Nothing says holiday to me, like the smell of a roast in the oven.

Unlike thanksgiving, when i relish being in the kitchen for days on end and cooking the whole day away while family and friends gather in the home to watch football and play board games, on christmas, the last thing I want to do is be in the kitchen. I want to watch my children as they unwrap and play with presents, I want to slowly complete a family puzzle, and talk with friends and family over mimosa’s and snacks.

Therefore, my christmas meal is always comprised of things I can have prepped ahead of time, and throw in the oven without having to give them a second thought. Case in point, my make-ahead mashed potatoes.

This roast, while it does need basting and babying, doesn’t require a lot of work, and can basically be left in the oven to do its thing.

Ingredients:

3.75 lb boneless ribeye roast

2 Tbsp evoo

2 leeks, halved, sliced, and rinsed

4 sprigs of rosemary

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

8 sprigs of thyme, stalks discarded

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 large garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.

In a bowl, combine soften butter, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Cut slits on all sides of roast, by sticking a pairing knife into the meat about a 1/2 inch down.

Slather compound butter mixture all over roast.

Combine leeks and evoo in the bottom of an oven safe roasting pan.

Place 4 sprigs of rosemary over leeks to form a square. Place roast on rosemary.

Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Baste. Turn heat down to 325.

Baste every 15 - 20 minutes until oven safe thermometer reads meat at 125 degrees (approximate 2 hours total).

Remove meat from the oven and let rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Note: Reserve cooking fat for yorkshire pudding if so desire.