In the spirit of the holidays, I have pulled together various recipes I have gathered from friends, FB, magazines, and different sources that I would like to try. Some I have tasted while others are new. Some are 'whole foods' oriented while others are not...Most are 'comfort food' type recipes that are apparently crowd-pleasers.
In case you might be entertaining this holiday season and needed some new ideas, wanted to share some of these with you.
Enjoy, happy holidays, and cheers!
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| I had to include this, it's the holidays after all! |
BAKED FRENCH TOAST
(from Shelly Sison, from Allrecipes.com)
One Allrecipes.com reviewer noted, "After reading WAY TOO MANY reviews, here is what I did and it came out PERFECT!!! 6 eggs, 2 cups half and half (no milk), 2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, soaked overnight, let sit out while oven preheated and turned each piece over, baked covered with foil for 20 minutes, poured sauce over the top and baked uncovered for the remaining 20 minutes. FANTASTIC!!! Kids and grown-ups ate it all up. Served with fresh melon. This will be our new Christmas morning breakfast!!!"
INGREDIENTS
1 (1 lb) loaf French bread, cut diagonally in 1-in slices
7-8 eggs
1-2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half cream
2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
3 T light corn syrup
INSTRUCTIONS
Butter 9x13 baking dish. Arrange slices of bread in bottom.
In large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Next morning: preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture.
Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.
GRINCH KABOBS
INGREDIENTS
Grapes
Strawberries
Bananas
Marshmellows
Assemble above ingredients as shown...
SANTA PASTI WREATH
INGREDIENTS
•
Rosemary Sprigs
•
4 oz peppadew peppers
•
2 lb assorted cured meats,
salami, prosciutto, mortadella
•
1 lb assorted cheeses:
parmigiano-reggiano, bocconcini, etc
•
1/2 lb marinated olives
•
1/2 marinated vegetables:
onions, peppers
INSTRUCTIONS
Line the edge of a large,
round platter with the rosemary springs.
Nestle the peppers in the rosemary. Arrange the meats, cheeses, olives, and vegetables on the
platter…
INDIVIDUAL CHICKEN POT
PIES
INGREDIENTS
• Rotisserie chicken sliced into pieces (approx 2 c)
• 2 Pillsbury Pie Crusts (refrig section near dairy)
• 8 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
• Can cream of celery soup
• ½ cups milk
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt + pepper to taste
• 1-1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
INSTRUCTIONS (note, picture above used espresso cups, but for my recipe, you can use ramekins or mini foil pans)
Preheat oven to 375.
Defrost veggies in microwave for 3-4 minutes. Cut 2 piecrusts into quarters to
yield 8 equal pieces. Coat inside of 4 ramekins with cooking spray. Line
bottom of each with a quarter of crust, molding it with your fingers to fit.
In large bowl combine the veggies, soup, milk, chicken, cheese, garlic
salt, pepper. Spoon 2/3 cup of mixture into each ramekin. Top each
with piecrust quarter, pinching edges together. Cut vents in top.
Place on baking sheet and bake 35-45 min or until golden brown.
PULLED PORK IN CROCK POT
(100 Days of Real Food
Blog)
INGREDIENTS
•
3 tablespoons
paprika
•
2 tablespoons
salt
•
2 teaspoons
black pepper
•
1 teaspoon
cayenne pepper
•
1 teaspoon
garlic powder
•
½ teaspoon
dried thyme
•
½ cup honey
•
¼ cup red wine
vinegar
•
3 tablespoons
olive oil
•
1 onion, peeled
and cut in half
•
3 to 3 ½ pounds
pork shoulder, cut in half
INSTRUCTIONS
1.
In a medium
size mixing bowl, mix together the first six ingredients (all of the spices)
with a fork.
2.
Pour in the
honey, vinegar, and olive oil and stir to form a paste.
3.
Place the onion
in the bottom of the slow cooker. Top it with the 2 pieces of
pork and then pour the honey paste over all sides of the pork pieces. It’s okay
if some of it (or a lot of it) just drips down to the bottom.
4.
Turn the slow
cooker on to low and cook for 7 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender enough
to be easily shredded with a fork.
5.
Serve warm with
fixings like homemade cole slaw and cornbread. My husband also likes his dipped
in a little hot sauce. Refrigerate or freeze the leftovers.
PORK TENDERLOIN IN CROCK
POT
(Crock Pot Recipes FB Page)
INGREDIENTS
•
2 lb Pork
Tenderloin
•
¼ cup low
sodium soy sauce
•
1 T yellow
mustard
•
2-3 T maple
syrup
•
2 T olive oil
•
2 T diced dried
onions
•
1 ½ tsp Garlic
salt or powder
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix ingredients above.
Pour over tenderloin in crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours…
LINDSAY’S HAM & CHEESE
SLIDERS
(Lindsay Reau….these are
SO delicious and savory...they literally melt in your mouth!)
Sliders:
·
2 pkg Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
- 24
·
1 lb. sliced Black Forest
ham
·
1/2 lb. Swiss Cheese or
Jarlsberg
Assemble rolls with desired
quantities of ham and cheese, and arrange in a deep baking pan (Pyrex works)
*Topping:
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds (optional)
2 tsp dried onion flakes
1 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce
*Bring topping ingredients
to a boil in small sauce pan and then spoon over top of the rolls just before
baking. Bake for 15 min at 350 degrees.
SUN-DRIED TOMATO, SPINACH, & GOAT CHEESE STUFFING
(Top Chef Masters Champ, Douglas Keane)
INGREDIENTS
3 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. spinach, rinsed and dried
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 1/4 lbs rustic bread, diced and toasted
1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (reserve some oil from jar)
8 oz goat cheese
3-4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 T salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350. In a saute pan, heat olive oil, add garlic, spinach, and mushrooms and saute over high heat until liquid is evaporated, 10-15 min.
