Holiday Recipes
What
is a Charcuterie Board?
A
simple appetizer to pulled together, filled with crackers, fruits, nuts,
cheeses and meats. What you chose to add
to your board is up to you, as well as how much! Because of the setup, most of the items for
this board can be prepared ahead of time, and simply placed on the board as
your guests arrive.
Charcuterie boards were first used to serve smoked or preserved meats, dried fruits and artisan cheeses. Today, the main idea of a Charcuterie Board is adding foods with lots of color and texture. There are no real rules on how to build your own Charcuterie Board. Most of the boards are served on a large cutting board, but any large piece of wood will do. This is a great time to get out all those old wooden cutting boards we have hidden in the cabinets—clean them off and start piling on the food. The goal is to make it look pretty—lots of color! Feel free to pile foods, add dry and fresh fruits; sliced and cubed cheeses; soft and hard cheeses, rolled meats or slices; add in some fun ramekin bowls for dips—the sky if the limit.
This is a great idea to keep in your frig for those unexpected holiday guests or just a fun and healthy snack for the family. Choose items that you and your guests will love to snack on BEFORE the main meal.
Some ideas for your Charcuterie Board are:
Fruits—Dried
Apricots, Fresh Berries, Grapes, Dried Dates, Sliced Apples or Pears, Fresh
Figs, Persimmons,
Vegetables—Cherry or Grape tomatoes; Black or Green Olives, Mini Bell Peppers, Cucumber Rolls or Carrot Rolls,
Cheese—Monterey Jack; Cheddar; Manchego Wedge; Gouda, Brie,
Meat—Peppered Salami; Prosciutto, Ham, Pepperoni, Sausage
Breads/Crackers—Slice French Baguette, Artisan/Seeded Crackers, Pretzel Crisps, Bread Sticks,
Other Additions—Mixed Nuts; Chocolate Covered Nuts, Spinach Dip, Hummus, Mini Dill Pickles, Honey, Fruit Spread, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar
Try blending some of the flavors too: Wrap Prosciutto around a slice of apple; Bake bacon around some long bread sticks; Toast the French Baguette pieces with Flavored Olive Oil.
Charcuterie Board don't have to bee savory. Try making a board of Smores, Christmas Cookies, Hot Chocolate Fixings, etc.
Mulled Apple Cider
4 to 5 Whole Cinnamon Sticks1 teaspoon Whole Cloves
1 teaspoon Whole Allspice
½ cup Brown Sugar
1 Orange, Sliced
1 Apple, Sliced
1 Lemon, Sliced
Pinch of Salt
1 Gallon Apple Cider or Apple Juice
Optional: Brandy, Rum, Cinnamon Schnapps, Vodka, or Whiskey to Taste
Add all of the spices to a piece of cheese cloth. Drop the spices and other ingredients, minus the alcohol, into a stock pot. Bring the mixture to just under the boiling point, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into mugs. Add a garnish of a cinnamon stick or slice of apple or pear. Add in alcohol to taste. Serve warm.
From blessedbeyondcrazy.com
Cranberry Pineapple Punch
4 cups cranberry juice4 cups pineapple juice
1 cup silver rum
1 cup coconut rum
2 liter ginger ale
juice of 1-2 limes
Combine cranberry juice, pineapple juice, silver and coconut rum and lime juice in a pitcher. Add lime slices and fresh cranberries for garnish. Top off with ginger ale and stir.
From realhousemoms.com
Slow Cooker Cheesy Ham And Potato Chowder
1 medium yellow onion, diced1 carrot, diced or shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp thyme
2 tsp canola or olive oil
1 lb yellow potatoes
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
6 oz diced cubes of ham
1 1/2 cups frozen corn (optional)
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup half and half (or milk), warmed
Green onions, diced
In a microwave safe bowl combine the onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, and oil. Stir a bit. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds. Transfer mixture to the slow cooker. While the onions are cooking in the microwave, peel and dice the potatoes. Add them into the slow cooker. Add the salt and pepper and chicken broth into the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for
about 5-6 hours or on HIGH for about 3-4 hours, or until potatoes are fork
tender. Puree the potato contents in the
slow cooker, and add pureed soup back into the slow cooker. Stir in bacon, ham, corn, cheese and
half and half. Salt and pepper to taste.
