Unique Holiday Recipes from Your Neighbors’ Kitchens
By Mary Frances Cassidy
The inspiration for an article about uncommon holiday recipes came about as the result of a telephone conversation with my good friend Jennifer the day before Thanksgiving last year. Discussing the menus we had planned, Jennifer mentioned making a family favorite side dish — her famous Carrot Puff.
Carrot Puff? I had never heard of it. Jennifer’s description simply didn’t do it justice, and it wasn’t until she generously made it for my family, that I discovered the incredible deliciousness of this dish, despite its simple ingredients. Especially unique, in that it can be served either as a side dish or a dessert, I immediately asked for the recipe and have shared it several times, always receiving rave reviews!
This piqued my curiosity about other interesting holiday recipes waiting to be discovered and shared. Perhaps a dish you’d never think to make? A neighbor’s cherished family recipe? A regional favorite from a place you’ve never visited? The results went considerably beyond traditional stuffing and mashed potatoes. Here are some hidden gems — delicious holiday favorites shared straight from the kitchens of Suburban Living Apex readers. Enjoy!
Carrot Puff
Yields: 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
2 lbs carrots
1 cup melted butter
6 eggs, room temperature
6 Tbsp flour
1 ¾ cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Clean, peel and cut carrots into 1-inch pieces.
Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Add ¼ tsp of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until very tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well.
Place butter, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder and vanilla in a blender. Add carrots a few at a time and puree.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 45 minutes uncovered, or until golden brown around the edges and slightly firm. Remove from oven and allow it to set. Cut into squares and serve.
Jeweled Green Beans
Jeweled Green Beans are a vegetable side dish that is both visually appealing and delicious. Tonya Brady submitted this recipe, noting that many foods this time of year are often quite indulgent, high in sugar, and calorie-laden. “This recipe provides a light and flavorful alternative that nicely balances the richness of many traditional holiday dishes. It also adds a beautiful, festive touch to your holiday table.”
Yields: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb fresh green beans
1 ½ Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 ½ Tbsp unsalted butter
1 clove of minced garlic
⅓ cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding ¼ tsp of salt.
Trim the stems of the green beans.
When the water comes to a boil, add the green beans and boil for 5 minutes, or until they are bright green and just barely crisp-tender.
Immediately drain and rinse under cold water to end the cooking process.
Drain green beans well and pat dry. Transfer them to a large bowl.
Toss with olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet and add the garlic.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until garlic turns light brown (about 2-3 minutes.)
Add the green beans to the skillet and gently toss to coat and heat for about 1 minute.
Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl.
Garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve.
Pomegranates can usually be found in North Carolina grocery stores throughout fall and winter. You can also save some time and purchase just the arils. Look for them in the refrigerated section of the produce department.
Make You Cry Caramelized Onion Dip
Make You Cry Caramelized Onion Dip doesn’t derive its name from the tears you’ll shed while slicing the three onions necessary to make it, but rather because it’s so delicious, your guests will be crying when it’s finished! This appetizer recipe, submitted by Melissa Ernest, is a highly requested holiday favorite in her home, oftentimes with the whole family pitching in, making it together! According to Melissa, the absolute key to preparing it correctly is taking the time to caramelize the onions. “It’s a bit of a time-consuming process that requires patience, but the end result is so well worth it!”
Yields: 8 servings Cook time: 25 minutes
Prep time: 1 hour 10 minutes Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Ingredients
3 large yellow onions
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp (or very slightly more) cognac
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups grated gruyere cheese (about 6 ounces)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
Instructions
Peel the onions. Chop one, halve and thinly slice the second, and quarter and thinly slice the last. This creates a variety of textures in the finished dip and prevents the onions from becoming stringy.
Melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
Add the salt and brown sugar to the pan and stir well.
Continue cooking the onions, uncovered, over medium heat for about an hour, stirring often, until they are caramelized. The heat should be high enough to cook them, but not so high that they brown prematurely. The onions will first release moisture, then slowly turn from golden to deep brown.
When the onions have reduced significantly and are a deep golden brown, deglaze the pan with the cognac, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, gruyere and parmesan cheeses, garlic powder, coarse salt, and cracked black pepper. Blend well.
Fold in the cooled caramelized onions.
Spread the mixture evenly into an oven-safe dish, such as a gratin baker or cast-iron skillet.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top. Baking time may vary depending on the size of your dish.
Serve hot with thin slices of toasted baguette. Can be reheated, if necessary, in a low temperature oven, or in the microwave.
Clam and Cheese Crostini
Pat Meeney’s cooking strongly reflects her New England roots. “My grandmother owned a seafood restaurant on Rhode Island for over 30 years and I’m so lucky to have many of her recipes that I cherish dearly.”
There’s an old school of thought among many traditional chefs that seafood and cheese don’t mix, but this easy to prepare appetizer proves that some rules are made to be broken. Pat’s family celebrates Christmas Eve with small plates and appetizers, always including her grandmother’s Clam and Cheese Crostini on the menu.
Yields: Approximately 18 individual appetizers
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5-7 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 loaf of Italian or French Bread
8 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 6 ½ cans chopped clams
1 ½ Tbsp chopped chives
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 cloves minced garlic
Dash or 2 of red pepper
Dash black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450°F.
In one bowl, combine cheese, clams, chives, parsley, garlic, red pepper and black pepper. Blend well.
Cut bread into approximately 18 (1- inch) rounds.
Spread 1 heaping teaspoon of mixture onto each round of bread and place on baking sheet.
Bake for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.
Nun’s Puffs
Ask anyone who knows Eleanore Marano, affectionately known as Mommom to her grandchildren and all of their friends, and they’ll likely tell you two things about her: She can bake absolutely anything, and her generosity knows no bounds! Family and friends famously request her legendary pound cake and banana split cake most often, along with the dozens upon dozens of Christmas cookies she lovingly bakes each December.
Eleanore shared this little known “pâte à choux” based recipe, originating from France in the 16th century. It’s the perfect vehicle for just about any filling you choose. This versatile pastry is similar to one originally called “religieuse” (meaning nun) which resembled the look of nuns in their habits, hence the name Nun’s Puffs.
Yields: 12 Puffs
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
1 stick butter (½ cup)
1 cup milk
¾ cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, room temperature
Granulated sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a regular size muffin pan, including the rim, with oil. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the milk and bring to a low boil.
Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon, keeping the saucepan on low heat, until the dough comes together in a ball that stays together.
Transfer to a bowl and cool for approximately 10 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, using a wooden spoon, until each egg is evenly mixed in. Initially, the dough will separate into chunks, but will then become smooth, after about 1-2 minutes of constant stirring.
Divide the dough evenly among the greased muffin cups. Sprinkle each puff with sugar.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until puffy and golden brown.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Fill with whipped cream, custard, chocolate mousse, berries, ice cream, Nutella or any other filling of your choice. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
