Share Your Holiday Recipes With Patch

The holiday season is upon us, which for many means a time of great meals with the ones we love.

And great meals start with great recipes, passed down from generation to generation. These family cooking traditions bring people together during the holidays.

Patch editors and readers from across Minnesota have rounded up a few of their favorite family recipes, which we are sharing with you. If you have a great holiday recipe of your own to share, please post it in the comments section below. You can also add a photo of your delicious dish by clicking on the "submit photo" button below.

Happy holidays, from all of us at Patch.

***

Pumpkin Pie Dip

• 15 oz can pumpkin
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp Chinese five spice
• 6 oz fat free Greek yogurt
• 8 oz Cool Whip free
• cut up apples to dip
• Graham crackers to dip

Mix pumpkin with brown sugar, vanilla and spices, blend well. Mix in
yogurt. Fold in Cool Whip and chill in refrigerator until ready to
eat. Makes about 6 cups.

-Submitted by Laura Patterson, Minneapolis

Famous Cranberry Sauce

• 2 C cranberries
• 1/2 C apple juice (or cider)
• 1/2 C honey
• 1 tsp grated or minced orange rind

Combine cranberries, apple juice, and honey in a small sauce pan and simmer until berries pop (I smash the berries with a wooden spoon to make a smooth sauce). Remove from heat and stir in orange rind. Cool to room temperature then chill in a covered container. For crunchy sauce, add 1/2 C chopped walnuts, pecans, or celery to cooked mixture

-Submitted by Catherine Harding-Rose, Roseville

Butterscotch Cookies

• 2 C brown sugar
• 1 C butter or lard
• 1 C chopped nuts
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-4 C flour (enough to make a stiff dough to mold into loaves)

Mix 3 cups flour with cream of tartar and baking soda, set aside. Cream butter or lard with brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well in between. Slowly add flour mixture and additional cup if needed. Add nuts and vanilla. Shape into two loaves and refrigerate overnight*. Slice into 1/8in thick cookies and bake at 350 until brown. 

*Dough can be wrapped in waxed paper and frozen.

-Submitted by Diane Rappe, Richfield

Melting Moments

• 1 cup Butter
• 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tsp Powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/4 cup All purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 cup Corn starch, sifted
• 1/4 tsp Almond extract
• 1/4 tsp Orange extract
• Cookie Glaze (recipe follows)

Sift flour and corn starch together and set aside. Cream butter in mixer and gradually add powdered sugar, beat until light and fluffy.  Slowly add flour and starch mixture until well incorporated. Add extracts and mix until incorporated.  Chill for one hour. Shape dough into one inch balls and place three inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten the balls with the bottom of a small glass dipped in water. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (cookies will not brown). Carefully remove cookies onto rack and glaze while cookies are still warm. When cookies are glazed, allow to cool.  

Cookie Glaze

• 1 cup Powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp Melted butter
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Orange juice
• Assorted food color

Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix with a wire whisk until smooth. If desired, separate glaze into bowls and mix in food colors.

-Both submitted by Jake Rappe, Richfield

Tex-Mex Turkey Soup
This recipe is fantastic for leftover Thanksgiving turkey!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 4 cups water
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup salsa
• 4 cups shredded cooked turkey
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 (14 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings:

• 6 cups corn tortilla chips
• 3/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced onions and cook until onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in water, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, salsa, shredded turkey, parsley and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until bouillon cubes dissolve. Transfer to crock pot. Add black beans, corn, sour cream and cilantro. Cook on high for 2-3 hours. Serve soup with crushed tortilla chips, chopped green onion, shredded cheese, and additional cilantro and sour cream.

-Submitted by Becky Glander, Minnetonka Patch editor

Coconut Sweet Potatoes

• Four good-sized sweet potatoes, cleaned of any lingering dirt or the beginnings of roots
• A cup of shredded coconut
• Lime juice, to taste

Roast the sweet potatoes until you can run them through with a fork without meeting any resistance, then mash in a bowl (skins on!) with the coconut and lime juice to taste. Not sweet enough? Try adding a banana or a little molasses.
If oven space is at a premium, cut up the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch dice, then toss into your biggest skillet with a good glug or two of olive oil. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until soft, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Once the potatoes are soft, toss in 1/4 to 1/2 cup lime juice, and stir, making sure you scrape up any potato bits off the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat, toss in your coconut, and stir until the coconut is fully incorporated. Mash in the skillet or in a bowl, and serve.

-Submitted by James Sanna, Southwest Minneapolis Patch editor