What to Eat With Eggnog: Ideas for All Courses
Eggnog is the most famous Christmas drink. Since eggnog is a mixture of eggs, milk, and alcohol, it combines these three flavors, and many find it a bit difficult to combine them properly. Not that eggnog is hard to pair, or it doesn’t generally go with food, but its specific and recognizable taste doesn’t go with just anything. So, what to eat with eggnog?
Eggnog goes best with milk-based foods, nuts, pretzels, and similar snacks, mushrooms, smoked meats, potato chips, popcorn, Fruit, zucchini, cookies, muffins, and other sweet and savory snacks.
Because Christmas isn’t complete without eggnog, the only thing better than eggnog for Christmas is well-paired eggnog. Getting the right eggnog snack can enhance the entire experience and make your Christmas more magical. Therefore, in the following paragraphs, I will discuss what to combine eggnog with to enjoy it to the fullest.
Appetizers to Serve With Eggnog
Eggnog pairs well with appetizers that aren’t too strong. So, you want appetizers more inclined to the neutral zone, but you need some flavor.
Canapes
Canapes are a great idea to pair eggnog with. Not overly flavorful but still delicious, you can make yellow cheese canapes combined with smoked meat. Garnish with some herbal spice, not too much, though, and you’re done.
Grilled Zucchini
Grilled zucchini goes marvelously with eggnog, but the trick is to grill the zucchini to a crisp and not go overboard with the seasoning. A pinch of salt is more than enough.
Smoked Meat Plate
Although this doesn’t fit the “neutral-tasting” rule I previously mentioned, smoked meat is a great idea to pair your eggnog with, as the alcohol string in the eggnog is the one that does the magic here. A mixed plate of prosciutto, speck, and smoked ham will do nicely.
Potato Skins
Potato skins are an excellent pair to eggnog. They are the perfect combination of bitter and sweet and will go very nicely with the eggnog because those are the flavors eggnog combines as well.
Potato Chips
Although you can have fried potato chips, I still recommend you serve baked potato slices. Slice the potato as thin as you can and let the slices bake. You can add some salt, but very lightly, so as to retain the potato’s natural sweetness.
What Main Dishes Go With Eggnog?
Because eggnog is more of a snacking drink, it doesn’t pair with many main dishes. Still, there are some meals you can enjoy having with eggnog.
Four Cheeses Pasta
Milky and cheesy, the four cheeses pasta will do a great job paired with eggnog. The flavors are very compatible, and the eggnog alcohol string will greatly enrich these flavors. A sip of eggnog will leave a great aftertaste after a bite of this main dish.
Mac and Cheese
If you are after simplicity, mac and cheese is your guy. This cheesy meal combined with eggnog will give you a holiday experience you couldn’t even imagine. The flavors are compatible, the textures are perfect for each other, and those crispy macs from the edges will be the cherry on top of your Christmas experience.
Meat and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Here too, we have a cheesy meal. Mushrooms pair great with eggnog, as they are as flavorful as they are neutral. Stuff them with fried ground beef and top them with cheese. Pop them in the oven, and you have a great meal in no time.
The cheesy part is for the eggnog to slide right into the combination. Without the cheese, the stuffed mushrooms will still go nicely with the eggnog, but you will feel as if something is missing.
Sweet Potato Casserole
There’s something about potatoes and eggnog that makes these two of the best pairing combinations. The sweet potato casserole will complement the eggnog taste, while the eggnog will amplify the flavors in the casserole. Though you don’t have to, you can top the casserole with some cheddar.
Cheese Pie
Cheese pie and eggnog are yet another excellent idea. Velvety, soft, and creamy, the cheese pie flavor will gently merge with the silkiness of the eggnog, making a genuine Christmas celebration in your mouth.
What Dessert to Serve With Eggnog?
The dessert category is where you have the most options. While the other categories can be restrictive, this one is the most generous.
