Enjoy some of our department’s favorite holiday recipes!

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Three-Cheese Macaroni

from Eliza Cornelison

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbs. butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 ¼ cups chicken broth
  • 2 tsp. each dry mustard & Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes (drained)
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • 8 oz. Colby/Monterey Jack cheese shredded
  • 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • 1 lb. penne pasta, prepared according to package directions

Instructions

Preheat broiler. In large saucepot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour & cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Reduce heat to low & cook, stirring, 3 minutes or until pale-golden. Gradually whisk in milk, broth, mustard & Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Increase heat to medium & bring to a simmer. Stir in tomatoes, salt & pepper. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Remove from heat & let cool slightly. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine cheese, stir 2 cups cheese mixture, scallions & pasta into saucepot. Pour into 3 qt. baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Broil 8-10 minutes or until bubbling. Let stand.

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Sweet Potato Casserole

from Chelsea Jacobson

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sweet potatoes, cubed
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put sweet potatoes in medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over med/high heat until tender. Drain and mash. In a large bowl, mix sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9 x 13 dish. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar and flour. Cut in butter until mixture is coarse. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle mixture over sweet potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes.

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Pumpkin Sheet Cake

from Tanya Gorbunov

Cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 cup oil (extra light olive oil, vegetable or corn oil will work)
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

Frosting:

  • 1 package (8oz) Cream Cheese, room temp, cut into quarters
  • 1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter butter, room temp
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp real vanilla extract
  • Pecans to decorate, optional

How to Make Pumpkin Cake:

Prep: Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease a 9×13 non-stick baking pan or a Glass Pyrex dish.**

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp cinnamon.

In a second medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: 3 large eggs, 1 cup oil and 1 can pumpkin, until well combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Transfer to prepared baking dish and bake at 350˚F for 35-40 min, or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool completely in pan then spread the top with frosting (see below) and decorate with whole or chopped pecans.

How to Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

Combine all of your frosting ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed until combined, then beat on high speed 2-3 min or until fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.

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Acorn Squash and Honey Pie

from Rachael Lafferty

Makes 4 five inch pies or 1 nine inch pie

Ingredients:

  • 3 small Acorn squash (About 3 pounds)
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 large eggs plus one large egg yolk
  • ¾ C honey
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¾ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ C plus 1 Tbsp milk
  • Flour for dusting
  • Vegetable oil/spray
  • Pie Dough (my fav recipe is below)

Instructions:

  1. Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Set a steamer rack inside a large pot with 2 inches of simmering water, and steam squash until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. Scrape flesh from the shells of the cooled squash, and puree in the large bowl of a food processor until smooth. Add salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Add eggs, 1/2 cup milk, and honey. Pulse until thoroughly combined.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough 1/8 inch thick. Drape over pie pan, trimming edges to fit rim of pan. Create decorative edge as desired. Repeat with remaining dough and pie pans. Mix egg yolk and remaining tablespoon milk; brush over surface of dough.
  4. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Divide filling among pie crusts. Transfer pies to lower rack in oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. and bake until filling is barely set, 25 to 30 minutes more; it will continue to cook as it cools. If crusts get too dark before the custard is done, make a tent with aluminum foil around crust. Transfer pies to wire rack to cool. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Rachael’s Favorite Pie Dough

Makes 2 nine-inch pie crusts

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 C all purpose flour
  • 1/2 C butter
  • 1/2 C shortening
  • pinch of salt
  • ice cold water add teaspoon by teaspoon until right consistency has formed

Instructions

  1. Place flour, salt, butter and shortening in bowl.
  2. Use your hands to combine ingredients until small pebbles form
  3. Add cold water a teaspoon at a time until the dough begins to hold together and form a ball.
  4. Do not over handle the dough. Dough should be soft, moist but not wet.
  5. Divide dough in half.
  6. Place ball of dough onto wax paper and flatten. Place another piece of wax paper over the top and roll out the pastry into a circle. If your pie pan is 9 inch make sure your circle is bigger than 9 inches so you have enough for the edging..
  7. Remove the top layer of wax paper and place pastry into pie tin. Remove other piece of wax paper and press pastry into pan. Use your fingers to crimp the edge of the crust.
  8. Freeze for 30 minutes to firm up the pastry. This helps prevent pastry from shrinking during baking.
  9. Prick the bottom of crust to prevent bubbling during baking.
  10. If pie calls for a baked crust bake at 400 degrees. For the first 10-12 minutes keep the edges of pie covered with foil and then remove for the last 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown.