Easy Holiday Recipes
Holiday recipes including the best holiday cooking recipes for holiday baking recipes, holiday dessert recipes holiday appetizer recipes and other healthy holiday recipes for your festivities.
This is one of these great projects that you can share with the kids. You will simply fall in love with these adorable little creatures and they are entirely and completely yummy. Depending on the age of your helpers, you may need to assist with the cutting of the candy.
Read the instructions through, beginning to end, before attempting the assembly. It will give you an idea of the whole magic of making these little cuties. Placing on a cupcake paper to make them easier to manage.
One great thing about this recipe is you can make as few or as many as you want, depending on the attention span of your helpers. Any leftover ingredients will be happily consumed!
Best Holiday Ingredients
For each turkey you will need:
2 double stuff Oreo cookies
1 small Reese’s peanut butter cup
1 Whopper malted milk ball
9 pieces of candy corn
white frosting
black frosting
Best Holiday Assembly Instructions
Place the peanut butter cups in the fridge, this will make them easier to cut.
Take one of the Oreos and carefully separate one side of cookie from the other, leaving the frosting on the remaining side of the cookie,.
To make the tail feathers, gently press the pointed end of 6 candy corn piece into the frosting along half of the circle. Use some of the white frosting to “fix” the cookie back together.
Take the second Oreo and lay it on a flat surface. Pick up the first Oreo, put some frosting on the bottom edge of the cookie and place it one side of the Oreo that is on the table, making the tail feathers upright. Carefully place the cookies against an edge, wall or book, to prop it up while the frosting dries. Add more frosting if necessary to keep it upright.
For the body of the turkey, take the peanut butter cup out of the refrigerator and cut off a small piece so that it will stand on it side.
Place some frosting on the flat side and the opposite side, attach it to the Oreos, to form the body. Add the Whopper on top of the peanut butter cup to form the head. Use more frosting to fix it to the back Oreo.
To form the eyes, place two small circles of white frosting. Add a smaller dot of black frosting for the pupils.
For the beak, trim the tops off one of the candy corns or a dab of frosting.
To make the wings of the turkey, trim off the bottoms of 2 pieces of candy corn, (set them aside to use later) glue the wings in place with the frosting to each side of the peanut butter cup.
Use the bottom pieces of the candy corn ( that you saved from the wings) to form the feet. Use frosting to secure the feet to the front of the body. Or we used some frosting to form the feet if you are artistically inclined.
Allow to set about 20 minutes before moving them.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Holiday Drinks
This one came as quite a surprise to us. Normally we steer away from sweet drinks, but once we made a batch, everyone was asking for more. The lesson here is to make two batches if you can!! Keep the crowds satisfied! We used an inexpensive dry red wine. Trader Joe’s Three Buck Chuck is a good choice, but any merlot or shiraz would work just as well.
It is great for party drinks, your guests can serve themselves, freeing up your time to enjoy yourself. For those really special occasions, serve this in a festive punch bowl with punch cups of course! Freeze some lemon slices in ice to float in the bowl to add a that ‘Martha’ touch.
Best Holiday Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light rum
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
1 750-ml bottle of dry red wine
Best Holiday Instructions
In a small pitcher, combine the rum with the sugar.
Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Slice each fruit into 1/8″ slices. Add to the rum mixture.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, overnight is best.
At least one hour before the party, add the wine and stir well.
Add plenty of ice.
This is best after allowing some of the ice to melt a bit.
This side dish goes well with a turkey dinner. Another easy holiday recipe with less than 6 ingredients! Now we are talking. It will reheat well in the microwave if you are taking it over the river and through the woods. Make it spicier by using a hot sausage instead of the mild version.
Holiday Cooking Ingredients
2 boxes Zatarin’s Wild and Long Grain Rice Mix
2 tubes of bulk breakfast sausage
1 large onion, sliced
1 8-oz can of sliced mushrooms, drained
1 family size can of cream of chicken soup
Best Holiday Recipe Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare the rice according to the directions on the box. Set aside.
Brown the sausage in a large skillet. Breaking up any large chunks.
Remove and drain on paper towels. Saving the drippings.
Place the onions in hot drippings and cook until soft.
Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
In a large bowl, carefully combine all the ingredients to mix well.
Spoon into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Bake about 30 minutes until set.
Easy Holiday Recipes
Among the best holiday cooking recipes that will become one of your traditional favorite. Everyone loves Jello and with the addition of blueberries, you get that extra antioxidant boost that is so healthy. This holiday recipe is made in two steps, so make sure to plan ahead. ****
Ingredients
1 6-oz box of raspberry or blackberry Jello
2 cups of boiling water
1 can of blueberries, drained, saving the juice
1 large can of crushed pineapple, drained, saving the juice
Topping Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 oz reduced fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 8-oz package of reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
Easy Holiday Instructions
Save a total of 1-1/2 cup of the juices from the blueberries and pineapple. Set aside.
