Category Archives: Holiday Dishes

Grinch Punch

Posted by admin in Drinks, Holiday Dishes, Party Ready, Vegetarian
  • Hawaiian Punch Polar Blast
  • Sparkling White Grape Juice
  • Orange Juice, pulp free
  • Vanilla frosting
  • Nonpareils or sprinkles, lime green
  • clear plastic or glass cups/goblets (9oz+)*
  • clear, round glass ornaments*

Pour the nonpareils/sprinkles into a small bowl or plate. Turning the cup upside down, dip the rim into the frosting, then into the nonpareils/sprinkles so they coat the cup rim. Pour into the cup approximately 4oz Hawaiian Punch and 2oz sparkling grape juice. Remove the top of an ornament and pour 2-3oz orange juice into the bulb. Replace the top of the ornament and set the ornament on the top of the cup. Repeat for the other cups and ornaments. When ready to drink, uncap the ornament and pour the orange juice into the cup.

*Make sure the opening of the cup is narrow enough to hold up a standard ornament. I used the Great Value 100 count clear 9oz cups. Use glass ornaments only, as plastic ornaments are not likely to be food safe. Wash/rinse before and after use.

Deviled Eggs

Posted by admin in Appetizers, Holiday Dishes, Party Ready, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • paprika or dill, for garnish

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water with a spoon and boil the eggs for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and immediately set into a large bowl of ice water. Swirl eggs around until cooled and ice is almost fully melted. Peel off shells and discard.

Cut each egg in half. Carefully remove the yolk from the center and place into a ziploc bag. Place the egg whites onto a serving tray or plate. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper into the bag. Mix thoroughly, smashing the egg yolks until smooth. Cut the corner off the bag and use to pipe the mixture into the egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika or dill and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Apple Pie

Posted by admin in Baked Goods, Desserts, Holiday Dishes, Vegetarian
  • 8 T unsalted butter
  • 3 T flour
  • 1/4 c water
  • 1 c sugar
  • 6-7 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and cored (thinly sliced)
  • 1 1/2 t cinnamon
  • 2 refrigerated pie crusts
  • 1 egg

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then simmer for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in water and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and continue simmering 3 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from heat.

Thinly slice the apples and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon and toss to combine. Pour the sauce over the apples and stir to coat.

Place one pie crust in a 9″ pie plate. Add apple mixture, mounding slightly in the center. Unroll second crust and cut into 10 even-thickness strips using a pizza cutter. Arrange strips in a woven lattice pattern over the top. In a small bowl, beat together egg and 1 tablespoon of water and brush the top of the pie crust lattice with the egg mixture.

Bake at 425F for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F and continue baking another 45 minutes or until apples are soft and filling is bubbling. Rest at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

Spatchcocked Thanksgiving Turkey

Posted by admin in Holiday Dishes, Main Dishes

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  • 12-14 lbs turkey, thawed

HERB BUTTER

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp ground sage
  • 1 tbsp ground rosemary
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp salt

Thaw your turkey! A turkey that’s even partially frozen will not cook in time. The general rule is to thaw in the fridge for 24 hours per every 4 pounds, so a 12-14 lbs turkey will need to start thawing about 4 days prior to cooking.

In a bowl, mix together the room temperature butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, and salt until combined. Set aside.

Remove the neck and giblets from turkey and set aside. Place turkey breast-side-down on a sturdy surface. Using a sharp knife or very sharp kitchen shears, carefully cut along each side of the spine until the spine is completed separated. Remove the spine and use a knife to score down the length of the breastbone.

Flip the turkey over so the breasts are facing up. Place your hands on the breast bone and use your body weight to apply pressure until it cracks the breast bone, allowing the turkey to lay relatively flat.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Arrange the neck and giblets on the bottom of the pan. Lay your spatchcocked turkey over the neck/giblets so the breasts are facing up. Gently tuck the wing tips underneath the breasts to prevent burning.

Stick your hands under the skin of the turkey, separating it from the meat as best possible. Using your hands, spread the herb butter both on top and under the skin of the turkey.

Roast in an oven at 450F for 30 minutes. Baste the turkey with its juices & reduce heat to 350 degrees. Continue to roast, basting every 20 minutes and rotating for even browning, for one hour or until the thickest part of the thigh reads at least 175F.

