Easy Holiday Recipes to Impress Your Guests
When the holiday season finally rolls around, we find ourselves surrounded by our closest friends, family, loved ones, and, of course, food. From the hors-d’oeuvres being passed around at parties to the cornucopia of delicious dishes filling our Christmas Day dinner tables, there are dozens of opportunities to bring the best from our kitchens. Put your best foot (or, rather, food) forward with these seriously simple recipes that everyone will love!
Christmas Breakfast
After after a no-doubt late night getting the children nestled snug in their beds – I bet mom and dad could use coffee and and a nice breakfast spread. Our Whipped Honey with Cinnamon is the perfect go to for a quick and satisfying addition to croissants or english muffins, and our Gingerbread Butter is a can’t miss on biscuits.
Holiday Hors d’oeuvres
These festive finger foods will keep your guests happy and fed, while also keeping them on-the-go to get in all the socializing at the party.
Homemade Ranch Dip
Use our Country Home Creations Farmhouse Ranch Dip Mix to create a new rendition of your favorite veggie tray dip! It’s a new twist on a classic dipping favorite that is creamy with a peppercorn finish. It’s a great choice for serving with just about anything you can think of – from vegetables to pizza, to breadsticks to salads – you name it!
Caprese Salad Bites
When it comes to events, one of the easiest dishes to toss together is a salad. It requires little prep, and it’s a healthy choice that most people will pop on their plate. The trouble is, it’s not the easiest for guests to carry around and they’re stuck finding a place to sit down so they can snack. The solution? Salad on a stick!
To make your own, start by marinating mozzarella cheese cubes or balls in some olive oil, pepper flakes, and salt. Then, begin assembling your skewers: cherry tomato, basil leaf, spiced mozzarella, cherry tomato. Drizzle them with some balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy!
If caprese isn’t really your thing, you can also try other salad creations on skewers, too. Try layering tomato, lettuce, and bacon for an easy BLT salad. Or, try onion, feta, tomato, and olives with some lettuce to make it Greek!
Appetizer Meatballs
These meatballs are a sure win with everyone – with a kick of flavor to keep the party going. Start by placing your meatballs – fresh or frozen and thawed – in a saucepan. As they’re cooking, add our Stonewall Kitchen Apple Jalapeno Jelly or Red Pepper Jelly – there’s no wrong choice! Heat and serve with toothpicks for a savory and shareable appetizer.
Christmas Dinner
The star of the holiday season is the festive feast on Christmas Day. Serve nothing but the best on your dinner table with these delicious dishes.
Grilled Lamb Chops with Garlic Rosemary Citrus
Use our Garlic Rosemary Citrus Sauce by Stonewall Kitchen to create a memorable entree at your Christmas dinner. If you tired of a traditional Christmas Ham – Lamb Chops may just be your next go to! Generously season your chops with salt and pepper, and follow up with a brushing of Garlic Rosemary Citrus Sauce. Place chops on your Weber Grill, cook until halfway to your desired doneness and turn over. Brush on any additional sauce and finish grilling for unbelievable flavor!
Zippy Roast Beef
Still looking for a ham alternative, but not a fan of lamb? Zippy Horseradish Roast Beef is just the ticket for another exciting Christmas evening entree idea! Prepare your roast beef as normal, then use our Zippy Horseradish Dip Mix to create an amplified addition to knock your Christmas socks off!
Roasted Garlic Potato Salad
Potatoes of any kind are an absolute must for a holiday spread of side dishes. Try our Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette to prepare your roasted potatoes. Toss your spuds with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Place on a shallow baking sheet with parchment paper and roast at 375℉ for 30-35 minutes. Combine your potatoes with garlic, onion, red peppers, bacon, and green onion tops, then pour the vinaigrette over the potatoes and toss to coat well. You can serve this dish warm, at room temperature, or cold – we promise it will taste good regardless of temperature.
Candied Sweet Potatoes
While they’ve recently started to gain popularity in our everyday dishes, sweet potatoes have been a staple in our holiday meals for much longer. Bring the top-notch taste of these tubers to your table with this sweet-and-savory side dish.
Start by peeling and cubing your sweet potatoes, then rinse them off and pop them in a pan to boil. Once they are tender, take them out and mash them together with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and nutmeg for a kick of spice. If you’re interested in adding a smoky, grown-up twist, feel free to add a splash of bourbon into the mixture. Top off your creation with a few chopped pecans, if you’d like, and that’s all it takes to make a dish everyone will want the recipe for!
Festive Desserts
Satisfy your guests’ sweet teeth with these delicious desserts that are sure to delight!
Christmas Crack
Christmas crack, which you may also know as chocolate bark, is the simply delicious and entirely addictive dessert that is perfectly plate-free for passing around.
Before you get started, you should know that the making of this sweet treat can get pretty sticky. To prevent the stress of needing to chip it away from the pan later, lay down some parchment or tin foil on your baking sheet first. Once you have a stick-free barrier, line the sheet with a single layer of soda crackers and set that aside. Now you can start on your caramel.
In a saucepan, melt down some sugar, butter, and salt until it just starts to turn brown, then take off the heat and add a splash of vanilla. Pour that straight over your crackers and pop the sheet in the oven at 400℉ until you see some bubbling action. Once that’s ready, go on and take it out and sprinkle some chocolate chips on top to melt. As it melts, spread it out into an even layer and top it off with anything you’d like! Coconut, peppermints, cranberries, candy, pretzels, or nuts – you name it and we promise it will taste great! Once that’s finished, just let it cool, crack it into pieces, and try to resist eating it all before your guests arrive.
White Chocolate Raspberry Parfait
Guests surely won’t be disappointed – nor will they discover your secret to making a simple dessert parfait. Take small mason jars or ramekins and fill with fresh raspberries and sauce. Then, use our Country Home Creations White Chocolate Raspberry Dip Mix to create your parfait. The mix perfectly blends white chocolate and raspberries to make your tastebuds – and those of your family and friends – jolly!
Eggnog
Nothing says Christmas more than a tall glass of creamy, spicy eggnog. This flavorful beverage is a tradition that everyone will love – especially with a nip of rum for a cocktail version.
To make your own, beat together several egg yolks with some sugar until well mixed, then set it aside. In a saucepan, warm up some milk on low heat with some cinnamon and cloves until it’s just about to boil. Then, very slowly pour that spiced milk into the egg mixture to prevent the yolks from cooking and scrambling. Once you’ve got the two combined smoothly, pour it back into the saucepan and continue to cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens.
When you have a nice and thick nog, take it off the heat and add some cream before straining your mixture into your bowl. Stick it in the fridge, and after a night of cooling, you can add any vanilla, spices, or rum for your desired flavor. Just remember if you have any little ones attending, to put aside a virgin option so they can try the real thing, too!
When it comes to Christmas, the last thing we need to stress over is the dishes we serve to our guests. Dazzle them with these simple, tasty holiday recipes – but don’t let them in on just how easy it was!