From https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com
Green Chile Turkey Pot Pie
2 bunches green onions, chopped (about 1 ½ cups)2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chiles, undrained
2.25 ounce can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 (16 ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cup chopped cooked turkey breast
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 cups shredded Mexican four-cheese blend
Sauté green onions in oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat one minute. Add green chiles and next 3 ingredients; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in beans and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Stir in turkey. Pour into a greased 13’’ x 9’’ baking dish.
Combine one cup flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Add cheese, milk and egg, stirring just until blended. Spread biscuit topping over filling, leaving a one-inch border around edge.
Bake,
uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until topping is golden and pot pie
is bubbly. Makes 6 Servings.
Cinnamon Roll Bread
4 cups all-purpose flour1 package active dry yeast
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons cinnamon
Cream Cheese Glaze:
4- ounce cream cheese – softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
In the bowl whisk together 2 cups of flour, ¾ cup sugar, yeast, and 1½ teaspoons of salt.
In a saucepan heat
together water, ½ cup butter, and vanilla extract until the mixture reaches
120-130 degrees F. Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients and beat at a
medium speed to combine. Then beat in the eggs and 2 additional cups of flour.
Beat until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Knead the dough until a dough ball forms. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place for about an hour. The dough should double in size. While the dough is rising, in a small bowl whisk together the cinnamon, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
Cut parchment paper to
cover the bottom and long sides of the pan. Let a couple of inches of paper
hang over the long sides to make it easy to later remove the bread. Spray with
baking spray. Once the dough has doubled
in size, roll it out into a lightly floured surface. Spread ½ cup of softened butter on the dough,
leaving a ½ border along one long side. Sprinkle the butter evenly with the
prepared cinnamon and sugar mixture. Roll up the dough lengthwise and pinch to
seal the ends. Slice the roll into 26 1-inch slices.
Fill the prepared loaf pan with the cinnamon rolls. Place 14 standing on their sides for the bottom layer and 12 cut side down for the top layer. Cover the loaf pan with a towel and set it in a warm place to let the Cinnamon Roll Bread rise for about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the dough has risen, bake the bread until golden or 55-60 minutes. While the bread bakes, prepare the glaze by whisking together cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk until smooth. Use less milk for a thicker glaze. Let the bread cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Then remove the bread using the excess parchment paper on the sides. Drizzle with the glaze to complete. Serve the bread warm or at room temperature.
From https://inspiredbycharm.com
Bunch Egg Squares
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ cup sliced green onions
½ cup all-purpose flour
8 eggs 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Combine cheeses in a medium bowl; sprinkle ½ cheese mixture in an un-greased 13’’x 9’’ baking dish. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions; sauté 4 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Spoon vegetable mixture over cheese in baking dish; top with ham and remaining cheese. Whisk together flour and remaining 3 ingredients in a large bowl; pour over cheese. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
South Street Tortilla Roll-Ups
8 oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese8 oz. Sour Cream
8 oz. Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tomatoes, chopped and drained
10 flour tortillas Garnish: salsa and guacamole
Combine cream cheese, onion, sour cream and taco seasoning until smooth. Fold in cheese, chilies, tomatoes and hot sauce blending well. Spread mixture on tortillas, then roll tortillas. For easier cutting, refrigerate roll-ups until cream cheese mixture is firm. Slice and serve cold with salsa and guacamole.
Parmesan Bacon Dip
2-8oz. packages cream cheese, softened1/3 cup green pepper, diced
½ cup mayonnaise
In a medium mixing bowl, blend together all the ingredients; chill before serving. Makes about 3 cups.
Come & Get ‘Em Meatballs
2 lbs. ground beef1 c. bread crumbs
1 T. dry mustard
12-oz. bottle chili sauce
1 ½ c. water
Mix
first 5 ingredients together; shape into walnut-size balls. Arrange in an ungreased 13” x 9” baking pan;
set aside. Combine remaining ingredients
in a saucepan; simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour over meatballs; cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Serves 6.
