From our table to yours.

Enjoy these recipes we’ve curated.

What’s your favorite festive feast? Is it a traditional dish that has been passed down in your family, or something new that you’ve discovered? We all have those holiday recipes that we look forward to every year, and each member of our staff has agreed to share their favorite. There’s nothing like enjoying a homemade meal with the people you love during the holiday season. So whether you’re cooking for a crowd or simply treating yourself this holiday season, be sure to try out our staff’s favorite holiday recipes.

Be sure to tag us on social media if you make one of our delectable dishes.

Rachel’s Challah and Apricot Stuffing

 

THE STORY

I love this recipe because it’s as unique as it is delicious! You’ll be looking forward to this flavor profile year after year. Grandmotherly remarks included in the recipe below, for full effect!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 loaf Challah bread, cubed
  • 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1 cup pine nuts
  • 3 sticks butter I don’t use that much butter — I add some water or broth instead of so much butter!
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp sage
  • ½ tbsp thyme
  • 1 head celery
  • 3 cups chicken broth – more or less
  • Salt and pepper

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. In a large saucepan melt butter and sauté onions, celery, and apricots until soft.
  2. Add herbs and sauté 2 more minutes.
  3. Add bread and stir to coat evenly.
  4. Add broth in batches until the stuffing becomes wet.
  5. Continue stirring and add pine nuts and salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Make sure liquid is evenly absorbed into the bread.
  7. If the mixture is too moist, add bread. If too dry, add broth.

 

Key to the recipe: don’t get caught in exact measurements, but adjust to texture and taste!! Most important have fun!!!

Christiam’s Classic Churros

 

THE STORY

Homemade churros offer such warm memories, as they were only prepared for special occasions. Sitting around the table waiting for the churros to be ready with my brothers and sisters brings me comfort to this day.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour sifted
  • Vegetable oil to a depth of 1 inch for frying
  • 2½ cups of water
  • ⅓ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 cinnamon stick (approx 5-inch)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ⅔ cup sugar

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Spread the sugar over the bottom of a baking pan, and set aside.
  2. Mix flour, baking powder, and ground cinnamon and set aside.
  3. In a medium saucepan, combine the salt, vanilla, and cinnamon stick with the water.
  4. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Allow water to slow boil for about 3 minutes before removing the cinnamon stick.
  5. Then add the flour mixture all at once, stirring vigorously for 2 minutes or until the mixture forms a thick, smooth-textured ball.
  6. Remove from heat and let cool in the pan.
  7. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan or cast-iron skillet (about 9 inches across and 3 inches deep) over medium to medium-high heat.
  8. Scoop the dough into a cookie press fitted with a ⅜ inch fluted opening or a heavy-duty pastry bag fitted with a ⅜ inch star tip.
  9. Place the pressing apparatus a few inches above the hot oil and press out 5-inch portions of dough, pulling each part freely from the press using fingertips.
  10. Repeat this step 4 to 5 times depending on the desired number of churros to be fried at a given time.
  11. Turn occasionally until golden brown.
  12. Place the golden brown churros on paper towels to remove excess oil.
  13. Roll the churros in the sugar while still warm.
  14. Ready to enjoy.

Brock’s Calm-Down Eggnog

 

THE STORY

This is a cold time of year when conversations can get heated, tensions are high, and relatives are combative. May this drink give you the strength you need to defend your choice of major, profession, or anything else.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 qt of Mayfield Eggnog
  • 1 375ml bottle of Chattanooga Whiskey

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Pour the bottle of Chattanooga Whiskey into a pitcher, followed by the quart of Mayfield Eggnog. Stir liberally to mix the two liquids.
  2. Pour into individual glasses to serve. Enjoy responsibly. Heavy machinery should not be operated after consuming Brock’s “Christmas Calm-Down” Eggnog.

 

Maddie’s Mini Mince Pie (Tart)

 

THE STORY

My Grandma from England makes these every Christmas, so I’ve eaten them since I was a child. It’s not the holidays without Mini Mince Pies!

 

INGREDIENTS

For The Crust:

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 11 tbsp cool unsalted butter, cubed
  • 6-7 tbsp cold water

For The Pies:

  • 2 cups mincemeat

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

For The Crust:

  1. In a medium bowl mix the flour and salt.
  2. Cut butter into the flour mixture with a fork or pastry blender until the flour has the consistency of sand and the butter is evenly distributed.
  3. Add 6-7 tbsp of water slowly and mix with a fork until the dough clumps together around the fork. It should clean the edges of the bowl and nearly come together. All it should need is a gentle press together to come into a clean ball.
  4. Roll out the crust on a lightly floured surface to roughly 1/8 inch thick.