Buttermilk Pie
The buttermilk pie pairs perfectly with eggnog. Both are creamy and silky, smooth as silk, and rich as velvet. You cannot go wrong with this combination.
Cheesecake
Choose whichever cheesecake you like, as it will undoubtedly be the right decision. You can top your cheesecake with chocolate for a better effect, even though the recipe isn’t such. The creaminess of the cheesecake and the butteriness of the eggnog will give you a Christmas you’ll never forget.
Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti
Yes, as simple as it can be. Biscotti and eggnog are an excellent pair, as eggnog is great for biscotti dunking. The dry crumbliness of the biscotti will meet the rich creaminess of the eggnog, and together they will create a new texture with a new flavor you won’t be able to resist.
Muffins
Vanilla and chocolate muffins are the best choices for eggnog pairing. You can have them separately or chocolate and vanilla combined in one; you will be amazed at how good eggnog and muffins go together.
Pudding
One is smooth, and the other is smoother, and, at times, you won’t know which is which. This eggnog and pudding combination will enchant and amaze you. I recommend warm vanilla pudding combined with chilled eggnog.
What Snack Goes Well With Eggnog?
Like the dessert category, the snack category is also very versatile regarding its eggnog pairing options.
Pretzels
The perfect balance between crunchy and soft and salty and neutral, pretzels are a great snack to nibble on and pair with eggnog.
Popcorn
Imagine this, eggnog, popcorn, and your favorite Christmas movie; it doesn’t get any better than this, does it? Popcorn and eggnog go hand in hand and are, actually, quite complimentary, so don’t think twice if this is your idea of a perfect Christmas.
Gingerbread Men
Gingerbread man is a synonym for Christmas, so it only makes sense that it goes hand in hand with eggnog. What makes this combination so special is the fact that the crumbly structure of the gingerbread men pairs perfectly with the eggnog’s velvety consistency; also, both contain many of the same flavoring spices.
Dried Fruit
Dried Fruit and eggnog are also a great combination. Dried figs, dates, apricots, and peaches are great eggnog companions. Texture-wise and taste-wise, they are highly compatible, as the sweetness of the dried Fruit complements the softness of the eggnog.
Nuts
Last on this list, but certainly not least, nuts and eggnog pair perfectly. The crumbly elegance of the nuts, combined with the creamy silkiness of the eggnog, results in an indescribable sensation in your mouth and an extraordinary palate teaser.
What to Serve With Eggnog Ice Cream?
Eggnog ice cream is a delightful dessert, and pairing it with the right ingredients; becomes what Christmas magic is all about.
Coffee
It would be a terrible mistake, not to mention coffee as an eggnog ice cream addition. The milkiness of the ice cream combined with the opposing bitter coffee flavor will definitely be your road to heaven. Moreover, combining cold ice cream with hot black coffee will be more than an excellent idea.
Cookies
Serve your eggnog ice cream with dry and crumbly tea cookies. The neutrality of the cookies will be excellently supplemented by the abundant eggnog ice cream, creating a genuine cookie sandwich sensation in your mouth.
Oranges
In some cultures, oranges are considered Christmas fruits, so it only makes sense for them to go with eggnog ice cream. Serve your eggnog ice cream with a plate of oranges on the side, they will decorate your setting, but they will also add freshness and deliciousness to your dessert.
Chocolate Cake
Not only will chocolate cake go with your eggnog pudding, but they will bring out the best in each other. You can serve them separately or mix them together. I’d recommend putting a few scoops of your eggnog ice cream on a piece of chocolate cake instead of an ice cream bowl.
Warm Brandy and Cinnamon Sticks
The warm brandy and cold eggnog ice cream, combined with the cinnamon sticks dipped into your brandy glass, are the perfect ending to your Christmas dinner. Since eggnog already contains brandy, it isn’t a wonder that the eggnog ice cream goes perfectly with the brandy flavor.
