Christmas/6 recipes

This one skillet side dish makes for quick and easy cleanup. The crunchy butter and maple toasted pecans dress up everyday green beans for a side worthy of a holiday feast.

This decadent brownie recipe was recently clipped from my local newspaper.

A classic pumpkin pie spike with rum. Dark, rich and delicious.

"A tall, impressive cake that showcases the flavors and smells of the holidays. A three-layer extravaganza with a touch of molasses and shredded apple to keep it moist. It fills the house with a fragrance that beats the most expensive holiday-scented candle. It will be talked about long after the party is over." Source: The Pastry Queen Christmas, by Rebecca Rather

This Mexican style enchilada casserole is loaded with flavor. Sauteed vegetables, spices and cheese make this casserole absolutely cheesy and delicious.

Classic old favorite holiday treat

Nancy Reagan's Pumpkin Pecan Pie recipe

A tasty way to use up leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. It includes leeks and mushrooms along with the turkey in a traditional flaky pastry.

THese made the rounds in our neighborhood this holiday season. Everyone wanted the recipe.

I omitted the parsley and scallions (had none) and used chopped onion instead. I also added some red pepper flakes for some heat. I treated this as a marinade for my boneless, skinless breasts, which cut cut into strips and marinated overnight. I skewered the strips and grilled for 5-6 min. per side. Excellent flavor.

Some cocoa powder, a little bit cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg make these popcorn balls taste uniquely delicious. They are chocolaty with a little bit spicy. The cinnamon sugar gives the warm crunchy coating.

This is always a hit! I tweaked it by using 1/2 c oil and 3/4 c orange juice and it turned out great. We made these into muffins and put them in gift bags for our out-of-town guests at our wedding and they all loved them. For muffins, we baked at 350 for 25 minutes and it made about 22 muffins per batch.

Sauteed mushroom and Swiss chard with layered mashed potatoes, sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top, after baking the flavor is wonderful. It is also a good dish for holidays.

Enchilada casserole with a twist!

Pumpkin, cognac, cream cheese, sour cream and spices make this cheesecake creamy, smooth, rich and delicious. The toasted almonds adds extra nuttiness, and it also gives the cheesecake a beautiful coating on the outer edge. This is the kind of cheesecake that everyone gives a big "WOW".

"A Contest winning recipe from Oma Rollison (my mother) featured in Reminisce Magazine with her now famous Banana's 'N Cream Bundt cake. A San Diego, Calif. newspaper once dubbed her "The Queen of Country Cooking." (I guess the apple never falls far from the tree.) She's no longer with us, but her wonderful recipes are."