Elegant Main Dish Options - Fresh Dish Post from Price Chopper

If you want to impress your dinner guests this Christmas, try mixing up your main dish. Instead of turkey or ham, we have some show-stopping options. 

Standing Crown Pork Roast, from our Holiday 2014 issue of Gatherings Magazine, makes for an elegant centerpiece. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 8 lbs. crown roast of pork, 16-rib
• 2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 white onion, quartered
• 1 lb. carrots, quartered
• 1 stalk celery bunch
• 1 lb. each purple, red and white potatoes
• 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

What to do:

1. Place roast, bone tips up, on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Cover ends of bones with a strip of foil. Sprinkle the Italian Seasoning generously, season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a 350° F. oven for 1 hour. Lightly coat vegetables with olive oil, Italian Seasoning, Salt & Pepper, add to pan and bake an additional 1 hour.
2. While roast is baking, prepare stuffing. Add to center of roast and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes as desired.
3. Carefully transfer roast to a serving platter. Garnish with vegetables.

If you have a smaller number of guests, Rock Cornish Hens with Rice Stuffing are a great alternative, and will help limit your leftovers.  These are roasted and stuffed with a savory mix of almonds, vegetables and rice. Be sure to remove giblets from hens before rinsing and stuffing. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/4 Cup + 1 1/3 Tablespoon shredded carrot
• 2 Pound Rock Cornish hen, rinsed & patted dry
• 3 Tablespoon Fleischmann's® Unsalted-stick
• 2 Tablespoon Gulden's® Spicy Brown Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 0.25 cup slivered almonds
• 2 Tablespoon chopped onion
• 1/4 Cup + 1 1/3 Tablespoon chopped red or green bell pepper
• 1 Cup cooked long-grain white rice
• 1/8 Teaspoon paprika

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt Fleischmann's in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, bell peppers and onions; stir. Cook 3 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Add rice, almonds, mustard and parsley; stir.
2. Spoon rice mixture into cavity of each hen; secure with wooden picks. Sprinkle hens with paprika. Place, breast-sides up, on rack in shallow roasting pan.
3. Bake 1 hour, or until meat thermometer reaches 165°F when inserted in the center of stuffing. Let hens stand 10 minutes before removing stuffing. Remove and discard wooden picks. Cut hens in half to serve.