Serve a Gift to Remember Using Recipes and Tips from Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner.

Whether you’re hosting traditional holiday festivities for family and friends or you’re planning a more intimate gathering, beef on the menu ensures all your guests will be full of holiday cheer. Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. a brand managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, has festive recipe ideas that are perfect for any way you choose to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. Each of these dishes can either be included in your full holiday spread or served as hors d’oeuvres on individual plates, depending on your guests’ comfort level.

“We know everyone is looking for delicious ways to celebrate the holidays with minimal stress and these recipes paired with a glass of wine are a classic way to entertain guests while stretching your budget,” said Chef Alex Reitz, Associate Director of the Beef Culinary Center at NCBA.

For those looking to get a head start on their New Year’s resolution, Holiday Mini Meatball Skewers are the perfect combination of beef and vegetables that will make your holiday party pop. This guilt-free appetizer incorporates lean ground beef, fresh zucchini, and includes a flavorful cranberry barbecue sauce. This holiday delight proves that being health conscious celebrating the holiday season can go hand in hand.

Another crowd-pleasing dish your guests are sure to ask for year after year, Beef and Caramelized Onion Knishes. The savory, traditional snack combines beef, onions, mashed potatoes, and cream cheese to create rolls packed with flavor. For this recipe, you can cook your beef in advance and customize with either shredded beef or beef sausage. BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com has great tips on how to slow-cook beef, along with some of the best cuts to use for shredded beef.

A traditional holiday showstopper is Beef Wellington, but if you’ve never made one before or are looking to keep this year’s dinner a little more simple, try making Individual Beef Wellingtons. This recipe incorporates everything there is to love about the classic – think juicy beef tenderloin in a flaky, decadent crust – but is a time saver taking about half of the time to prepare.

This year’s holiday dishes have never been easier, giving you more time to spend with those who matter most, and giving them a gift to remember.

About the Beef Checkoff
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff Program is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.