Monday, December 8, 2014

Christmas Recipe Swap 2014

By Andrea Renee Cox

One of my favorite things about Christmas is baking things my family and friends will enjoy devouring. There’s something really unique and special about creating delicious food that the people I love dearly can gather around. It’s those moments, when my family and friends are conversing and laughing over a great meal that I helped put together, that I realize just how incredibly blessed I’ve been. To have people around you who love you … well, that’s one of my favorite blessings ever. And when I stop to count my blessings, that's always the first one that comes to mind.

This year, I thought we (yes, dear Readers, I mean you and me) could swap our favorite recipes. I’m about to share one that gets requested practically every get-together I attend. And I would love to hear about some of your favorites.

Andrea’s Sweet Potato Casserole
2 large cans sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
¼ cup melted butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
2 cups light brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, and vanilla together with mixer. Spoon into 9 x 13 inch greased casserole dish. Mix together topping ingredients and layer on top of sweet potatoes. Bake 30 minutes.

Note: This casserole may be prepared a day in advance and baked on the day of serving.

So tell me, Readers, what is your favorite part about Christmas? Which recipes do you look forward to making every year? Please share one of your favorites with us in the comment section below. Let's see what different parts of the meal we can put together.


Thanks for stopping by today! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below. And don’t forget to drop by next Monday for my latest article.

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4 comments:

Carrie Turansky said...

Hi Andrea, Here's one to share with you and our friends:

Annie's Gingersnap Cookies
from my novel Snowflake Sweethearts

Gingersnap-CookiesIngredients:
2 1/4 cup flour (I use half whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 3/4 teaspoon ginger
11/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup white sugar (to roll the cookies in before baking)
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cream brown sugar and butter. Add the egg and mix. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until thoroughly blended. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls. Roll each ball in sugar and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, or until tops are rounded and slightly cracked. Makes 5 dozen cookies. Enjoy!

Carrie


Andrea Cox said...

Ooh, Carrie, those gingersnaps sound so scrumptious! Definitely will be putting those on my list to try. And I'll be keeping my eyes out for Snowflake Sweethearts, too.

Thanks for sharing!
Andrea

Kim Vogel Sawyer said...

I confess I'm not a "good" cook--just a pretty basic one. But this is one of our family's favorites and guests enjoy it, too:

CHICKEN NANCY (not sure who Nancy is...)

Halve 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and place in the bottom of a greased 9x13 glass baking dish (do not overlap.

Place a small slice of Swiss cheese over each chicken piece.

Sprinkle 2 cups of dry seasoned stuffing over the chicken.

Combine one can cream of chicken soup with one can of liquid (any kind of wine, chicken broth, milk, or water) and drizzle over the stuffing.

Seal pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350-degrees for 30-45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Serve over long-grain rice, if desired.

Andrea Cox said...

Kim, my mouth is now watering! Sounds delicious. My mom makes something similar but without the cheese layer. I'll have to try this one out and compare. :)

Thanks for stopping by. It's always fun to trade recipes. I hope you have a very merry Christmas.