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.

Pecan Praline Brownies

We are always looking for something new to try for the holidays.  That something special that might become a tradition in your family.  We start this recipe with a basic brownie mix and dress it up for the holidays!  Any recipe that starts with "  Chocolate Lovers Milk Chocolate Chunk "  automatically gets our attention. It only gets better from there.  Definitely a keeper.

(Bonus: Use baking to get the kids involved. Have them stir AND count.  Packing the brown sugar is also a kid-friendly activity)

 Holiday Baking Ingredients

Brownies:
1 package Duncan Hines Chocolate Lovers Milk Chocolate Chunk brownie mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil ( plus some to grease the pan )
3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Holiday Baking Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9" x 9" square baking pan with the canola oil or PAM baking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the brownie mix, eggs, water, oil and pecans.
Stir with a wooden spoons until combined.  It should only take about 50 strokes.  Count them!
Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.  Do not overbake.

While the brownies are in the oven, make the topping.

Combine all the topping ingredients together in a medium bowl until stir until well combined.

When the brownies come out of the oven, and they are still warm, spread the topping over the top.
Return the brownies to the oven and bake another 15 minutes, until the topping is set.

Cool completely on a wire rack.
Cut into bars, make about 16 squares.

Sausage Rice Casserole

This side dish goes quite well with a turkey dinner. It is an excellent choice for a gluten-free side dish on your Thanksgiving table.

Make a mental note: Here is an easy holiday recipe with less than 6 ingredients! Now we are talking really EASY!  This dish also reheats well in the microwave if you happen to be taking it over the river and through the woods.   Make it spicier by using a hot sausage instead of the mild kind.  We discovered a sage flavored sausage and it was yummy, yummy!

Holiday Recipe Ingredients


2 boxes Zatarin's Wild and Long Grain Rice Mix
2 tubes of bulk breakfast sausage, mild or sage flavor
1 large onion, sliced
1   8-oz can of sliced mushrooms, drained
1 family size can of cream of chicken soup


Easy 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.

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.

Easy Corn Casserole Recipe

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 we 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 are brave and can handle more than six ingredients, you might try a squash casserole.

Holiday Recipe 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.

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!