Holiday cooking

[Tygerlilly]

With the holidays fast approaching, I insanely decided to host Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at my house.

I'm looking for some new recipes to try out! And I'm sure many of us could appreciate a new dish for dinner also. So hit Me with you favorite holiday dishes! Main courses, sides, desserts, all of it!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

We LOVE this dish and it's pretty easy.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/57713/gullivers-cream-corn/

 

[ramee]

I’ve been looking for recipes, as well. I haven’t made any of these yet, but this is what I found so far:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/christmas-meatballs/

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a56584/apple-crisp-cheesecakes-recipe/

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cinnamon-rolls

Or
https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cinnamon-rolls-3

https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/recipes/a4108/maple-sage-pork-sausage-recipe-clv0212/

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pretty-duchess-potatoes/

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/honey-whole-wheat-pan-rolls/

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/christmas-tortellini-spinach-soup/

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/overnight-coffee-crumble-cake

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/smore-rockin-reindeer-ravioli-recipe0-1916738

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/soft-thick-snickerdoodles-in-20-minutes/

I prefer to bake. Haven’t really looked up side dishes yet.

 

[OhMari]

I just want to say that I cheat on the mash potato’s. They are so time consuming. With everything being home made, this is one thing I will purchase and super easy to heat up, throw in a fancy bowl. With 12 people, I get about 4 of the pre made mash potatoes.

Some how Thanksgiving and Christmas has fallen in my lap the last 15 years. I do dole out dishes to others, but the majority really falls in your lap. I really wish I had 2 refrigerators and 2 ovens. This year I have my dd’s Baby shower during lunch and Thanksgiving dinner for supper. I told my dh he will have to get it ready and the turkey in the oven. He looked at me side ways.

 

[kymom99]

I just want to say that I cheat on the mash potato’s. They are so time consuming. With everything being home made, this is one thing I will purchase and super easy to heat up, throw in a fancy bowl. With 12 people, I get about 4 of the pre made mash potatoes.

Some how Thanksgiving and Christmas has fallen in my lap the last 15 years. I do dole out dishes to others, but the majority really falls in your lap. I really wish I had 2 refrigerators and 2 ovens. This year I have my dd’s Baby shower during lunch and Thanksgiving dinner for supper. I told my dh he will have to get it ready and the turkey in the oven. He looked at me side ways.

You can buy or borrow one of those electric roasters for your turkey. That will save oven space.

 

[ramee]

I thought about doing cheater potatoes, too. I like Betty Crocker potatoes in a pouch. Just add water ones are fine too. Last time I made them, my nephew raved about them the whole dinner. Probably 7 or 8 times he mentioned how good my potatoes were. Lol.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I thought about doing cheater potatoes, too. I like Betty Crocker potatoes in a pouch. Just add water ones are fine too. Last time I made them, my nephew raved about them the whole dinner. Probably 7 or 8 times he mentioned how good my potatoes were. Lol.

I bet if you put real butter and a touch of cream in them, they'd really taste amazing (for very little work). I think I'll go this route--save me the peeling, cutting, boiling...

 

[_19disnA]

If you use the allrecipes.com website be sure to read the reviews for that recipe. They do NOT have a test kitchen and people used to be able to direct post their recipes to that site. Often, there are obvious errors when you read the comments (too little/much of an ingredient or errors in the directions.) Foodnetwork (and many other pro cooking sites) DO have test kitchens, so you get proven recipes without wasting your time/money making a bad recipe.

 

[ramee]

I do like to make sweet potato casserole. In the past, I’ve combined certain ingredients from different recipes and wish I would have saved it. This one looks similar. I like egg in it and the streusel. I add cinnamon and nutmeg.

https://addapinch.com/sweet-potato-casserole-pecan-topping/

 

[wendow]

I do like to make sweet potato casserole. In the past, I’ve combined certain ingredients from different recipes and wish I would have saved it. This one looks similar. I like egg in it and the streusel. I add cinnamon and nutmeg.

https://addapinch.com/sweet-potato-casserole-pecan-topping/

I make this every year and it's a fav here! I just sub non-dairy butter and almond milk for the cow's milk. Still comes out perfect!

 

[barkley]

we do the same christmas eve meal every year (christmas day is honey baked ham so that's a non cooking day for us)-french dip sandwiches (i watch for roasts to go on sale and then do them up in the oven-easy squeezy) put them on toasted french rolls w/horseradish cheddar cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms (au juice on the side). i use the betty crocker au gratin potatoes (make enough for leftovers w/the ham the next day). we do a veggie with it (dd loves honeyed carrots) and either cold spinach dip or olive garden's hot spinach artichoke dip (super easy to make).

thanksgiving is pretty traditional w/the only variations being i add sliced water chestnuts to the green bean casserole (adds a nice crunch), use stove top stuffing mix but substitute chicken broth for the water and add craisins, chopped celery and pecans, and always follow mom's pumpkin pie tweek of doubling all the spices the recipe on the can calls for except the sugar (any other pumpkin pie tastes really bland to me).