In a large bowl, combine spinach mixture with bread, tomatoes, and goat cheese. Add enough broth to moisten. Add salt to taste.
Place stuffing in a greased 3-qt baking dish and bake 45 min.
Drizzle with reserved tomato oil just before serving.
CHEESY HASH BROWN
CASSEROLE
(Similar to Cracker
Barrel’s) –
(100 Days of Real Food
Blog)
INGREDIENTS
•
6 tablespoons
butter + extra for greasing the pan
•
⅓ cup diced onion
•
1 clove garlic,
minced
•
4 tablespoons
whole wheat flour
•
1½ cups milk
•
½ teaspoon salt
•
Pepper, to
taste
•
2 cups freshly
grated mild cheddar cheese
•
1 pound frozen
hash browns (no need to defrost), be sure to buy a brand with only 1 ingredient
– potatoes
INSTRUCTIONS
6.
Preheat the
oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a square baking dish with butter (8 x 8 or 9 x 9
inch) and set aside.
7.
In a large
saute pan over medium heat melt the butter. Cook the diced onion until it
softens but does not brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Throw in the minced garlic
and cook while stirring for 1 more minute.
8.
Turn the heat
down to medium low and whisk in the flour. Continuously stir until the flour
darkens but is not burnt, about 1 to 2 minutes.
9.
Whisk in the
milk, salt, and pepper until it slightly thickens, about 1 minute.
10. Turn the heat off and, using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir
in the grated cheese until it melts. Fold in the hash browns until evenly
coated.
11. Transfer to the baking dish being careful to push the thick
mixture down on top into one even layer.
12. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes uncovered, and then turn the heat
up to broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until the top turns golden brown. Keep a
close eye under the broiler so it doesn’t burn! Serve warm and enjoy.
LINDSAY’S
FAVORITE POTATOES
INGREDIENTS
· 2 Bags of Orida
frozen “mashed” potatoes
·
1/2 cup chopped onion
·
1 stick butter
·
1 16-oz sour
cream
·
Cream of
mushroom soup
·
8 oz sharp
cheddar cheese
·
1 tsp salt
·
¼ tsp pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Saute
chopped onion in butter until tender.
Add
mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper.
Stir
until cheese melts. Remove from
heat. Add sour cream. Mix with potatoes. Place in 9x13 baking dish, 325-350
degrees covered for 45 min, uncovered 15 additional minutes (1 hr total).
ROASTED
MAPLE BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH PANCETTA AND CHESTNUTS (LAURA PENSIERO)
INGREDIENTS
· 4 ounces pancetta, diced
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 2 cups fresh roasted chestnuts, approximately ¾ pound in shell
(substitute peeled, frozen chestnuts if desired)
· 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved (quartered, if large)
· Salt and pepper
· ¼ cup warm water
· 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
· Pinch cayenne pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425
degrees.
2. Roasting removes the
shell and richens the flavor of chestnuts. Using the tip of a knife, cut a
small X in the flat side of their outer shell, then spread them out on a baking
pan. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes; you will see the skin curling away and the
chestnut taking on a golden color. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. The
shells can easily be removed. Set aside the chestnuts.
3. Heat the olive oil in a
large (approximately three- to four-quart) saute pan or skillet over
medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring often, until it renders
its fat and is lightly browned. Add the chestnuts, toss or stir to combine,
then cook for about one minute. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, tossing or
stirring, for about two minutes.
4. Transfer vegetables to
a rimmed baking pan or roasting pan; they should spread out into one slightly
overlapping layer. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the upper third of
the oven, stirring once halfway through until the vegetables are golden and
tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Use the tip of a sharp paring knife to test the
doneness at the base of a Brussels sprout; it should insert easily.
5. In a small bowl or cup, stir
together the water, maple syrup, and cayenne. Pour the mixture into the hot
baking pan, using a wooden spoon to dissolve any browned bits. Return pan to
oven and cook another five minutes. Serve hot or warm, family-style, in a
festive bowl.
GREEN BEAN
CASSEROLE
Claim to fame: “One bite and you will never go back to
the "old way" of making green bean casserole ever again. No
"cream of something" soup in this baby.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons
butter
2 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white
sugar
1/4 cup onion,
diced
1 cup sour cream
3 (14.5 ounce)
cans French style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded
Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled
buttery round crackers
1 tablespoon
butter, melted
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to
350
Melt 2 T butter
in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for
one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans,
and stir to coat.
Transfer the
mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top.
In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and
sprinkle over the cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in
the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.
MARTHA STEWART LEMON DROP
CHAMPAGNE PUNCH
(thanks to Ruthie Wittenberg for sharing!)
(thanks to Ruthie Wittenberg for sharing!)
INGREDIENTS
•
3 lemons, room temp
•
1/2 cup sugar
•
1 bottle (750 mL)
Champagne, chilled
•
3/4 cup best-quality
vodka, chilled
•
4 oz candied lemon peels
INSTRUCTIONS
1) With a vegetable peeler,
remove zest from each lemon in a long, continuous spiral. Juice lemons,
and strain pulp (you should have 3/4 cup juice). Set aside.
2) Heat sugar and 1/2 cup water
in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add zest. Let syrup cool
completely, about 2 hours.
3) Pour Champagne, vodka, lemon
juice, and syrup into a punch bowl; stir. Serve glasses of punch with
candied peels.
Note > Lemons are easier to
peel and will release more juice at room temp than when chilled.
DOUBLE CROSS
CRANBERRY MULE
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1.5 oz #DoubleCross Vodka
3/4 oz lime
juice
Ginger Beer
Dash of
cranberry juice
Pour all ingredients
over ice. Garnish with cranberries and lime. Cheers!