For The Pies:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
  2. Cut the rolled crust into small circles that fit nicely into your mini muffin tin. (We used roughly 2 ¼ – 2 ½ inch circles.) Re-roll the crust dough as necessary to fill 24 mini muffin tins.
  3. Spoon roughly 1 tbsp of mincemeat into each crust shell.
  4. Roll out the leftover crust and use a cookie cutter to cut out a star or other shape for the top crust.
  5. Bake the mini mince pies for 30-35 minutes, until golden.
  6. Remove the pies from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing them to cool completely on a wire rack.
  7. Store the mini mince pies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks on the counter.

Jake’s Chocolate Pie

 

THE STORY

This is a recipe my Mom and my Memaw have been making around the holidays since I can remember. It tastes great and is super easy to make!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 whole pie crust, baked and cooled (or can use Oreo or graham cracker crust)
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 4 whole egg yolks
  • 6 ½ oz weight bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp butter

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
  2. Pour in milk and egg yolks.
  3. Stir over medium heat until the mixture just barely comes to a boil and becomes thick—it should be thick like a pudding.
  4. Pour the pudding into the pie crust.
  5. Place into the refrigerator to chill for a few hours (approx. 3-4 hours).
  6. Cut into slices.
  7. Eat!

Jackie’s Broccoli Cheese Casserole

 

THE STORY

My family has enjoyed this recipe at every holiday meal, and it brings back great memories. When I bake it for friends, they often say it’s the best dish of the meal. Enjoy!

 

INGREDIENTS

  •  3 eggs – slightly beaten
  • 1 frozen chopped broccoli – 10 oz
  • 1 small carton cottage cheese – 16 oz
  • ¼ lb cheddar cheese shredded
  • ¼ lb butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • Salt & Pepper

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Mix all ingredients together.
  2. Bake in casserole dish for 1 hour at 350ºF.

Steve’s Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage

 

THE STORY

This is my favorite stuffing. I made this for the first time about 20 years ago. It’s based on my wife’s family’s recipe which I modified to use only cornbread as the bread in the stuffing.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ package of pork breakfast sausage with sage
  • 1 diced onions
  • 1 ½ cups of diced celery
  • 6 cups of cooked Jiffy cornbread
  • 1 ½ cups of chicken broth
  • 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1 tsp of dried sage
  • Salt & pepper to taste

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Combine sausage, celery, and onions in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Stir often.
  3. Cook until sausage is browned and veggies are translucent.
  4. Drain excess grease.
  5. Put sausage mixture in a large bowl.
  6. Add crumbled cornbread and seasonings and mix.
  7. Transfer to a baking dish and cook at 325ºF until stuffing is set and cooked through, about 45 minutes.
  8. I also stuff the bird with part of it but I know that is a no-no for some folks.

Jess’s Spider Cookies

 

THE STORY

These are my husband’s favorite during the holidays. You may be wondering why these Butterscotch Haystacks are referred to as Spider Cookies, well, that’s because his family always calls them Spider Cookies. Until a recent search online, I had no idea these cookies went by another name!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 12 oz package of butterscotch chips
  • ¾ cup Peanut Butter
  • 2 cups mini marshmallows
  • 1 “large can” Chow Mein noodles

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Melt the butterscotch chips & peanut butter together in a double broiler.
  2. In a large bowl, mix mini marshmallows and chow mein noodles.
  3. Pour the melting butterscotch & peanut butter over the marshmallow and chow mein noodles and mix well.
  4. Spoon out on wax paper and let it set in the refrigerator.

Amanda’s Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

 

THE STORY

This is the best mac and cheese I’ve ever made. I used this recipe during quarantine when my partner and I had Thanksgiving by ourselves at home and we cooked a whole dang Thanksgiving meal for just the two of us.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb dry elbow pasta
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 2 ½ cups half and half
  • 4 cups shredded medium sharp cheddar cheese divided (measured after shredding)
  • 2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese divided (measured after shredding)
  • ½ tbsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp paprika

