Holiday Recipes

Easy Holiday Recipes

Holiday recipes include the best holiday baking recipes for all your holiday parties including holiday desserts recipes, holiday appetizer recipes and other healthy recipes for your festivities throughout the year.

Blueberry Jello Salad Recipe

This is among the holiday baking recipes that will become one of your traditional favorites.  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.

Holiday Dessert Recipe 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

Holiday 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 Recipe 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 in a medium bowl.
Stir until well mixed.
Spread over the congealed salad.
Sprinkle with the chopped nuts.
Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Easy Cheesecake Squares Recipe

These are so easy, you will wonder why you aren't making them more often.  Cheesecake lovers beware!   These holiday dessert recipes for easy cheesecake squares can be addicting. Only six ingredients!  How easy is that?

Holiday Dessert 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 Recipe 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.

Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe

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.

Holiday Recipe 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.

Bloody Witch's Fingers Shortbread Cookies Halloween Recipe

When I took these Halloween cookies to work, some folks were absolutely grossed out. I guess these were meant for a younger crowd. But if you're looking for the best holiday baking recipes for Halloween, you can't go wrong with something that looks like bloody witch's fingers or a kitty litter pan!



Holiday Recipe 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!