Entertaining 101: Savory Holiday Flavors Made Simple

A holiday season filled with gatherings and celebrations with friends and family calls for easy dishes that bring exquisite flavor to your festivities. One way to spend less time in the kitchen and more time celebrating is to plan for quick-prep dishes you can have on the table with next-to-no fuss, like these recipes for Ham and Cheddar Cranberry Melt or Barbecue Pull-Apart Sliders.

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Savory Holiday Flavors Made Simple

(Family Features) A holiday season filled with gatherings and celebrations with friends and family calls for easy dishes that bring exquisite flavor to your festivities. One way to spend less time in the kitchen and more time celebrating is to plan for quick-prep dishes you can have on the table with next-to-no fuss.

The perfect centerpiece to your holiday table, Smithfield's Signature Spiral Sliced Ham is fully cooked, hickory-smoked and easy to prepare. All you need are a few sides and your meal is complete. You can use the leftover slices to create a delicious next-day brunch or lunch dish, like this Ham and Cheddar Cranberry Melt.

If you're in need of a simple holiday hors d'oeuvre or entertaining recipe that you can plan ahead, look for convenient meal-helpers like Smithfield's Sweet & Smoky Pork Roast. Pre-seasoned and perfect for the slow cooker, this roast delivers tender, juicy perfection with minimal prep work. Plus, it can serve as the base for an endless number of festive dishes, like these sweet and savory Barbecue Pull-Apart Sliders.

For more quick and easy holiday recipes, visit Smithfield.com.

Ham and Cheddar Cranberry Melt
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 sandwiches

• 8 slices bread
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/4 pounds Smithfield Signature Spiral Sliced Ham, sliced
• 3/4 pound white cheddar cheese, sliced
• 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
• 3 cups (2 ounces) salad greens

1. Heat heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Butter one side of two slices of bread then turn buttered side down. Top one slice with 5 ounces ham slices and the other with 3 ounces cheese slices; transfer to skillet face up and cook 5-7 minutes, or until bread is lightly browned and cheese is beginning to melt.
3. Remove sandwich halves from skillet and transfer to cutting board and repeat to make three additional sandwiches.
4. Top ham side with cranberry sauce and greens, and place cheese side of bread on top to finish sandwich. Cut in half to serve.

Barbecue Pull-Apart Sliders
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Makes: 18 sliders

• 1 Smithfield Sweet & Smoky Pork Roast
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
• 18 jalapeno or butter Hawaiian dinner rolls, sliced in half horizontally
• 9 dill pickle stackers, cut in half
• 5 large slices sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• barbecue seasoning

1. Place roast in 3- to 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on high 4-5 hours (Low: 8-10 hours).
2. Heat oven to 375 F.
3. Remove roast from cooker; discard juices. Use tongs or two forks to pull pork; mix in barbecue sauce.
4. Arrange bottom half of rolls in 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Spoon pulled pork evenly over top. Place dill pickle on each sandwich and lay cheese slices on top to cover all sandwiches.
5. Place tops on rolls and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle tops with barbecue seasoning.
6. Bake about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and top buns are slightly crisp. Serve warm.

SOURCE:
Smithfield