Holiday Cooking, Blogger Style

I'm joining Overwhelmed today and sharing some of my favorite holiday recipes. This isn't the entire menu, nor do I serve everything everytime. These are, however, some of the most popular ones I've tried. I always serve a few tried-and-true, but I always like to have something new as well.

First, an appetizer:

Hot Crab Spread

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1T milk
½ t horseradish
2 T onion, minced
1 can crabmeat
Salt
1/3 c slivered almonds

Blend cheese with milk. Add other ingredients and top with almonds. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Serve warm with crackers.

Category: Appetizers

Now some side dishes:

Potato Casserole with Caramelized Onions

3/4 cup butter, divided
1/4 cup olive oil
6 large sweet onions, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
4 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sour cream
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, and sugar. Cook, stirring often, 25 to 30 minutes or until onions are deep golden brown. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Bring potatoes and chicken broth to a boil in a Dutch oven; cook 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Reserve broth for another use.

Add remaining 1/2 cup butter to potatoes; mash with potato masher until smooth. Whisk together whipping cream and next 3 ingredients; add to potato mixture, stirring until blended.
Spoon 1/2 the potato mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Spoon caramelized onions evenly over potatoes. Spoon remaining potatoes evenly over onions.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden.

Note: Casserole may be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Category: Side Dish

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 c mashed, cooked sweet potatoes
1 c sugar
½ c milk
1/3 c butter
2 eggs
1 t vanilla

Combine above ingredients in a shallow baking dish.

Topping:

1 c pecans, chopped
1 c brown sugar
1/3 c flour
1/3 c butter, melted

Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 until brown.

Note: I make this the day before. It tastes even better reheated.

Category: Side Dish

Sausage Dressing

I take a convenience item and make it my own.

2 boxes of Stovetop Turkey Stuffing mix
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ lb sausage, regular or sage-flavored
½ lb sausage, spicy
1 can chicken broth

In large skillet, brown sausage, onions, green pepper, and garlic. Set aside to cool. Make stuffing mix according to box directions and allow to cool slightly. Combine sausage and stuffing mix.

If you like to stuff your bird, let this mix cool to room temperature, or you can pour this into a 13”x9” pan. If you are cooking separately, add the chicken broth to keep the dressing moist. If you are heating this up after you cook your turkey, you can use some of the turkey drippings. This gives the freshly cooked turkey flavor to your dressing.

Category: Side Dish

Corn Maque Choux

6 ears of corn with the kernels cut off
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 c of diced tomatoes, or 1 can, drained
1 t salt (less if using canned corn and tomatoes)
¼ t cayenne pepper
½ c cream

If you are cutting off the kernels, cut down the cob twice. This releases extra liquid.

Heat skillet with olive oil, and add onions, peppers, and corn. Season with salt and cayenne. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, and add tomatoes. Cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until corn is tender. Stir occasionally. Add cream and heat for a few additional minutes to warm through. Serve.

Category: Side Dish

And finally, dessert.

Everyone has their traditional favorites. Two years ago, I made this Paula Deen for the first time. It was a hands down winner!


White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ganache:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Filling:
6 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus 3/4 cup, whipped soft
6 1/2 (1-ounce) squares premium white baking chocolate, melted
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
2/3 cup roasted, chopped macadamia nuts
1 pre-baked deep-dish (9-inch) pie shell

Garnish: 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar 1 to 2 ounces chopped macadamia nuts

Ganache: Place chocolate chips in a metal mixing bowl. Bring cream to a simmer over medium heat. Pour simmering cream over chips and stir until melted. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar with a handheld electric mixer until smooth. Scrape bowl with a spatula and mix in 1/3 cup heavy cream. Add the melted white chocolate, zest, and nuts and stir just until incorporated. Fold in the whipped cream. Spread into pre-baked pie shell and level off using a rubber spatula. Put in freezer until frozen.

To finish pie, place the ganache in the microwave on low for no more than 10 seconds at a time. Stir after each warming, until ganache pours loosely but is not even close to boiling. Be very careful when warming chocolate, as it will burn very quickly when heated in the microwave. Once chocolate is scorched it is unusable. Spread warm ganache over top of frozen pie, smoothing to the edges with a spatula.

Garnish: Beat cream and confectioners' sugar with a handheld electric mixer to stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe edges of pie with whipped cream. Sprinkle macadamia nuts over top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This pie also freezes very well. Make it ahead to the garnish stage, wrap well in plastic, and freeze. Move to your refrigerater 24 hours before serving.

Category: Dessert

To find more great recipes, visit Overwhelmed with Joy.