Set cream cheese out to sofen; make the cream cheese mousse
Prepare Sweet Potato Gratin through first baking.
Bake the beets for the salad.
Cook the green beans for the salad.
Cook the bacon for the spinach and cut into pieces.
Up to one day ahead:
Prepare the red onions for the salad.
Bake the puff pastry squares for the dessert.
Cut up the strawberries.
Marinate the pork.
Day of the dinner...
Two hours ahead:
Prepare the panini appetizer.
Make the dressing for the salad.
Drain the onions for the salad and leave out at room temp.
Set out the green beans and beets to warm to room temp.
One hour before dinner:
Set out the sweet potato gratin to warm to room temp before final baking.
Melt jam & mix with strawberries; refrigerate.
45 minutes before dinner:
Start cooking the pork tenderloin.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Reheat paninis and serve.
Half hour before eating:
Heat oven to 425°F and finish cooking the sweet potato gratin.
Make the spinach.
Dinnertime:
Plate & serve the salad; sit down and enjoy.
Have someone clear the salad dishes & enlist someone's help to slice the pork while you garnish the gratin.
Plate and serve the pork, gratin and spinach.
Set the oven to 350°F.
Sit down and enjoy dinner!
After dinner:
Have someone clear the table while you refresh the pastry in the oven.
Assemble the dessert and serve.
Pork tenderloin is the star of this menu for a great Christmas Dinner. It's a busy time of year so we've designed a meal that is relatively easy to prepare and that includes pieces that can be prepared a day or two ahead, leaving just a few things to do on Christmas day.
Accompany the pork with a delicious sweet potato gratin and add creamed spinach for a colorful plate. Let the guests munch on our "expensive grilled cheese sandwich" noshes while you do the last minute cooking.
Serve a first course salad (ours carries a red and green color scheme!) and finish the meal with an easy & delicious strawberry napoleon.
We designed this dinner for Christmas, but it would work well for any fall or winter occasion.
Red: light-bodied Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, or Côte de Rhône White: California Chardonnay or French White Burgundy
With Dessert:
Freshly Brewed Espresso or Champagne
Table Decorations:
Make it a red and green theme. Christmas dishes if you have them! Poinsettias & evergreens and red-berry branches. Christmas ornaments scattered on the table. Candles decorated with gold ribbons (keep them away from the flame!). Tie gold wire ribbon around the stems of wine glasses.
Timing Tips: also see time line to the left
Panini: Can be made a few hours ahead and reheated at the last minute.
Salad: All elements can be made ahead; assemble at the last minute.
Pork Tenderloin: Does not take long to cook and is best cooked just before you are going to serve it.
Sweet Potato Gratin: Can be partially cooked up to two days ahead; pop in the oven to finish cooking just before serving dinner.
Creamed Spinach: Bacon can be cooked up to a day ahead and reheated in the microwave.
Dessert: Pastry can be baked a day ahead and refreshed in the oven before serving. Mouse can be made up to two days ahead. Strawberries can be partially prepared a day ahead, then finished a few hours ahead. Assemble just before serving.
Thaw puff pastry in fridge. 
