Holidays recipes

Creamy mashed sweet potatoes topped with a buttery pecan praline sauce cooked to soft ball stage. A make-ahead Southern side dish that belongs on every holiday table.

A holiday tiramisu with espresso-soaked ladyfingers layered in a silky mascarpone custard made with sweet wine and egg yolks, dusted with cocoa. Make it the night before for effortless entertaining.

Classic pecan pie from Dear Abby columnist Abigail Van Buren, built on corn syrup, brown sugar, and whole pecans scattered across the top instead of stirred in. The old-school Southern holiday standard.

Traditional mincemeat filling with beef, suet, green tomatoes, tart apples, raisins, and warm spices. Canned with brandy for holiday pies, makes 3 quarts.

Meatless apple and green tomato mincemeat with golden raisins, currants, citrus zest, and warm holiday spices. A vegetarian alternative to traditional mincemeat, perfect for pies, tarts, and gift jars.

Three-ingredient pretzel turtles with mini pretzels, Rolo or chocolate caramel candies, and toasted pecan halves. Easy no-fail sweet-and-salty holiday treat ready in 15 minutes.

Slow-roasted boneless pork loin basted in a sweet-tart cherry glaze with warm spices and toasted almonds. A stunning centerpiece for Sunday dinner or holiday feasts.

Sugar-free cranberry orange gelatin salad made with whole orange, raw cranberries, and sugar-free gelatin. A light, low-calorie holiday side that's tangy, refreshing, and guilt-free.

Hot sausage and mirliton casserole is the New Orleans Creole classic: chayote squash baked with Italian sausage, bell peppers, bread cubes, mozzarella, and fontina. A holiday-table staple.

Festive holiday cheesecake with spiced pumpkin filling on a gingersnap crust, topped with creamy eggnog glaze. A showstopping Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert.

Hallacas are Venezuela's Christmas tamales: beef, pork, chickpeas, olives, raisins, and capers wrapped in cornmeal dough and banana leaves, then boiled. Holiday tradition in every bite.

Pumpkin mincemeat bread with sourdough starter, pumpkin pie spice, walnuts, and brown sugar. A spiced quick bread that makes multiple loaves, perfect for holiday gifting and freezing.

Healthy gingerbread men with whole wheat flour, bran, and artificial sweetener. Low-calorie holiday cookies with orange juice and warm spices, crisp and guilt-free.

Cornish game hens stuffed with wild rice, mushrooms, and slivered almonds, brushed with apricot brandy and roasted golden. An elegant holiday-worthy dinner that feeds eight.

Roast turkey breast with sausage stuffing loaded with pecans, raisins, sage, and bread cubes. Holiday flavor from just a bone-in breast, no whole bird required.

Christmas carrot pudding steams grated carrots and potatoes with breadcrumbs, raisins, suet and warm spices into a moist British holiday pudding served with brown sugar sauce.