Holiday recipes to make you look like a culinary genius
The holiday party season is officially upon us, and you’ve inevitably been invited to an endless slew of potlucks and “casual get-togethers” that require you to bring a “dish” of some kind. In these situations, you have two options: (a) follow suit with the other lame people and buy a pre-made veggie tray that barely holds enough carrots to feed a 3-year-old, or (b) spend the same amount of money on a few ingredients and whip up something that makes you look like Martha Stewart (or Rachel Ray, or Lauren Conrad, or whoever is the current person who is cool and cooks things).
These recipes are easy twists on holiday classics, so you can fulfill everyone’s holiday food cravings while still looking like the Albert Einstein of the kitchen.
Beer and Cheese Fondue Dip
This recipe is great because: (a) there’s alcohol in it, and (b) who doesn’t love cheese?
– 1 tbsp. garlic
– 1 1/3 c. wheat beer
– 225 g. cheddar cheese, shredded
– 170 g. Gruyere cheese, shredded
– 2 tbsp. cornstarch
– 1 pinch cayenne pepper
– 115 g. cream cheese, cubed
– 1 tbsp. lemon juice
– 1 tbsp. brandy (optional)
Simmer garlic and wheat beer over medium heat in a frying pan. Toss together Cheddar cheese, Gruyere cheese, cornstarch and cayenne pepper. Add to beer and garlic mix in three additions, stirring well after each. Whisk in cream cheese and lemon juice (and brandy) until smooth. Place over medium-low heat of fondue burner, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain low simmer, stirring often.
Garlic and Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
These mashed potatoes are the holy grail of mashed potatoes, so make two batches, because you will want to eat one pot of them on your own.
– 1.8 kg. potatoes, peeled and chopped
– 5 tbsp. garlic
– 3/4 c. crumbled goat cheese
– 3/4 c. milk
– 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
– 3/4 tsp. salt
Cover potatoes and garlic with water in a large pot; boil gently until tender, 12-15 minutes. Drain and return to pot, leaving burner at medium-low heat. Stir in goat cheese, milk, butter, and salt; mash until smooth.
Savoury Slow Cooker Stuffing
This recipe kind of tastes like an apple pie/stuffing hybrid (yum), but the best part is that it uses crusty, “day-old” bread, so you can put that bread you bought last week and forgot about to good use.
– 12 c. cubed, crust-less, “day-old” bread
– 1 onion, diced
– 2 ribs celery, diced
– 1 apple, peeled/cored and diced
– 1 1/2 tsp. sage
– 1 tsp. thyme
– 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
– 1/2 c. chicken broth or vegetable broth
– 2 tbsp. butter, melted
Toss together bread, onion, celery, apple, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Drizzle with broth and butter; toss to moisten. Transfer to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low, stirring once, until vegetables are tender – approximately 6 hours.
Classic Cornbread Muffins
Okay, so there’s no twist on this classic – but you just don’t mess around with cornbread.
– 1 c. flour
– 1 c. cornmeal
– 1/2 c. granulated sugar
– 1 tbsp. baking powder
– 1/4 tsp. salt
– 2 eggs
– 1 c. milk
– 1/2 c. butter, melted
Preheat oven to 400*F. Whisk flour with cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs with milk and butter in a medium bowl. Whisk second mix into first. Divide batter into a 12-cup muffin pan. Bake until top is lightly golden, approximately 25-30 minutes.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies
If you need to take a dessert and are considering just buying peanut butter cups or cookies, go the extra mile and make a combination of the two.
– 1/2 c. butter, softened
– 1/3 c. granulated sugar
– 1 egg yolk
– 1 c. flour
– 1/3 c. cocoa
– 1/4 tsp. baking powder
– 1 pinch salt
Filling:
– 1/2 c. smooth peanut butter
– 1/4 c. brown sugar
Beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; stir into butter mixture until combined. Stir peanut butter with brown sugar until smooth. Roll 1 tbsp of dough into ball and press into a 1/8 inch thick disk. Place 1 tsp. of peanut butter and brown sugar mix in centre of one disk, then make another disk and place on top, pressing the dough around the filling to cover. Bake in 350*F, for approximately 18 minutes.