[OfficeArrow]

The fabulous food that surrounds (and in some ways, defines) the holidays can be hard to pass up. So why even try? Tell us your favorite holiday party recipes and you could be a winner! Check here for details.

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[Robin Holtson]

This is nice to serve Christmas morning. You can be opening presents, while it bakes in the oven!

[badgergirl]

My husband and I have perfected green beans in our family. Mixing my northern family's green bean style with his southern, they are so good they are gone before the stuffing.

Take fresh green beans (they can be frozen just not canned)and snip off the ends and the spine. Heat a skillet with olive oil until it is just about to start popping. Pour in the green beans. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder to taste. Cook the green beans until they are tender but bend over when you hold one up. Serve warm.

[GeeBee]

I am submitting but not taking part in the Contest.

It was hard to pick a recipe to share, there are soooo many good ones. I am from a Scottish background and the serving of shortbread to those who go visiting from house to house on New Year's Eve has long been a custom among the Scots. One year, while on the traditional shortbread hunt, I stopped by a friend (who wasn't Scottish) and was trying something new. This recipe was the square she served - from that point on it became a favourite at our home and not just served on New Year's Eve! When I do serve it for company I always get asked for the recipe, just as I asked for it all those years ago. ENJOY!

Aunt Lena's Squares

Crust
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
2 tbsp. icing sugar
Mix and lightly press into an 8" square pan. Bake 350 degrees for
15 minutes.

Filling
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 squares unsweetened chocolate - melted
Cream together the butter, eggs and sugar, then beat in the vanilla. Add in cooled chocolate and beat until fluffy. Spread over cooled crust.

Cover with 1 cup whipped cream.

Place in fridge to set. Best after 1 day in fridge so try not to sneak a piece.

[lastouff]

Originally Posted by OfficeArrow

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year party recipe

This is a perfect office party recipe as it is great for putting in little cups or in a big bowl and everyone can walk by and take a handfull. Easy to transfer from home to office too! And you can make extra and keep putting it out. :-) (P.S. Don't use microwave popcorn) Leigh Ann Stouffer (lastouff@aol.com)

From MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients

Makes 1 1/2 Gallons

* 3 cups whole shelled almonds (about 1 pound)
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pans and spoon
* 1/2 cup light corn syrup
* 2 1/2 cups light-brown sugar, packed
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 fourteen-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/4 gallons popped popcorn (1 cup raw kernels)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until lightly golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool completely. Generously butter two roasting pans, and set aside.
2. Combine butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, and place over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly; stop stirring, and cook 3 minutes more. Add vanilla extract and reserved toasted almonds; continue cooking 1 minute more. Remove from heat, and stir in condensed milk and salt.
3. Place popcorn in a large bowl, and drizzle caramel mixture all over the top. Using a large well-buttered metal spoon, immediately toss to distribute evenly and combine. Divide between prepared pans.
4. Bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven, and stir mixture to allow it to cook evenly. Return to oven; bake 7 to 8 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Break apart clusters; serve.

[mtenney]

Originally Posted by OfficeArrow

The fabulous food that surrounds (and in some ways, defines) the holidays can be hard to pass up. So why even try? Tell us your favorite holiday party recipes and you could be a winner! Check here for details.
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Date Pudding
Pour:1 c hot water over
One package dates
Let cool.
Add
1 c sugar or 3/4 c honey
1/2 c chopped walnuts or pecans
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
Steam for 3 hours in a double boiler or in a coffee can inside a crockpot on high.
It's done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Make a sweet white sauce to serve over it using
equal parts butter and flour, cooked on low until smooth
add milk to desired consistency
sugar to taste
and a touch of vanilla

This was my favorite holiday recipe made by my grandmother.

Marilyn

[Lauren Elder]

This recipe is courtesy of OfficeArrow member jhenders:

CROCKPOT CHOCOLATE-PEANUT CLUSTERS
Ingredients:
2 16 ounce jars pre-salted dry roasted peanuts
48 ounces almond bark white chocolate
4 ounces sweet German chocolate
10 12 ounces dark chocolate

Place all ingredients in crock-pot. Cook on low for 3 hours. Don't open the lid! Turn pot off and let sit for 20 minutes. Cover a large surface (about 3 square feet) with waxed or parchment paper. Stir mixture completely. Drop by teaspoons full (I used iced tea teaspoons) onto paper. Let harden and store in airtight containers

[brendarana]

This is the best and easiest (if you use the crockpot) recipe I've found for parties. It's no stress! Just throw it in and turn it on. Great when I don't have time to worry about cooking!

Hot Chicken Dip
1 – 8 oz cream cheese
1 – small bottle of ranch dressing
1 – large packet of cheese
2 – cans or dry packs of chicken breast (if canned, drain)
1 – bottle Texas Pete Chicken Wing Sauce

Melt cream cheese and ranch dressing together. Spread chicken on bottom of pan. Top with cream cheese/ranch mixture. Cover with desired amount of wing sauce (depending on how hot you want it) and cheese. Bake at 350 until warmed through/cheese will be melted and starting to brown.
If using a crockpot, add ranch dressing and softened cream cheese on high setting. Let warm for 30 minutes, add all remaining ingredients except cheese and wing sauce. 40 minutes before serving, add wing sauce and cheese to thicken.

[Moab]

Originally Posted by OfficeArrow

The fabulous food that surrounds (and in some ways, defines) the holidays can be hard to pass up. So why even try? Tell us your favorite holiday party recipes and you could be a winner! Check here for details.
View The Full Article

Southwestern Bake
When the sweets have just gotten to you and something savory and easy will fit the mood.

This is on par with a lasagne layering. And it tremendous fun to create.

Using a cast iron "dutch oven" rotate layers of your favorite Mexican Fillings with Flour Tortillas for a sumptuous cassarole-type dish.

For those of you heating with wood burning stoves, elevated off of the floor, slide your dutch oven underneath to get that baked from the top magic of dutch oven cooking. the rest of us can heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for 45 minutes. Check that it is bubbly or allow it 15m ore minutes.

Saute an onion.
Leave a thin layer on the bottom of the dutch oven.
Reserve the rest for layering.
Apply your first flour tortilla. You may have to use more than one tortilla and trim it to fit each tortilla layer.

Add cumin seasoned meat, grated cheddar. Pour 1/2 cup of tomatoe sauce or salsa.

Apply another tortilla layer.

Warm a can of your favorite re-fried beans, thin the beans with 1/4 cup of beer. Spread it. Add more onion. Season with diced fresh chili peppers or for a milder taste, green peppers or tomatillas. Toss another hand-ful of grated cheese.

Apply another tortilla Layer.

This is a layer of grated cheese, sliced black olive, 1/3 cup of drained canned corn, 1/3 cup of diced tomatoe, another 1/2 cup of your selected seasoned meat. Top it with 1/2 cup of tomatoe sauce.

Apply another tortilla Layer. Either repeat one of your favorite layers or a new combination, if space allows, or finish with a tortilla layer, shredded cheddar cheese and tomatoe/salsa/taco sauce.

Remove from the oven to let cool to set for better portion serving.
For holiday garnish, place a sprig of evergreen around the base of the dutch oven and scatter with a whole few red chilis.