4 dishes we never thought could be part of our Noche Buena spread

In case you haven’t made the trek to your neighborhood supermarket, traditional Noche Buena staples ham, queso de bola, and fruit cake are starting to fill grocery shelves. Now if you’re still thinking of what to prepare for this year’s Christmas feast, why not try something different? Classics are really good—but it wouldn’t hurt to be a bit unconventional sometimes, right?

Pasta dish

So you want to get rid of the same ol’ spaghetti on your Noche Buena table, but at the same time, you aren’t ready to let go of pasta dishes? We got you. Carbonara, lasagna, and baked macaroni are great alternatives—but have you ever heard of creole pasta?

It looks a lot like spaghetti, but trust us, it’s a leveled up version. Creole sauce contains Worcestershire sauce and spices such as paprika, cayenne, dried oregano, dried basil, and dried thyme, making the dish more flavorful than the usual spaghetti sauce.

And you don’t have to bother searching for the recipe as Bigby’s Café and Restaurant offers creole pasta and chicken carbonara in party size. Now you can say buh-bye to Filipino-style and Italian-style spaghetti for a while.

Pita doner

Okay, hear us out: People always associate Christmas with bright colors such as red, green and gold—and most families like to incorporate these colors into their Noche Buena spread. Spaghetti for some reds, beef broccoli for some greens, and queso de bola for some golds. But do you know which food has all three of them? That’s right, pita doner. Turks offers a chicken pita doner that has cucumbers (green), tomatoes (red), and cheese (gold). In case you’re not into chicken, Turks also has beef pita doner, hotdog wrap, and kebab on rice which are just as colorful.

Plus, pita doners have all the flavors and textures you’re looking for in a Christmas dish: chewy (meat), crunchy (veggies), and savory with a little bit of spice. See, a very merry Christmas!

Packed meals

Does your family prefer boxed meals over family-style meals? If yes, then you might like Ribshack Grill’s spareribs with rice meal. The meal includes a slab of spareribs drizzled with barbecue sauce, atchara and extra barbecue sauce (in case the drizzle wasn’t enough). Ribshack Grill also offers grilled blue marlin with rice and atchara, Korean spicy pork with rice and kimchi, and a Christmas ham steak value meal.

Now you wouldn’t have to fight over the last piece of meat because everyone has their own. Besides, ordering individual meals is safer as it minimizes the risks of cross-contamination. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Frozen dairy dessert

Desserts like fruit salad and buko pandan are usually the highlights of a good Noche Buena feast. Some even skip the main course—too excited to get a taste of these creamy desserts. But what if we tell you we know some frozen desserts that are just as good (if not better) as the classic holiday mainstays?

Wendy’s just released the newest addition to its Holiday Frosty Overload series: the Choco Cookie Overload. It’s made with a chocolate dairy base, topped with chunky chocolate cookies and drizzled with chocolate syrup. Other options include Black Forest Overload Frosty (vanilla dairy base, topped with chunky Oreo cookie bits and drizzled with strawberry syrup) and Rocky Road Overload Frosty (chocolate dairy base, topped with cracks of caramelized walnut and soft marshmallows then drizzled with rich chocolate sauce). But we suggest getting all three of them, TBH.

The new normal has really made us think out of the box—and yes, even with our food choices. So we hope these alternatives can satisfy you and your family on Noche Buena. Have a safe Christmas, everyone!

Originally published in Shopmag Online

Header photo courtesy of Libby Penner on Unsplash