<p>Did you make something for the holidays (choose your holiday) that was a big hit with friends and family? If so, please share. </p>
<p>This year for Christmas brunch, I made a cheese blintz casserole that was fabulous. There are few things that everyone in our family loves, but this is one of them.</p>
<p>[Raspberry</a> Blintz Casserole Recipe](<a href=“http://www.bhg.com/recipe/eggs/raspberry-blintz-casserole/]Raspberry”>Breakfast & Brunch Recipes)</p>
<p>That sounds delicious!</p>
<p>Our Christmas “dinner” is actually a myriad of appetizers.</p>
<p>I made these two and they were a big hit!</p>
<p>Buffalo Chicken Ranch Dip (plusses: lots of chicken, not greasy)
[FRANK’S®</a> REDHOT®BUFFALO CHICKEN RANCH DIP](<a href=“http://www.franksredhot.com/retailrecipeview.php?id=RE1241&recipe=BUFFALO-CHICKEN-RANCH-DIP]FRANK’S®”>http://www.franksredhot.com/retailrecipeview.php?id=RE1241&recipe=BUFFALO-CHICKEN-RANCH-DIP)</p>
<p>“Swedish Meatballs”
I had actually asked for CC input on this one and ended up combining suggestions for a great recipe and that was well-received!
Store bought meatballs (Armour was all I could find - I used about 1/2 of a LARGE bag)
1 can fat-free mushroom soup
1/4 c. beef stock/broth (approximate)
1 c. evaporated milk (approximate)
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms sliced
1 envelope beef stroganoff seasoning ( I actually used about 3/4 of it)</p>
<p>Mix all ingredients, except meatballs. Place meatballs in crockpot and pour mixture of them, stir gently. Cook on low for a few hours till hot and bubbly.</p>
<p>Quiver’s Cinnamon Rolls-- easy to make, always turn out , and are truly delicious! Enjoy.</p>
<p>[Quiver’s</a> Legendary Cinnamon Rolls ~ courtesy of Jean, Quiverof10 The Well-Trained Kitchen](<a href=“http://thewelltrainedkitchen.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2006/10/26/quivers-legendary-cinnamon-rolls-courtesy-of-jean-quiverof10/]Quiver’s”>Quiver’s Legendary Cinnamon Rolls ~ courtesy of Jean, Quiverof10 | The Well-Trained Kitchen)</p>
<p>This was a new addition to our recipe collection. I have never even liked brussels sprouts before, but this was a hit for us. I did not add the potatoes though since we already had a potato dish
This is a Bobby Flay / Foodnetwork website recipe</p>
<p>Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta</p>
<p>Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound sliced pancetta, diced
4 shallots, thinly sliced
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
8 baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lemon, juiced
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. </p>
<p>Heat oil over medium heat in a roasting pan or large skillet. Add the pancetta and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the shallots to the pan and cook until soft. Add the Brussels sprouts and potatoes and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven until the vegetables are cooked through and golden brown , about 40 min. Remove the vegetables from the oven and stir in the butter and lemon juice. Transfer to a platter and top with the reserved pancetta.</p>
<p>I adore roasted brussels sprouts. I could eat them almost every day.</p>
<p>missypie, how do you make your brussel sprouts? BTW, the blintze recipe looked great! It looks like a wonderful recipe for a brunch.</p>
<p>missypie, that blintz recipe sounds like <em>just</em> the thing to take to the New Year’s Eve party; thank you!!</p>
<p>I cut large ones in half, leave the small ones whole, put olive oil, kosher salt and pepper in a pan and rub the sprouts around until coated. I roast about a 400-425 until done (maybe half an hour.) They are so good.</p>
<p>lol!! Yes, or to a brunch!!</p>
<p>The great thing about the blintz recipe is that it is supposed to rest for 30 minutes after you remove it from the oven, so it’s great to take somewhere…no harm in not serving immediately.</p>
<p>Missypie, thanks. Nice and simple, re: sprouts. Oh, and the blintz recipe is not too involved either.</p>
<p>The blintz recipe falls into the category of “worth the trouble.” This year I made a new chocolate cake recipe that was definitely “not worth the trouble.”</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I have made too many of those. I also get frustrated when my family enjoys a simple dish that took minimal effort to put together, just as much as one that involved too much time, and ended up in a lot of clean up (too many pots and pans). I prefer the easy and tasty recipes.</p>
<p>I made my friend Sarah’s mango salad: sliced mangos, sliced red bell peppers, thinly sliced red onion and blueberries with chopped basil, cilantro and mint in a ginger/soy sauce/sesame oil/lime juice dressing. I had to guess at the proportions, so you can too.</p>
<p>IloveLA, there is a local Mexican restaurant that makes something very similar, only no blueberries and adding jicama. Very tasty.</p>
<p>Cinnamon pecans:
1 pound shelled pecans
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp salt
1 to 3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.</p>
<p>Beat egg whites and salt until foamy. Add sugars and cinnamon (I used three teaspoons but I really like cinnamon; you could use more or less); stir until well mixed. Add pecans and stir/fold gently until they are coated.</p>
<p>Spread out on a Silpat sheet or on a well-buttered 9x13 nonstick pan. The Silpat works better. Bake about 45 to 60 minutes, stirring every ten minutes or so. You’ll know they’re done when they’re completely coated and dry.</p>
<p>I have leftover turkey and ham in the fridge. Any suggestions for recipes other than our regular split pea soup, turkey enchiladas and soup?</p>
<p>I just took my leftover gravy and turkey to make turkey pot pie.Added potatoes, peas, celery carrots and onions. Use a regular crisco crust recipe and add a bit of salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to the flour before mixing. My families favorite post holiday indulgence.
I generally cut up the left over ham and put it in bags in the freezer—so many recipes call for a small amount of ham, ( it’s great not to have to run out to the store to get some!)</p>
<p>My family loves chicken or turkey pot pie. You can just add Veg All (chunky is best) and use a frozen pie crust if you want to make it easy on yourself.</p>
<p>Roasted root veggies from the Seattle Times were a huge hit both at Thanksgiving and Christmas. As soon as I figure out how to post links from my phone, I will post it.</p>