15 Heavenly Holiday Recipes

deck the halls holiday martini ideas!

The holiday party season is upon us!  If you are not having a Christmas party, you are probably attending one!  And what do all holiday parties feature — a holiday drink!  So if you are feeling a little naughty this holiday, try one of these recipes!

Sapphire 75
– 2 oz Bombay Sapphire
-Splash lemon juice
-Splash simple syrup
-Splash Prosecco

Shake the first three ingredients together. Then top it off with a splash of Prosecco!

Frenchie
– 2 oz Grey Goose
– 1/2 oz Chambord
– 1/2 oz Pinapple Juice
– Splash Prosecco

Shake first three ingredients together and top with splash of Prosecco!

Silent Nyquil
– 2 oz Stoli Vanilla
– Small shot of whipped cream
– .5 oz Peppermint Schnapps
– .5 simple syrup
– Splash of Creme de Menthe
– Splash of Blue Curacao
– Splash of Prosecco

Shake first four ingredients and pour into martini glass. Drop Creme de Menthe and Blue Curacao gently along the side of the glass. Add a splash of Prosecco.

Appetizers

bacon candy

 

Ingredients

• 20 strips of thick cut Bacon
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (Cut to 1 1/2 tsp if you don’t like it too hot)
• Parchment paper
• Aluminum Foil

Instructions

1. Preset your oven to 400 degrees
2. Cover cooking sheet with one layer of Parchment paper and two layers of Aluminum Foil
3. Lay each strip of bacon on cooking sheet
4. Mix together Brown Sugar and Chili Powder
5. Spread the mixture generously over the Bacon
6. Put in the oven for 20-25 minutes
7. Let cool on cooking rack

homemade holiday granola

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups Old-Fashioned Oats
• 2 cups Shredded Coconut
• 1 cup raw Almonds
• 2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1/2 cup Butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons Maple Syrup
• 3 tablespoons Molasses
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Roasted Pistachios
• 1 cup Dried Cranberries
• 1 cup White Chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, coconut, almonds, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cloves. Pour melted butter over mixture and stir
3. In a smaller bowl, combine maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and combine completely
4. Transfer granola onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment paper or a silicone liner
5. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom
6. Remove from oven and stir again so it doesn’t stick as it cools
7. Once it’s completely cool, mix in pistachios, dried cranberries, and white chocolate chips
8. Transfer to a glass container

salad in a jar with poppy seed dressing

candied pistachios

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Pistachios, with the shell removed
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

Directions:

• In a small saucepan, heat up the pistachios, sugar, butter and cinnamon, stir consistently until all of the nuts are covered with the sugar liquid.
• Pour the covered nuts on parchment paper to cool, this takes up to 7-8 minutes
• Break the nuts sticking together apart
• These are ready to eat once cooled

poppy seed dressing

Ingredients:

• 1  6 oz container Greek Strawberry Yogurt
• 1/4 cup Mayo
• 2 tablespoons Sour Cream
• 2 tablespoons Milk
• 3 tablespoons Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds

Directions:

• Add all of these ingredients to your blender and mix completely
• Add to a mason jar for storage
• Keep in the refrigerator

 

Main Dishes

rack of lamb!

 

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 6 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
• 3 sprigs Rosemary, chopped
• Salt & Pepper

Lamb

• 2 lbs of Lamb on Rack

Instructions

1. Mix together ingredients for marinade, 6 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 3 sprigs chopped rosemary plus salt and pepper
2. Add 1/2 cup Olive Oil to herb mixture
3. Put lamb on rack into a plastic bag.
4. Add the herb mixture
5. Put in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours to marinade
6. Roast on grill or oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 135 degrees for medium rare lamb.

 

roasted pork belly!

 

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Pork Belly
• 3 heads Garlic
• Bunch Thyme
• Bottle White Wine
• Olive Oil for drizzling
• 2 cups Chicken Stock
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions

For the Pork

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
2. Cut garlic heads in half
3. Put garlic and bunch of thyme in bottom of roasting pan
4. Score the fat side of the pork
5. Drizzle pork with olive oil, salt and pepper until coated
6. Turn pork over and do the same to the other side
7. Place pork, fat side up, over garlic and thyme
8. Pour half of the bottle of wine in the bottle of the roasting pan
9. Cover with foil, cook for 2 1/2 hours
10. Take out and let sit for 4-6 hours

For the Sauce

11. Remove pork from roasting pan. Put pan with all the excess drippings of garlic and thyme on the stove and cook down on medium heat
12. Add another splash of wine and 2 cups of chicken stock
13. Reduce down until thick
14. Using a strainer, strain the sauce and discard the garlic/thyme

Re-heat Pork

15. After the 4-6 hours, re-heat the oven to 500 degrees.
16. Heat the pork for 10-15 minutes.
17. Re-heat the sauce
18. Cut the pork into slices and pour sauce over the meat.
19. Serve warm

 

Side Dishes

roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta

 

Ingredients

• Fresh Brussel Sprouts (20 or so)
• 1 Shallot
• Pancetta 1/2 inch thick slice
• Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Water

Instructions

1. Dice Pancetta into small pieces
2. Sprinkle olive oil in fry pan and cook Pancetta over medium heat
3. Remove and let drain on a paper towel
4. Clean the Brussel Sprouts and peel off the outer layer
5. Cut the Brussel Sprouts in half
6. Dice the shallot and set aside
7. Using the same pan from the Pancetta, brown the Brussel Sprouts face down in the pan. Add a little more olive oil to the pan so it doesn’t burn. This should take 8-10 minutes depending on how brown you like it.
8. Add shallots and water to pan. Cover pan and let Brussel Sprouts and Shallots soften. This takes about 6 minutes.
9. Remove from the pan and place in temporary bowl
10. Add Balsamic Vinegar to pan and cook down. This will thicken up the Balsamic Vinegar. This will take 2-3 minutes.
11. Add the Brussel Sprouts, Shallots and Pancetta back into the pan and mix.