Make the Jello in a medium bowl using only the 2 cups of the boiling water.
Add both fruits and the reserved juice.
Pour into a 9-1/2 x 11 glass pan.
Chill until firm.
For the topping, combine all the ingredients except the nuts.
Stir until well mixed.
Spread over the congealed salad.
Sprinkle with the chopped nuts.
Keep chilled until ready to serve.
Tags : Jello
Holiday Dessert Recipes
These are so easy, you will wonder why you aren’t making them more often. Cheesecake lovers beware! These best holiday cooking recipes for easy cheesecake squares can be addicting. Only six ingredients! How easy is that?
Ingredients
2 cans reduced fat refrigerated crescent rolls
3 8-oz packages reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, for the topping
Easy Holiday Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla.
Set aside.
Line the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking pan with one can of the crescent rolls.
Pinching all the edges together to form a crust across the bottom of the pan.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust.
Top with remaining crescent rolls, spreading across the surface.
Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Allow to cool before cutting into squares.
You will get some OMG reviews when you set this dish upon the table. This holiday cooking recipe will be welcome addition to any holiday feast. We make it here with ground turkey, but you can easily substitute ground beef or pork. Don’t be afraid to kick up the creole seasoning if your crowd can handle it. This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you are expecting the entire clan. Looking for another cajun dish? Try a shrimp jambalaya.
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium to large yellow onion, cut into medium dice
1 large green bell pepper, cut into medium dice
1 lb ground turkey
1-2 Tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
1 8-oz package Louisiana Fish Fry Products Dirty Rice Mix
2 1/4 cups water (or chicken broth)
Easy Holiday Recipe Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet that has a tight fitting lid.
Add the onion and bell pepper, saute over medium heat until soft.
Add the turkey, breaking it up with your spatula.
Continue cooking and stirring until the turkey is browned.
Sprinkle in the creole seasoning and stir well.
Add the rice mix and water. Stir well to combine. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
Cover and then reduce the heat to low.
Cook 25 to 30 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.
Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
Need a quick and easy holiday recipe? This is sure to please young and old alike. It is amazingly simple. Maybe you are someone who is intimidated by recipes with more than six ingredients, then this one is definitely for you. It also reheats well in the microwave, so it is easy to carry to your next potluck supper.
We love extra sharp cheddar cheese to snack on, but have found that when switching to a mild or medium sharp cheddar when baking, those cheeses melt more evenly. While the sharp cheese tends to separate at high temperatures, the milder cheeses end up smoother.
A tip for melting the butter: place it in a heat proof bowl and tuck it in the oven while it is preheating.
If you can handle more than six ingredients, you might try a squash casserole.
Ingredients
1 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1 14 3/4-ounce can cream-style corn
1 8-ounce package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 -1/2 cups medium sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Easy Holiday Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together both cans of corn, the corn muffin mix, sour cream, and butter.
Pour into a greased 9 x 12 baking dish.
Bake at for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
Top with a generous amount of cheddar cheese and return to oven for another 5 minutes.
Continue baking until cheese is melted.
Add some ‘spooky’ to your desserts. This is an easy way to transform a plain chocolate cake into a scary delight. Use white icing, thinned out a bit, to draw the web on the top of the cake. Top with a plastic spider and BOO! Halloween is done.
When I took these Halloween cookies to work, some folks were grossed out. I guess they were for a younger crowd. But if you’re looking for the best holiday cooking recipes for Halloween, you can’t go wrong with something that looks like bloody witch’s fingers or a kitty litter pan!
Ingredients
1 cup of softened butter
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup almonds
red frosting gel
Easy Holiday Recipe Instructions
In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, egg, almond and vanilla extracts.
In a separate bowl, sift or stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add to the butter mixture in batches, mixing well with each addition.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour. Overnight is fine.
Boil about a half cup of water in a heat proof bowl.
Add the almonds and allow to sit about 10 minutes.
Drain the almonds. Using a tea towel or cloth napkin, rub the skins off the almonds. They should slip off easily.
Carefully slice each nut in half.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Pinch off a small portion and roll it into a thin rod.
The cookies will puff up when cooking, so make thinner than you want.
Flatten one end of the digit while leaving the other end tapered.
Pinch the dough to form the knuckle form and using a butter knife to create the knuckle grooves.
Push an almond half into the tapered end to form the fingernail.
Place on a lightly buttered baking sheet about an inch apart.
Bake about 15 – 20 minutes until lightly browned.
Allow to cool 10 minutes on the sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Once cool, squeeze a bit of the red gel around the almond for the little extra touch!