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Preheat oven to 325ºF and grease a 3 qt baking dish (9×13″). Set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  When boiling, add dried pasta and cook 1 minute less than the package directs for al dente.  Drain and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking.
  3. While water is coming up to a boil, shred cheeses and toss together to mix, then divide into three piles.  Approximately 3 cups for the sauce, 1 ½ cups for the inner layer, and 1 ½ cups for the topping.
  4. Melt butter in a large saucepan over MED heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine.  The mixture will look like very wet sand.  Cook for approximately 1 minute, whisking often.  Slowly pour in about 2 cups or so of the milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until smooth.  Slowly pour in the remaining milk/half and half, while whisking constantly, until combined and smooth.
  5. Continue to heat over MED heat, whisking very often, until thickened to a very thick consistency. It should almost be the consistency of a semi-thinned-out condensed soup.
  6. Remove from the heat and stir in spices and 1 ½ cups of the cheeses, stirring to melt and combine.  Stir in another 1 ½ cups of cheese, and stir until completely melted and smooth.
  7. In a large mixing bowl, combine drained pasta with cheese sauce, stirring to combine fully. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Top with 1 ½ cups of shredded cheeses, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture.
  8. Sprinkle the top with the last 1 ½ cups of cheese and bake for 15 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.

Blake’s Corn Casserole

 

THE STORY

This recipe is delicious and so easy to make. We usually have it at the holidays, so it reminds me of being surrounded by family.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 can of corn, drained
  • 1 can of creamed corn
  • 1 cup of sour cream
  • 1 stick of melted butter (½ cup)
  • 1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  2. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients together and pour into a greased 8″x8″ baking pan.
  3. Cook uncovered for 45-50 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cory’s Thanksgiving Stuffing

 

THE STORY

A Google search for a stuffing recipe led me to the most trusted site on the internet — Reddit. This recipe is so good and easy to make. You can even prepare the veggies and sausage the day before.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 12 oz boxes of dressing
  • 4 cups chopped onion
  • 4 cups chopped celery
  • 4 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 4 Jimmy Dean Reduced Fat (if you can find it) rolls breakfast sausage
  • Cube of butter
  • Enough broth to moisten
  • Maybe ½ loaf or more of French bread — dried out and crumbed in a food processor

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Sauté the vegetables, onions, and celery first then the mushrooms.
  2. Brown the sausage in a separate pan.
  3. Empty bags of dressing in a very large container.
  4. Add the dried French bread crumbs.
  5. Stir in the vegetables and sausage.
  6. Add chicken broth until moist enough.
  7. Cover and cook at 350ºF until the center reaches 165°F.

Mike’s Fudge

 

THE STORY

My wife’s mother made up this recipe when she was just a child. It’s very easy to make since you only need three ingredients!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups of chocolate, melted
  • 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Melt chocolate.
  2. Mix with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated.
  3. Pour into a 9″x9″ pan and refrigerate overnight.
  4. Cut and serve. Keep refrigerated.

Julisa’s Spiced Sugar Cookies

 

THE STORY

This recipe has been in my family since my Mom was a kid. I love this recipe because the spices give it a lot more flavor than your typical sugar cookie. It’s good enough to eat on its own without any frosting. It’s also thicker than normal, for extra spiced goodness.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk
  • 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
  • 1 tsp almond flavoring
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs.
  2. Add milk and flavorings.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.
  4. Then add one cup at a time to the sugar/shortening mix.
  5. Mix well after each cup.
  6. Chill dough for at least 2 hours.
  7. Roll out dough on a floured surface, thicker is better.
  8. Cut into desired shapes. Allow for extra space on the cookie sheet because they will spread.
  9. Bake at 350ºF for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown.

Cody’s Cinnamon Rolls

 

THE STORY

Nothing reminds me of the holidays more than my Mom’s cinnamon rolls. Starting on Thanksgiving Day, we always have a huge Tupperware full of these. We eat them throughout the holiday season. They’re just as good with your morning coffee as they are after dinner! Don’t forget the cream cheese icing!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ cup of sugar
  • ½ cup of lard
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups of warm water + ½ cup for activating yeast
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 packages of yeast
  • A lot of flour
  • Equal parts melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon

 

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE

  1. Mix ½ cup of sugar, ½ cup of lard and 2 teaspoons of salt.
  2. Whisk 2 cups of warm water with 2 eggs.
  3. Mix lard mixture with a lot of flour and add in eggs.
  4. Dissolve 2 packages of yeast into ½ cup of warm* water.
  5. Slowly add yeast to flour/lard mixture.
  6. When the dough starts to stiffen, take it out and work by hand.
  7. Place dough in greased bowl, cover and let rise.
  8. Punch dough down, cover, and let rise again.

*Make sure you can stand the temperature of the water on your wrist, too warm and it will kill the yeast!

To make filling:

  1. Mix melted butter with equal parts brown sugar and cinnamon.
  2. Remove dough and roll out into a thin layer.
  3. Spread filling over dough.
  4. Roll dough up into a spiral.
  5. Cut into even pieces.
  6. Bake at 400ºF until golden brown.
  7. Remember to mix with love!