A Very Roasted Christmas

So ... much ... meat

Jan 05, 2025

The close of 2024 came and went before I was able to get this posted, because, like many, the dreaded stomach bug hit me the last weekend of the year, and there was no way I was going to be able to think straight or write about food.

Since 2017, we have had an annual tradition of watching a different Christmas movie every week in December, which made for an easy theme this past month. As for the meals, we debated trying to make traditional dishes, but then zeroed in on roasted meats.

Three of the four meals were new recipes to us, with the meats being a beef roast, pork shoulder, and whole duck.

Week 1: Mel’s pick

Movie: Last Holiday (2006)

A department store with a health clinic for its employees?! In what world is that a reality?

A first watch for us both, what attracted me to this movie was Queen Latifah and the plot about someone finding out they only have a short amount of time to live, so they do it up (an idea I absolutely support). This movie is cute, with a number of actors you will absolutely recognize, but I would not call it stellar—still, if it keeps us from having to dip into the Hallmark Holiday Movies, I call it a win.

Check it out if you want to:

Enjoy Queen Latifah playing a role that balances thoughtfulness with total sass.
Experience a ridiculous ski slope scene.

Meal: Porchetta pork roast, parmesan polenta, and leftover cranberry apple relish

Was this delicious? Yes? Was it an absolute headache to score the skin because none of our knifes are sharp enough? Absolutely. In the future, I think I’ll make a more traditional porchetta. However, I will say the roast was delicious. Parmesan polenta is pretty easy (just add parm to a creamy polenta), and the cranberry apple relish was leftover from my parents’ Thanksgiving and helped cut through the richness of the rest of the meal.

Week 2: Johnny’s pick

a woman sits at a table with a mug that says hoho

Movie: Office Christmas Party (2016)

It goes without saying, but as usual Kate McKinnon can steal any scene she is in.

Another first watch for us both, and we were surprised that the movie was better than expected—most likely due to the stacked cast. It’s a fun romp that combines a time-sensitive quest with the zaniness of an unhinged Christmas party, with highly specific character work bolstering the overall story.

Check it out if you want to:

See Jennifer Aniston play the villain.
Witness cocaine snow. Enough said.

Meal: Roast duck and root vegetables

This was the first time Johnny made an entire roast duck, and he did well! I will say if you look for roast duck recipes, there will be conflicting opinions about starting hot, finishing low, starting low, finishing hot … it becomes overwhelming. For dinner we had the legs and wings with veggies he roasted under the duck, and then were able to use the breasts in meals that followed the rest of the week. Major plus!

Week 3: Johnny’s pick

Movie: Four Christmases (2008)

Robert Duvall? Sissy Spacek? Jon Voight? This cast is nuts, considering those aren’t even the stars.

This film was another first watch for us and another movie that was honestly better than expected. Anyone with complicated family dynamics can understand the motivation of these two, but as usual, we see where lying gets us.

Check it out if you want to:

See Jon Favreau put Vince Vaughn in an arm bar, then do unspeakable things to his face.
Feel better about your own family.

Meal: Wine-braised chicken with artichoke hearts and mashed potatoes

This dish is in semi-regular rotation for us when we meal plan, but because we were also on vacation for a week, Johnny opted for an easy classic (plus it’s a different roast meat from the rest).

Week 4: Mel’s pick

christmas in connecticut GIF by Warner Archive

Movie: Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

Hands down, Felix is my favorite (Paprika Pride!)

We both really enjoyed this movie, and for me it’s probably my favorite of the entire month. It’s funny, it’s glamourous, it’s a bit of a romantic comedy … it’s everything I wanted and it looked great, too. Another film where we see where lies and deception can land us, but of course, with a very Hollywood happy ending.

Check it out if you want to:

Think you accidentally put on the wrong movie because the opening is VERY different from the rest of the film.
See Felix steal the entire movie.

Meal: Roast beef with gravy and roasted brussel sprouts with garlic

I grew up with my mom making roast beef pretty regularly, but I think this may be the first roast beef I’ve ever made myself. While it was a little closer to medium than medium rare, it was flavorful and the gravy complemented the meat nicely. Roasted brussel sprouts made for a great pairing, too.

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