3-ingredient cranberry sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Orange Juice
• 12 oz bag Fresh Cranberries

Directions:

• In a saucepan, dissolve sugar in orange juice
• Stir in cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes or until the cranberries start to pop
• Remove from heat and transfer to bowl
• Serve once it thickens up

 

homemade bread dressing

 

Ingredients

• 1 loaf sliced White Bread, hardened and cubed
• 3/4 cup Butter
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 4 stalks Celery, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Poultry Seasoning
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 cup Chicken Broth

Instructions

1. Let the bread sit out the night before to harden. Make sure you spread it out so all slices can air out
2. In a dutch oven, melt butter
3. Cook onions and celery in melted butter until soft. Season with poultry seasoning, salt & pepper
4. Stir in bread cubes and mix until evenly coated with butter mixture
5. Add chicken broth and mix again
6. Grease casserole dish with butter and add bread mixture
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes
8. Serve

 

scalloped corn casserole

 

Ingredients

• 1 package Jiffy Corn muffin mix
• 1 can Cream Corn
• 1 can Whole Corn, drained
• 2 eggs
• 1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1/2 cup Butter, melted
• 8 oz. Sour Cream
• 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease 9″ x 13″ pan
3. Combine corn, eggs, milk, sour cream and melted butter.
4. Add muffin mix, combine
5. Pour into greased pan
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked all the way through
7. Remove from oven & sprinkle with cheddar cheese

Desserts

chocolate peanut butter pie

 

Ingredients

• 8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 cup Justin’s Peanut Butter
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 container Whipped Cream
• 1 Chocolate Oreo Crust, already made
• Dark Chocolate, grated on top

Instructions

1. In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar
2. Add the peanut butter and milk and mix until it’s completely combined
3. Roll in entire container of whipped cream
4. Pour into chocolate Oreo crust and put in freezer for 1 hour
5. Using a cheese grater, dust the dark chocolate on top for added flavor

 

cheesecake bites

 

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 1/2 cups Honey Graham Crackers, crumbled
• 5 tablespoons Unsalted Butter

For the Filling

• 2 8 oz packages Cream Cheese, softened
• 3/4 cups Sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
• 2 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Dark Chocolate for topping

Instructions

For the Crust

1. Crush the graham crackers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin
2. In small saucepan, melt the butter
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the graham crackers with the butter
4. In an 8-inch baking dish, add a piece of parchment paper
5. On top of the parchment paper, evenly distribute the crust, firmly pressing down to pack it in

For the Filling

6. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
7. Using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese first until its completely whipped
8. Add the sugar, salt, cornstarch, eggs and vanilla extract
9. Continue mixing with hand mixer until completely combined
10. Pour filling on top of crust
11. Put in oven for 30 minutes
12. Let cool 20-30 minutes
13. Cover with foil and put in the freezer for at least 2 hours to chill
14. Remove from freezer and remove parchment paper and cheesecake from dish
15. Using a pizza cutter, slice the cheesecake into square slices — it will look like a grid
16. Using a cheese grater, top with dark chocolate

homemade cherry pie

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cans or cups Dark Sweet Cherries
• 1/4 teaspoons Almond Extract
• 3 tablespoons Tapioca (dried)
• 6 drops Red Food Coloring
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• Dash Salt
• Pie Crust (homemade or store bought)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Drain liquid out of cans of Cherries and put Cherries in a bowl
3. Save 1 cup of the liquid and add it back into the bowl
4. Add Almond Extract, Tapioca, Food Coloring, Sugar, Salt and mix together
5. Get Pie Crust ready for filling
6. Add Cherry filling into Pie Crust
7. Use excess crust or extra store bought pie crust and slice into 1/2 inch stripes
8. Create a lattice on top by laying down a few stripes of dough across, then weave the rest in.
9. Cut off all the excess dough
10. Sprinkle a little sugar on top of the pie before it goes into the oven
11. Bake for 1:30 minutes or until the Cherries are set in the pie

peppermint bark

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Dark Chocolate
• 1 bag Vanilla Chips
• Mini Candy Canes

Directions:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner
• In a plastic bag, crush the candy canes into small pieces
• Break up the dark chocolate and put in a heatproof bowl and set it over simmering water
• Melt the chocolate, stirring until it’s smooth
• Spread the melted chocolate over the non-stick liner to create an even rectangle, put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
• In the meantime, double boil the vanilla chips until smooth
• Evenly add the melted vanilla on top of the hard chocolate
• Immediately add the candy cane pieces to the melted vanilla
• Put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, cut and serve