 

[sksjasams]

With the holidays fast approaching, I insanely decided to host Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at my house.

I'm looking for some new recipes to try out! And I'm sure many of us could appreciate a new dish for dinner also. So hit Me with you favorite holiday dishes! Main courses, sides, desserts, all of it!

I started making this recipe for green bean casserole a few years ago. No cream of mushroom soup and no mushrooms. I tweaked it just a bit over the years...doubling the amount of sauce and substituting canned green beans for frozen (just what we prefer). It really is delicious, and you can easily make it a day ahead.
https://www.handletheheat.com/cheesy-green-bean-casserole-bacon/

Regarding mashed potatoes....Are you a Costco member? They sell 5 lb containers of premade mashed potatoes in their deli section during the holidays. These are not a manufactured brand, they are actually made in the Costco. My family loves them and my son said they are the best mashed potatoes he ever had. I heat up the potatoes in the microwave and then dump them in a crockpot to keep warm.

 

[ramee]

I started making this recipe for green bean casserole a few years ago. No cream of mushroom soup and no mushrooms. I tweaked it just a bit over the years...doubling the amount of sauce and substituting canned green beans for frozen (just what we prefer). It really is delicious, and you can easily make it a day ahead.
https://www.handletheheat.com/cheesy-green-bean-casserole-bacon/

Regarding mashed potatoes....Are you a Costco member? They sell 5 lb containers of premade mashed potatoes in their deli section during the holidays. These are not a manufactured brand, they are actually made in the Costco. My family loves them and my son said they are the best mashed potatoes he ever had. I heat up the potatoes in the microwave and then dump them in a crockpot to keep warm.

I saved that recipe

 

[cedricandsophie]

Bob Evans original mashed potatoes are way better than any I could make. I buy several containers. Scoop them out into one big bowl, add some salt and butter and heat in microwave.

 

[crazycatstacy]

I love spinach dip as an appetizer. Cup of sour cream, cup of mayo, knorr vegetable soup mix, and a package of frozen chopped spinach that has been defrosted and drained. Mix all together and serve with bread/crackers/veggies.

For potatoes I make those first thing in the morning. I boil the potatoes and while they are boiling I simmer heavy cream, butter, and garlic. When the potatoes are done I rice them and add the cream/butter/garlic mix and put them in the crockpot on the keep warm option. Sometimes I stir in some sour cream too.

 

[neatokimmo]

For the mashed potatoes, you can do them in advance and freeze them. I buy fifty pound sacks of potatoes, and do them all at once. It’s an awful mess, but it’s better than making that mess like 20 times.

 

[bitty246]

Instead of mashed potatoes, I always do roasted ranch potatoes and they are a HUGE hit with my family! It's the recipe from Hidden Valley Ranch using the powdered packet.

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 pack Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning
  
• 2 pounds small red potatoes quartered

Step 1

• Place potatoes in a 1gallon Ziploc bag and add oil; seal bag. Toss to coat.

Step 2

• Add seasoning packet and toss again until coated. Bake in ungreased baking pan at 450°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are brown and crisp.

I have tried several kinds of potato from Youkon Gold, Butter Gold, Red Potatoes. I always find their roasting time to be way off from how I like mine done so I've developed a quick trick for softer potatoes. I either use the small baby red/gold potatoes and cut into quarters. I microwave them for 8 min, cool for a bit, then toss them in the seasoning (in a bowl if they are still hot), then roast. This makes them nice and soft on the inside, but you get a nice crunchy skin.

 

[HHMcG]

We have a family recipe for potatoes that can be made 24-48 hours ahead - 5 lbs potatoes, heavy cream, sour cream with chives, garlic, paprika and butter combined in the mixer. It bakes for an hour on T-day. It is still alot of work to peel, boil, mash so my mom or I take turns - whomever is not hosting makes the potatoes.

 

[Toolulu22]

It’s not really a recipe, but I’ve been preparing my turkey with Williams-Sonoma Turkey Paste for over a decade and it creates the most moist and flavorful turkey ever. I’ve never even considered jumping onto the brining bandwagon its that good.

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/pro...paste|150|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH

 

[ramee]

It’s not really a recipe, but I’ve been preparing my turkey with Williams-Sonoma Turkey Paste for over a decade and it creates the most moist and flavorful turkey ever. I’ve never even considered jumping onto the brining bandwagon its that good.

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/williams-sonoma-turkey-paste-classic/?pkey=e|turkey+paste|150|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH

I’ve used a bag before so I don’t have to brine.