Let the turkey rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Stuffing

Posted by admin in Holiday Dishes, Side Dishes

Thanksgiving 2017 (16)

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1/3 c butter
  • 1/4 t ground sage
  • 1/8 t ground thyme
  • 1/4 t rosemary
  • 1 t parsley
  • 6 c bread cubes
  • 1-2 c chicken broth
  • pepper
  • salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and herbs. Cook over medium-low until tender (do not brown), about 10-12 minutes.

Place bread cubes in a large bowl and add onion mixture. Pour broth over bread mixture, starting with 1 cup and adding as needed until cubes are moist (but not soggy). Gently toss with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place mixture in a serving dish and cover with foil. Bake in 350F oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Posted by admin in Holiday Dishes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

  • 2 (29 oz) cans sweet potatoes
  • ⅔ c sugar
  • ½ c butter, softened
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 t vanilla
  • ⅓ c milk

TOPPING

  • ⅓ c butter, melted
  • 1 c brown sugar
  • ½ c flour
  • 1 c pecans, chopped

In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes. Beat in sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk until thoroughly combined. Pour into a 9×13 pan and spread evenly.

To make the topping, combine topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir and mix to combine. Crumble topping over sweet potatoes.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Christmas Stovetop Potpourri

Posted by admin in Holiday Dishes, Uncategorized

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  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 1/2 c cranberries, whole
  • 2 star anise
  • 1-2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1/4 c cloves, whole
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig of rosemary

Fill a saucepan with water. Add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let sit until the water has greatly reduced. Add more water over time, if desired. Enjoy a beautifully-scented home!

Do not leave stove on while sleeping or away from home.

Pumpkin Pie

Posted by admin in Baked Goods, Desserts, Holiday Dishes, Vegetarian

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  • 1 refrigerated pie crust
  • 3/4 c sugar
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 2 t cinnamon*
  • 1 t ground ginger*
  • 1 t nutmeg*
  • 1/4 t ground cloves*
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

Preheat the oven to 425F. Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before unrolling. Press pie crust into 9-inch pie plate and flute the edges with your thumb.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the eggs and whisk until blended. Add pumpkin and evaporated milk until combined. Pour into pie crust.

Bake in a 425F oven for 15 minutes. Cover the pie crust edges with foil or a pie shield and lower temperature to 350F. Bake for an additional 40-45 minutes, until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Spices can be substituted with 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice mix.

Pecan Pie

Posted by admin in Baked Goods, Desserts, Holiday Dishes, Vegetarian

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  • 1 refrigerated pie crust
  • 3/4 c corn syrup
  • 1 c brown sugar
  • 1/4 c unsalted butter
  • 2 t vanilla extract
  • 1/2 t cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 c pecans, halved or chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F and position the oven rack in the bottom 1/3 of the oven. Take the pie dough out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Transfer the pie dough to the pie plate. Place the pie plate and crust in the fridge as you make the filling.

Add the corn syrup, brown sugar and butter to a medium saucepan over low heat. Melt together until the sugar is no longer grainy and the butter is melted, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar mixture into the eggs. Quickly, so the eggs don’t scramble, whisk the rest of the warm brown sugar mixture into the eggs.

Take the pie crust out of the fridge and place the pecans in the pie shell, then pour the filling mixture into the crust (the pecans will float to the top). Fold over and crimp any excess crust. Cover the edges of the crust with a pie shield or foil to prevent it from burning.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, then remove from the oven and let sit at room temperature for at least 4 hours before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Green Bean Casserole

Posted by admin in Holiday Dishes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian and tagged with

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1 can French-style green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms, drained
1-1/2 c French-fried onions
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix green beans, soup, and mushrooms in a baking dish. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 10-15 minutes until warm throughout. Top with French-fried onions and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Cranberry Sauce

Posted by admin in Holiday Dishes, Side Dishes

Cranberry Sauce (4) - cropped

1 c sugar
1 c water
4 c (12oz pkg) fresh cranberries
1 c chopped walnuts

Rinse cranberries, discarding any bruised or under-ripe berries. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan on high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries to the pot and return to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the cranberries have burst. Remove from heat and let cool completely at room temperature. Add walnuts and transfer to a bowl to chill in the refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Pumpkin Roll

Posted by admin in Desserts, Holiday Dishes

Pumpkin Roll

3 eggs
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts

Combine all ingredients except nuts.  Line 10 x 15 inch cookie sheet with waxed paper and spray with cooking spray.  Pour mixture onto sheet.  Sprinkle nuts over top.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Dirt Cake

Posted by admin in Desserts, Holiday Dishes, Vegetarian and tagged with

  • 2 (20 oz) packages Oreo cookies
  • 4 T butter
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 ½ cup milk
  • 2 small French vanilla instant pudding boxes
  • 12 oz Cool Whip
  • 1 package gummy worms

Cream the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar together.  Mix pudding together with the milk, add the Cool Whip to pudding mixture.  Blend in with cream cheese mixture.  Crumble Oreos in a blender (leave the cream in).  In a large container or plastic cups, alternate cookie crumbs and filling, ending with the cookie crumbs on top.  Top with gummy worms (feel free to add a few in the layers).

