We may not be mingling as much as usual, but when you’re invited to Aunt Carol’s for Christmas Eve, isn’t it nice to have a few tried and-true, mouth-watering recipes up your sleeve?
Whenever I get an invite, it’s pretty much expected I will show up with these two holiday faves in hand. And the dishes are licked CLEAN when I go home.
Here they are. They’re so yummy, they may possibly be illegal.
And I’m sharing!
First up…
Sweet Potato Casserole
- 3 cups (or two 29oz cans) mashed sweet potatoes (DRAINED! We’re not monsters!)
- 1 c milk
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 c melted margarine or butter
Mix all together and pour into greased, 2 quart casserole dish
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes
Topping:
(Make extra. Go big. Trust me.)
- 1 cup Special K cereal
- ½ cup pecans
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup melted margarine or butter
Top the casserole w/ topping and bake for 15 minutes.
Your house now smells like heaven.
The topping kind of caramelizes and gets super-delicious and crunchy. Just that little bit of crunch makes it extra special.
Omg. I want it right now…
But Number Two!
Creamed Corn with a Mexican Flare!
- 2 tbsp butter
- ½ cup onion (chopped)
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 ½ cups half-and-half
- 2 16oz packages frozen corn, thawed, rinsed, and well drained (fresh corn off the cob makes it even better)
- 2 tbsp Anaheim chilies(or jalapeño), diced
- Salt (season to taste)
- Cayenne pepper (season to taste)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ⅔ cup Parmesan cheese(grated)
- ¼ pound gruyere cheese, shaved pieces for topping
- 4 slices bacon, chopped (optional)
In a large skillet or saucepan, heat butter until melted. Add onions and sauté over high heat until soft, about 2 or 3 minutes.
Stir in flour and cook, stirring for one minute, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, whisking often, until thickened.
Stir in well-drained (and thawed!) corn and chilies and bring back to boiling. Stir in seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, sugar, and ⅓ cup of the Parmesan cheese.
Transfer this yumminess to a shallow 1 ½ quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining ⅓ c Parmesan cheese and top with the Gruyere
(Are you kidding me? Is your mouth not melting?)
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10 or 15 minutes to melt the cheese and it’s all golden and heavenly.
(It’s okay to use the broiler for this, just keep a close eye on it!)
Garnish with jalapeño chile slices.
(If you want to get a bit fancy, spoon the corn mixture into ramekins, top with the cheeses, and bake until golden and melty)
So, there you are! My not-so-secret holiday dishes that do not disappoint!
