The Christmas season is a joyous time of the year, filled with warmth, cheer and hope. They say, Christmas is for kids. But in these trying times, this season brings a flicker of hope where both kids and kids-at-heart are reminded to be thankful for all the wonderful blessings received and pray for more blessings for the year ahead.

Amidst the typhoons, disasters, and the pandemic, Christmas remains to be highly anticipated by all. For a country with the longest Christmas season, Filipinos are already thinking about Christmas food to cook or order. Preparing for a Christmas feast is quite a challenge as many of us face financial difficulty. But Ajinomoto believes in the creativity and resourcefulness of Filipinos. We have prepared food platter ideas made with Ajinomoto products that can cater to both kids and kids-at-heart.

When you ask a child what he or she wants for a Christmas meal, “Chicken” will always be a part of the first picks. As a front runner in the top food picks, chicken can be a bit common for your Christmas feast. Try this Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe made with Crispy Fry® Seasoned Crumbs®. This recipe is a creative modification of your usual fried chicken. With added filling, kids and adults will surely enjoy the creamy, juicy, and crunchy texture of this dish.

After munching on a full meal, anyone will be rooting for desserts. Many will be preparing the traditional Buko Pandan and Fruit Salad for dessert. But to offer something different, you can try this Easy-Chilled Tiramisu recipe made with Prottie® Soymilk Drink Mix (Chocolate). Enjoy the creamy and rich dessert that will surely appeal to your sweet tooth. This recipe is a modification of the usual alcohol-infused tiramisu to make it more kid-friendly.

Knowing that most foods require fresh ingredients and fresh preparations, there are also dishes that can be prepared ahead in order to save time and cost. Chicken Cordon Bleu can be prepared ahead to let it firm up. This firming up method will allow you to fry chicken easily while retaining the shape of the rolled-up chicken. This is true as well in preparing Easy-Chilled Tiramisu, as it needs to be prepared ahead of time to let it set and hold for when it is sliced and served. These recipes are best to include in your food platter menu since these dishes can be prepared ahead – cutting the time used in doing things from scratch. It has a relatively good shelf life when chilled while firming it up. You can easily thaw raw chicken and fry it once needed. You can also keep tiramisu chilled awaiting the next meal time for consumption.

In this pandemic condition, celebration of the yuletide season can be considered as a reward to us for thriving through these very trying times. These budget friendly recipes can surely help you in preparing for a simple yet elevated feast for your family and for your business as well. Watch out for more exciting recipe ideas here in Cookmunity®!