Wassail

Posted by admin in Drinks, Holiday Dishes

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
12 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
3 qts orange juice ( 2 cans prepared OJ – 96 oz)
32oz cranapple juice

Simmer all ingredients except juices over low heat for 10 minutes.  Discard spices. Add juices to the syrup. Heat and serve.

Makes 4 quarts.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Posted by admin in Holiday Dishes, Main Dishes

1 pumpkin (small to medium)
1 onion, chopped
2 T vegetable oil
1 ½-2 lbs ground beef
2 T soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 10¾oz can cream of chicken soup
1 ½ c cooked rice
1 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained

Cut off the top of the pumpkin and thoroughly clean out seeds and pulp. Paint an appropriate face on the front of the pumpkin with a permanent marker. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, sauté onions in oil until tender. Add meat and brown. Drain drippings from skillet. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms and soup. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked rice and water chestnuts. Spoon mixture into the cleaned pumpkin shell. Replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin, with filling, on a baking sheet. Bake 1 hour or until inside meat of the pumpkin is tender. Put pumpkin on a plate. Remove pumpkin lid and serve meat, scooping cooked pumpkin from inside of the shell.

Serves 6.

Swiss Vegetable Medley

Posted by admin in Holiday Dishes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

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1 16oz bag frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower combination (Broccoli Normandy)
¼ t black pepper
1 c shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 c sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 4oz jar of pimentos (opt)
1 2.8oz can French-fried onions

Combine vegetables, soup, ½ cup cheese, sour cream, pimento and ½ can French-fried onions. Pour into 1 quart casserole. Bake, covered at 350° for 30 minutes. Add remaining cheese and onions; bake uncovered for 5 minutes.

Eggnog

Posted by admin in Drinks, Holiday Dishes

8 eggs
1 t salt
4 t vanilla
¼ t imitation rum flavoring (opt)
1 c sugar
1 gal milk
Nutmeg

Beat eggs, sugar and salt until sugar dissolves. Add milk and vanilla; mix well. Refrigerate. Serve garnished with nutmeg.

*If raw eggs bother you, the eggnog can be cooked. Heat over low heat, but do not boil.

Mummy Bites

Posted by admin in Appetizers, Holiday Dishes, Party Ready

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½ lb hamburger
2 shakes garlic salt
1 3oz pkg cream cheese
1 can refrigerator rolls (10)
3 olives, finely chopped

Soften cream cheese, setting a little aside for decoration. Mix with hamburger and garlic salt. Shape into 30 small balls. Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut each roll into thirds. Wrap a strip of roll around each ball. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes at 350°. Spoon remaining cream cheese into a ziploc bag; cut off very tip of one corner. Squeeze cream cheese through tip to make 2 small dots on each ball for eyes. Place small bits of olive in cream cheese for pupils.

Chicken Holiday Wreath

Posted by admin in Holiday Dishes, Main Dishes, Party Ready

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  • 1 chicken breast, uncooked and chopped small
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
  • 1/2 c broccoli, chopped
  • 8oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 1/2 onion, diced small
  • 1 c shredded colby jack cheese
  • 10.5oz can cream of chicken soup
  • 2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350F. In a pan over medium heat, cook the chicken, seasoned with the salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Add all ingredients except crescent rolls and mix thoroughly.

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Separate crescent roll dough into 16 triangles and arrange in a circle on the pan with the wide ends overlapping in the center and the points toward the outside. There should be a 3-5 inch diameter opening in the center of the dough. Push down the dough where it overlaps to even out the thickness of the dough.

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Scoop the chicken mixture evenly onto widest section of triangles.

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Wrap points of dough over the filling and tuck beneath the wide ends of dough. (Filling will not be completely covered.) Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, covering with foil for half the bake time so the breading is golden, but not burnt.