Favorite Holiday Dishes

The best part of the holiday season is the food! Turkey, ham, greens, sweet potatoes, need I go on? Each family has their own special traditions. This year, the Brownstone editors are sharing our favorite holiday dishes. You might even see something that you'd like to try with your family. Feel free to share with us your favorite dishes as well! Happy Holidays!

Tymika Morrison - Mac and Cheese

My favorite holiday dish is HOMEMADE mac and cheese (none of that Kraft box stuff). There's just something about cheese that I can't deny. My aunt normally makes the dish for our family dinners, but this year I'm excited about making the mac and cheese for Christmas. I'm trying to put my own spin on the recipe. My aunt normally uses cream of mushroom in her recipe, while I plan to use half and half. Plus, I'm going to use at least four different types of cheeses. I hope to start a new tradition with my family....mmm I can't wait to taste it! (Recipe below is from Patti Labelle) Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil


• 1 pound elbow macaroni


• 1/2 cup butter


• 1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese


• 1/2 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese


• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese


• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese


• 2 cups half & half


• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten


• 1/4 teaspoon salt


• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2 quart casserole. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, add the oil then the elbow macaroni and cook until macaroni is just tender (about 7 minutes). Do not overcook. Drain well and return to the pot. In a small saucepan, melt the first measure of butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar cheese and the Monterey Jack cheese. To the macaroni, add the half & half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheeses, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and dot with the remaining butter. Bake until it is bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes.

Kyle Holland - Chocolate Chip Cookies

My mom is a great baker. When my sister and I walk in the house and see a pan of brownies or a chocolate cake, we just look at each other and say, “Belinda’s Bakes.” That’s what we call my mom’s imaginary bake shop that we tell her to open every time we take a chocolaty bite. Of all the sweet treats my mom is famous for, I’m looking forward to her chocolate chip cookies the most this holiday season. Here’s the thing…I hate nuts! But everyone in the house loves them. You would think she’d make a special batch without nuts just for me. HA, yea right! Instead, she waits until I take a bite and yell, “MOMMY! You said you weren’t gonna put in any nuts!” My whole family gets a kick out of it, and I just get over it. Why? Because I am thankful she made them in the first place! Enjoy! Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cups flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup butter
  
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  
• 3/4 cup brown sugar


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 2 eggs


• 2 cups chocolate chips


• 1 cup chopped nuts


• 1/2 coconut (here’s the not so secret ingredient)
  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Then, mix butter, all sugar and vanilla extract in a separate bowl. Gradually add eggs and flour mix. Stir in chocolate, nuts and coconut and bake for 25 min.

Martine Rouzan - Spinach Artichoke Dip

I love the Thanksgiving because it’s the official kick off to the holiday season. Good food, family & friends… what more could a girl ask for? My absolute favorite thing to eat during the holidays is my grandmother’s cornbread dressing or my mom’s red velvet cake. Unfortunately, I can’t share those recipes… or I would have to kill you right after :) Whenever I hear about favorite holiday foods I always hear the same things – foods from the main course. But what about the food you munch on while you’re waiting on dinner to finish cooking? One of my holiday favorites, and a favorite among my friends & family, is my spinach artichoke dip. I think appetizers are just as important as the main course on this day of feasting and celebration. I actually stole this recipe from a former co-worker and tweaked it a little bit and if you like cheese you will find it truly amazing. My dad always requires his own stash and my cousin even gets mad if I don’t make it! For this recipe you will need:

• 3 cloves of garlic (or more if you like)


• 1 stick of butter


• 8 ounces of cream cheese


• 16 ounces of sour cream
  
• 16 ounces of marinated artichoke hearts (sometimes I can only find 6 ounce jars, 2 of these should do the job)


• 1 small package of frozen spinach


• 2 cups of parmesan cheese


• Splash of Worchestire sauce
  

Melt butter in a pan and add the garlic until tender. Thaw the spinach and drain any excess water. Chop artichokes into small pieces. Add the sour cream, cream cheese, artichokes and spinach into the pan with the butter. Stir and allow the mixture to cook until completely warmed through (it will begin to bubble). Add the splash of Worchestire & 1 cup of the parmesan. Stir mixture until parmesan is melted. Pour the dip into a serving dish and sprinkle the rest of the parmesan cheese on top. You can even get creative with it by adding lump crab meat or shrimp. Serve it any way you like… in a bread bowl, with crackers, tortilla chips or veggies. It’s definitely not low fat so don’t eat too much! The best thing about it is you can remix the leftovers in so many ways. Make a turkey, spinach & artichoke Panini by spreading some of the dip on bread. Add some of your leftover turkey from Christmas dinner and grill for a warm, afternoon treat. Or you can make an omlette with the dip as the filling. However, on the day after Christmas, I like to enjoy it just simply as a dip with crackers as I kick my feet up. Happy Holidays Brownstone family!!

-- Brownstone Team