Top 10 Holiday Recipes to Try This Season
Menu planning for the holiday season has a way of sneaking up on us, so to help you out we have gathered a list of our top 10 holiday recipes that are sure to please your family and friends.
We included some traditional recipes which bring back holiday memories from your past and some new, tasty recipes which you may not have seen before. Once your festive meal is complete and you have decorated your home for the holidays, it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy.
1) Pumpkin Bread
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup water
- 3 cups white sugar
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
2) Parmesan Breadsticks
- 1 pkg. puff pastry sheets, thawed according to package directions
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle half of the cheese over your work surface. Roll out the puff pastry on the cheese. Then combine remaining cheese with paprika and cornstarch and sprinkle on the pastry. Keep rolling the cheese mixture into the dough, turning a few times, until the dough is about 1/8" thick.
Using a sharp knife or a pastry cutter, cut into 1/2" strips and carefully place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 12-16 minutes until they are browned and crisp. Cool thoroughly and remove carefully from baking sheets. Store in airtight container. Serves 16.
3) Heavenly Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates
- 18 (1 by 1/4-inch) pieces cream cheese
- 18 pitted dates
- 18 salted and roasted whole almonds
- 6 slices bacon cut crosswise into thirds
- 18 wooden toothpicks
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stuff 1 piece of cheese and 1 almond into each date, then wrap one piece of bacon around each date and secure bacon with a toothpick if desired. Arrange dates, bacon seam down and 1 inch apart in a shallow baking pan.
Bake 5 minutes, then turn dates over with tongs and bake until bacon is crisp, 5 to 6 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel or parchment. Serve immediately.
4) Molasses Sugar Cookies
- 1 1/2 cups shortening
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
Melt the shortening in a large pan on the stove, and cool. Then add sugar, eggs, and molasses, beat well.
In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together and add to the pan. Mix well and chill 3 hours or overnight.
Form into walnut-size balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8-10 minutes.
5) Peanut Butter Cookies
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Press down with a fork.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool!
6) Sausage, Apple, Cranberry Stuffing
- 1 1/2 cups cubed whole wheat bread
- 3 3/4 cups cubed white bread
- 1 pound ground turkey sausage
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
- 1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup turkey stock
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C). Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to blend flavors.
Pour sausage mixture over bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to loosely fill.
7) Rosemary Roasted Turkey
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 (12 pound) whole turkey
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basil, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and salt. Set aside.
Wash the turkey inside and out; pat dry. Remove any large fat deposits. Loosen the skin from the breast. This is done by slowly working your fingers between the breast and the skin. Work it loose to the end of the drumstick, being careful not to tear the skin.
Using your hand, spread a generous amount of the rosemary mixture under the breast skin and down the thigh and leg. Rub the remainder of the rosemary mixture over the outside of the breast. Use toothpicks to seal skin over any exposed breast meat.
Place the turkey on a rack in a roasting pan. Add about 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Roast in the preheated oven 3 to 4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 180 degrees F.
8) Holiday Eggnog
- 6 eggs
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 quart milk
- 1/3 pint heavy whipping cream
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg & 1 pinch salt
Beat eggs; mix in condensed milk, vanilla, quart of milk and salt.
Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold in to egg and milk mixture and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve chilled.
Note: Use caution when consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs as there is a risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, use eggs that have been pre-treated to destroy solmonella (either by pasteurization or another approved method), or pasteurize the eggs yourself.
9) Christmas Fruitcake
- 1 pound Brazil nuts
- 1 pound pitted dates
- 3/4 cup candied cherries
- 1 pound candied pineapple
- 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line 2 small loaf pans with parchment or wax paper.
In a large bowl combine Brazil nuts, dates, cherries, and pineapple. Over the fruit and nuts sift the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Mix well.
In a small bowl combine eggs and vanilla; beat until foamy. Pour over fruit mixture and mix well. Spoon batter into prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
10) Traditional Deviled Eggs
- 7 large eggs, hard boiled and peeled
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
- Salt and pepper, for taste
- Paprika, sweet pickles, and pimentos for garnishing
Halve 7 eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl.
Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayonnaise, pickle relish, and mustard. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika, pickles, and pimentos. Store covered in refrigerator.