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.

Thanksgiving Oreo Turkeys

This is one of these great holiday cookie recipes project 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 each on a cupcake paper will 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 of these precious little turkeys 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

Holiday Cookie 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 pieces 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!

Sangria Recipe

Holiday Drink Recipes

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 holiday punch recipes that 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 blocks of ice to float in the bowl to add a that 'Martha' touch.

Holiday Recipe Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light rum

1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime

1 750-ml bottle of dry red wine

Holiday Drink Recipe 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.

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.

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.