Elves’ Snack Mix
Dried Fruits (pineapple, cranberries, apricots, cherries and apples)Raisins
Red and green candy-coated chocolates
Peanuts
Combine ingredients in a bowl. Scoop into plastic bags. Tie bags closed. Leave the Snack mix out with cookies and milk for Santa to pick up on Christmas Eve.
Popcorn Balls
16 cups popcorn (1/2 cup kernels)5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Go through popcorn and remove any unpopped kernels. Set aside. Lay a rectangle of parchment on the counter.
Heat a large pot (big enough for the popcorn) over medium low heat. Add butter and marshmallows. Stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla extract. Add popcorn to pot and stir until completely coated. Allow to cool for 3 minutes. Spray hands well with nonstick spray. Measure out a cup of the popcorn mixture. Roll into a ball. Set on prepared parchment. Repeat until you have used all the popcorn. Store in an airtight container.
From https://fantabulosity.com
Fun Candy
Bark
Christmas Cookie Crunch Bark
1 ½ cups pretzels, broken into pieces
½ cup peanuts
½ cup M & M’s (Holiday Colors)
Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper or foil. Spread the broken pretzels, cookies and peanuts on the prepared cookie sheet. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave until smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the pretzel mixture, spreading with a spatula if needed. Before it sets, sprinkle on M&M’s Peanut Butter cups, Peanut butter chips and sprinkles. Place the tray into he refrigerator until set. Break into pieces and enjoy.
From https://fantabulosity.com
Snowman Bark
2 cups milk or dark chocolate chipswhite candy melts
white winter sprinkles small paint brush (unnecessary with food writers)
black and orange candy color OR black and orange food writers
Line a baking tray with wax paper and set aside. Have your white candy melts, pretzel sticks and sprinkles ready.
Place the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 90 seconds at 70 percent power. Stir and continue to microwave at 30 second, then 15 second, intervals until fully melted and smooth when stirred well.
Spread on the baking tray. (Use a large offset spatula greased with shortening to help spread the chocolate.) You won't fill up the entire tray, just spread to fill about 80 percent of the tray. Immediately assemble three white candy melts for each snowman scattered across the chocolate. Add pretzel stick arms. Sprinkle white sprinkles over the chocolate. Place a few drops of black and orange candy color on a piece of wax paper. Use the paint brush to paint faces and carrots on each snowman OR use the food writers. Let the tray sit at room temperature to set about an hour, or place in the refrigerator to set about 30 minutes. Cut the bark into pieces around the snowmen. Let set fully at room temperature or in the fridge.
From https://thedecoratedcookie.com
Making Sit-Down Dinners Special
The Holidays are a perfect time to add a little elegance to the table. Instead of a casual family-style supper, where food is passed from one person to another, host a formal sit-down dinner, where individual plate of food are served to guests. Here’s how:
·
Keep the guest list small
·
Bring out your china crystal, silver and best linen cloths. Use place cards so guests don’t have to guess
where to sit.
·
When selecting a centerpiece for the table, make sure it isn’t too tall
(10” – 12” is an acceptable maximum height), otherwise guests won’t be able to
see each other across the table.
·
Serve appetizers and beverages in the living room before sitting
down. You’ll have one less course to
bring to the table.
·
Before calling guests to the table, fill water goblets and put out the
bread and butter for guests to pass.
·
If you’re serving a salad, fill individual salad
plates and set them at each place setting.
Consider chilling the salad plates in the refrigerator for several hours
to keep greens crisp.
·
If your dinner plates are oven-safe, set the oven to the lowest
possible temperature and place the stacked plates in the oven to warm while
enjoying salad and bread. If your dishes
are not oven-safe, rinse them under hot water and dry just before filling.
·
When guests have finished with the salad, clear the plates and utensils
used. Then prepare and garnish
individual dinner plates in the kitchen.
·
Before serving dessert, clear the table of all dishes, including extra
glasses, salt and pepper shakers and condiment dishes.
·
Serve dessert and coffee cups.
Place the sugar and creamer on the table.
·
Avoid the temptation to clear the table and start washing dishes….that
can wait until after your guests leave.
