there) make a special trip every year to visit friends and get those tamales. This year, with no travel, we’re making do with a local tamale maker. Won’t be the same, but I did make Biscochitos for dessert. With all that said, Merry Christmas to you and your family. Hugs.
Thanks Lea Ann. Oh Yes, the chocolate tamales are to die for!!! Now you have inspired me – I bought a bag of blue corn masa a while back and it’s still in the pantry unopened. Sounds like I might be making blue corn tortillas to go with the green chile stew. 🙂 Good tamales can be hard to find, but a you can imagine, we have several good sources here in ABQ. Take care and stay safe! Hugs, MJ
What a delightful Christmas gift for a gal from Down Under. Of all the cuisines of the world I am most ignorant but hugely interested in what means ‘home’ to you. What a delight it will be to do some homework during some of the quieter hours to come. More following the Buddhist dictates these days rather than the Nordic Lutheranism into which I was born Christmas does mean Christmas Eve hereabouts also. With goose and sauerkraut and black pudding most years . . . but fresh salmon this unusual year waiting to see whether our lockdown will be complete or with a few allowances. Thank you again – spend some happy hours in anticipation of a much better year to dome . . .
Thanks so much Eha. I’ve never had black pudding. I’ve heard of it, but have no idea what it is. Will have to do a little research myself when things calm down after Christmas. Oh fresh salmon…I love it and am so jealous that it’s readily accessible in your area. Happy holidays and yes, let’s all hope for a better 2021.
Now that is a fabulous round up of delicious delights. Wish we were at your house of Christmas morning as a delicious plate of Huevos Rancheros would be just what we need to start off the day. So very intrigued by Chocolate Tamales with Port Infused Cherries, that sounds amazing. Why can’t you live closer! Stay well and wishing you and your family a very safe and happy holiday season. Take Care
Thanks Bobbi. The tamales are amazing! They are a chocolate lovers dream. 🙂 Hope you have a healthy and wonderful holiday season.
You’ve outdone yourself MJ! That’s a dream holiday menu for New Mexicans. Everything looks and sounds delicious. I’m going to have to try those grits with green chile, that sounds so good right now. I wish we had a Cervantes on the West side, it would be a treat to have some of their chile rellenos or carne adovada. Have a wonderful holiday week MJ!
Thanks Jan. Once restaurants are open again, we sure have lunch at Cervantes. I think you’d love it. Happy Holidays!
This sounds like a perfect week! Just wish we were closer than one state away! I’m always ready for New Mexican food. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and a great new year with lots of good things. Especially health!
Thanks Abbe. Wishing you a safe and healthy Christmas as well!
Debra
Where can I get that recipe for chile relleno balls?
Debbie, I found this one on the NM Beef Council site. Chile Relleno Balls They are different than what I expected but sound really quite good.
Hi MJ!
You are SO organized with a menu plan with leftovers. Can I drink some of your magic kool-aid, my friend? I LOVE all of the recipes that you’ve included especially the egg recipes filled with chile for breakfast with the NM twist! Your mother’s cranberry bread sounds perfect right now! So pretty!
I didn’t know that you had roots in Louisiana! You may have mentioned it, but my memory can’t pull it out at the moment! That explains your tradition for black-eyed peas for New Year’s. Mmmm! As you said, this has been a trying year in many ways (3 losses of my family members alone), my new job with more hours (but grateful in times when others are struggling so much); but in other ways, I’ve re-affirmed my priorities (faith, family, and home . . . and cooking of course). I am hoping to get back to blogging and commenting more. I miss the conversations. I wish you both the Merriest Christmas in the Land of Enchantment, that beautiful place in the Southwest, and a new year filled with enormous blessings!
xoxo
Roz
Thanks so much Roz. I’m sorry to read about your family members. Three losses in one year must be hard. Sending you lots of hugs. Hopefully your work will slow down some for the holidays. You obviously deserve some time off to just relax and be with your family.
I grew up in Louisiana and went to college there, but moved to NM after that in 1976. Bobby and I had been married 2 years and just needed a change and more adventure. Well we found it here in NM. Still love it here. Hope you have a wonderful holidays and that we can visit more in 2021.
Hugs, MJ
Everything looks and sounds wonderful. Like I told you the other day, I am so sad that we lost our tamale guy. No Christmas tamales this year. Like you, making them myself is just more effort than I want to put in this time of year with so much else to do. I made my big pot of gumbo yesterday. So so very good. Every time I turned around JT had another bowl full all day. Green Chile stew… humm… sounds like a winner for today. I think a break from the gumbo is in order because, for sure, with all I have to do tomorrow and Thursday, gumbo will be the only thing on the menu. We send our love and wishes for you and Bobby to have a wonderful Christmas.
Thanks Nadalyn! How do you keep JT fed? 🙂 Like you each day I make something to contribute to this menu, but the take out is going to be a nice change. And Cervantes has GREAT pork tamales. We’ll be talking to ya’ll soon! XOXOXO
Wow, what a series of feasts you’re planning! Can I move in for the week? 🙂 It’s been such a strange year. We’ve been getting groceries once a week, but we used to shop for produce every day or two (we’re lucky enough to be able to walk to a couple of different grocery stores) so that’s been a huge change — having to plan meals. Looking forward to a more normal life in 2021, although it will take a few months. Such a nice post — thanks. And happy holidays!
Thanks John. Sure come on down. 🙂 Hopefully 2021 will be a better year as well. This one has been a challenge in many ways. Happy Holidays!
I have never had a full menu of Mexican food and I want to try all of those. It would be a dream come true :-)) Love your X’mas tree…so beautifully decorated!
Have a safe and wonderful holiday season, MJ!
Thanks Angie. Bob’s mother gave us an ornament every year for 35 years plus we’ve added a few ourselves, so we love doing a tree each year to enjoy the ornaments. Hope you have a wonderful Holiday season as well!
It will take me awhile to get through all these recipes but I am so glad you posted these. We are so anxious to get back to NM after all of this madness has disappeared. These dishes may keep us going. Have you ever made Chile Relleno Balls? I cut a magazine clipping out from NM Magazine a few years ago and have been wanting to make them. Until then, our go-to Christmas meal is bœuf bourguignon. Happy Holidays!
Thanks Debra. Yes, NM is still under some pretty heavy restrictions for visitors and people returning from trips. I think we all are hoping it will be over soon. No, I have never made relleno balls. I looked through a couple of recipes and they are nothing what I expected. Here is a link from from NM Beef Council. Chile Relleno Balls Very interesting. I’ve never even seen them on a menu.
Your Christmas meal sounds wonderful! That’s another dish I’ve never made. Happy Holidays!