Holidays recipes

Creamy mashed potato casserole made with cream cheese, sour cream, and a paprika-dotted golden top. A make-ahead holiday side that frees up stovetop space on the big day.

Green bean casserole made in the microwave with canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and crispy French fried onion rings on top. The classic holiday side dish ready in just 15 minutes.

Microwave roast turkey with pan gravy cooks a 12-pound bird in under 90 minutes using the breast-down, breast-up method. A speedy small-kitchen solution for holiday dinner without tying up the oven.

Mother's fruit cake is a brandy-soaked holiday classic with cherries, apricots, pineapple, peel, raisins, and currants bound in a spiced chocolate-scented batter. Baked slow and aged for two months.

Steamed persimmon pudding with brandy, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg, flambed at the table and served with whipped cream. An old-fashioned holiday dessert with spectacular presentation.

Old-fashioned spiked eggnog with bourbon, dark rum, whipped cream, and 60 eggs for a crowd of 50. A rich, boozy holiday punch with real whipped cream and fresh nutmeg.

Roast turkey with port-soaked grapes and prunes in cornbread stuffing, then cooked inside a paper bag for a juicy bird with golden bronze skin. A holiday twist on the classic roast.

Christmas paintbrush cookies are rolled sugar cookies painted with colored egg yolk paint before baking. A kid-friendly holiday project where designs bake right into the cookie surface.

Rum pecan pie with a brandied butter crust, layered chopped pecans under a mosaic of pecan halves, and a dark rum and maple-kissed filling. Holiday dessert with a grown-up flavor twist.

Smashed spiced sweet potatoes are oven-roasted whole, then smashed rustic-chunky with butter, maple syrup, chili powder, cumin, and ginger. A warm-spiced holiday side that beats marshmallow casseroles.

Melt-in-your-mouth butter pecan cookies dusted in powdered sugar. Just 5 ingredients, no eggs, and ready in 30 minutes. Shape them into crescents or balls for a snowy holiday cookie tray.

Yuletide ginger cookies made with oat bran and egg whites instead of butter and whole eggs for a lighter holiday treat. Rolled in festive colored sugar crystals for sparkle and crunch on every bite.

Birds nests are thumbprint cookies rolled in egg white and crushed walnuts, then filled with a jewel of fruit jam. A classic holiday tea cookie that bakes in 10 minutes.

Make-ahead mashed potato casserole with sour cream and cream cheese, refrigerated overnight, then baked the next day. The Thanksgiving and holiday side that frees up your stovetop.

Hazelnut chocolate toffee layers crunchy buttery brown-sugar candy with toasted hazelnuts and a melted-on chocolate chip topping. Holiday gift candy that breaks into rough shards.

Candied orange peels turn citrus rinds into glossy, sugar-coated treats by double-blanching the peels, simmering in syrup, and rolling in sugar. A holiday gift project, ready overnight. Works with lemon or lime peels too.