Holiday Recipes and Gifts: Christmas Recipes and Thanksgiving Recipes

My favorite times of the year are Thanksgiving and Christmas, gathered around wonderful holiday recipes with family and friends, enjoying each other's company.

You will find both Thanksgiving recipes and Christmas recipes sprinkled throughout the site but I have gathered several of them together here to give you a few ideas for great tasting holiday menus.

Pick and choose or search the site to try something new. Any way you do it the most important thing is to enjoy the day.

Note the recipes you can make ahead - the pies, some of the salads, the sweet and sour meatballs and potato recipes.

Try to incorporate a few make ahead dished so the cook isn't too frazzled to enjoy the holiday too!

Oh...and don't forget the classic, must haves - sweets. What are the holidays without traditional, and not so traditional cookies, cakes and sweet treats. Find recipes for Holiday Cookies and Sweets below.

Recipes for Christmas Dinner or Thanksgiving Dinner

Roast Turkey with Gravy
Delicious Turkey Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Baked Squash
Green Bean Casserole
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Or - Sweet Potato Casserole
Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits
Pumpkin Pie or
Lemon Meringue Pie (or make one of each)

For how to thaw, stuff and cook a turkey, look here.
Find out how to properly carve a turkey here.

Menu 2 - Prime Rib Roast Dinner Menu

Crab Dip Appetizer
Prime Rib au jus
Yorkshire Pudding
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Grilled Mushrooms
Asparagus
Apple Pie - or
Pumpkin Cheesecake

Hand-hewn and substantial feel combined with the opulent color of Venetian damask capture the essence of the holiday spirit. Red hand made hurricane vase, with matching wine glasses also available. Rosanna 11-in. Venetian Hurricane Vase

Look here for Prime Rib cooking times to make sure your roast is perfect every time.

Take it up a notch with zesty prime rib rubs.

Buffet Dinner Menu

Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Chicken and Broccoli Casserole and/or
Baked Ham
Hash Brown Potato Casserole
3 Bean Salad
Lime and Carrot Jello Salad
Deviled Eggs
Pineapple and Carrot Salad
Cheese Sticks
Key Lime Pie
Chocolate Fondue

Here's how to do Chocolate Fondue for a crowd:
Have the fondue set up at a separate table and surround the warm chocolate fondue pot (or pots if you have lots of people) with bowls of "dippables". See the recipe page for lots of dipping suggestions.

Holiday Brunch Buffet

Breakfast Casserole
Hash Brown Potato Casserole
Easy Homemade Pancakes
Low Fat Apple Walnut Muffins
Cranberry Muffins
Ambrosia Salad
Fresh Fruit Salad

Add some shimmer and glam to your holiday dinner with the Holiday Dazzle Table Linen Collection! Featuring gleaming gold disk sequins printed and sowed in a random, yet glamorous pattern on champagne satin, this collection is sure to "dazzle" your guests before they even sit down. Holiday Dazzle Table Linen Collection

Holiday Baked Goodies

There is nothing quite as nice as having an assortment of sweet treats for the holidays. Sweets are must haves!

You can bake ahead during the weeks before, freeze most of it, then arrange a wonderful mixture of cookies, squares and treats as needed for company, pot luck take alongs or a lovely gift in a pretty tin or mug, wrapped in cellophane.

Here are some of our favorites for the Christmas and holiday season:

Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares
Chocolate Coconut Bar Cookies
Butter Cookies
Date Squares
Florentine Cookies
Christmas Cookies - Many Variations
Jewel Gum Drop Bar Cookies
Refrigerator Cookies

And of course we can't forget the Christmas cake recipes, light and dark. Both are full of fruit, moist and delicious -

Rich Dark Fruit Cake
Light Fruit Cake Recipe

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