Thanksgiving might be over, but there is still the Christmas Dinner and Holiday parties right around the corner. Here are 4 of my Tried & True Favorite Holiday Recipes.
I have tried a few different recipes over the years, and plan to try a few more that look delicious to me this season. Some are my own and some I’ve scoured the internet to find.
Marinated Cheese
My friends and family rave about my Marinated Cheese. The dish creates a gorgeous display making it the perfect appetizer for parties, events, or even while preparing your Holiday meal. The fact that this can be made a day or two early makes it even better. I found this recipe many many years ago and have added my own flair over time – sometimes mixing cheeses, sometimes less oil, and sometimes some jalapenos for more kick. I have no clue where I found the original, but it was almost 20 years ago. lol Unfortunately, I can’t find a picture of the finished product on the tray because it is eaten as soon as I set it out, but trust me, this is so good it will make you wanna slap your momma! It is perfect for Christmas because of the red and green colors too!
Edited – I think I finally found the original “To Die For Marinated Cheese” recipe here at Food.com
Pumpkin Praline Cake
This scrumptious Pumpkin Praline Cake recipe can be found on Loaves and Dishes and our family fell in LOVE with it. Not only is it so easy to make, it was absolutely delicious and we couldn’t decide whether to eat it with a fork or a spoon. I can’t say it follows my Weight Watchers plan, but it is so worth the splurge. Click on Loaves and Dishes link or the photo above for her recipe to make this one.
Speaking of desserts, this Apple Pie by Grandma Ople was the main hit at my Thanksgiving table this year. Although this recipe in not from my Grandma, this dessert will sure be a family favorite for many years to come. The only alteration I made to the recipe was the amount and variety of apples. (a great tip while slicing the apples is to add a little lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.) I used Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Ambrosia apples that I had here on hand at the house. I didn’t specifically count or measure them, but I kept slicing until I had a large mound of apples piled in my pie crust.
I wasn’t positive about the outcome originally since it doesn’t require any spices on the apples themselves. The sugars and spices create a sweet caramel sauce that you slowly pour on top of the lattice pie crust. Make sure to put a baking pan covered with aluminum foil underneath so you don’t ruin your oven with sugar drippings. I will definitely make this one again. The crew here loved this one and said for me to keep this recipe!
My last Favorite Holiday Recipe to share is a favorite and special family recipe. We call it chicken fridge soup, although Hubby calls it Everything but the Sink Soup (because we usually clean out the fridge and freezer to make this one). I’m including this one in my Favorite Holiday Recipes because I usually make this after Thanksgiving with any leftover turkey once we’ve eaten sandwiches at least twice!
Again, this is a tried & true recipe that I have made for YEARS. Although the ingredients are always somewhat unique with each batch, this meal is definitely a staple within my circle. The only way I know how to make this is by cooking it in my large electric roaster over which simmers all day and ends up being almost 4 1/2 gallons of soup. All of my friends and family know when I’ve made it, ’cause there is always a call to arms to devour this amazing dish. I’ve never met anyone that does not love this soup. You could cook this in an extra large pot on the stovetop on low, but the roaster oven is so handy. I can leave this to cook all day and not worry about it. The house smells yummy too. Now, being a southern girl, I’ll tell you that I serve this with cornbread cooked in a cast iron pan – and yep, I use Jiffy cornbread mix. Some of my family members will use crackers and some also add a dash of tabasco sauce or pepper vinegar to their bowl.
Since I mentioned that this soup changes each time, I don’t have a set recipe that I follow to the letter, but I’ll do my best to give you estimates. Know you can alter this as you see fit and by what you have available. I’ll provide you with my recipe from scratch first and then explain the variations.
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A few variation notes: I use whatever can be added that we might have from leftovers which could include any veggies, rice, and/or sometimes pasta (though I’ll add the pasta later in the simmer – but do not use pasta in a sauce). The few things that are always included are: broth, cabbage, okra, tomatoes and mixed veggies – everything else can be altered to your taste and preferences. And even if you don’t like okra, it really adds a flavor and thickness you can’t get any other way and it cooks so long, it breaks down so many don’t even notice it is in there. You can substitute beef instead of poultry and beef broth instead of chicken broth.
Prep Tips: I usually create my own frozen mixed veggies by keeping a gallon zipper bag in freezer. Every time we have any leftover veggies (think of that 1 tbs green beans, carrots, corn, etc you had leftover from last night’s dinner) into the bag. This bag will fill up fast over time and you are not throwing away food.
After this soup is cooked, there is a LOT leftover. I freeze it to save for a chilly day or one of those days I have no time to cook or one of us wants soup. Just add the frozen soup to a crock pot on low and a few hours later, voila, homemade soup is ready. One way I save space in the freezer is to use gallon freezer bags. We all know how hard it is to add liquid to a bag by yourself. To assist, I use an empty cereal box and set the bag inside. Fold down the edges over the box top and ladle in soup to fill bag. As you are zipping bag shut, squeeze out any extra air. Make sure to add date and list soup on bag before you put in the box!
I hope you’ll try this recipe as well as one of my other Favorite Holiday Recipes. The soup really is one of those things you just have to make your own each time. Do you have a Tried & True favorite holiday recipe to share?
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