We asked the community for their favorite holiday recipes, and they delivered! From savory snacks to decadent desserts, this collection of Fishers’ community cookbook recipes will delight residents of all ages.
Tater Tot Hot Dish
Recipe courtesy of Mayor Fadness
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- 2 cans of cream of chicken soup
- 1 can evaporated milk
- Salt & pepper
- 1 bag extra crispy tater tots
Directions
- Brown the ground beef and drain.
- Combine cream of chicken soup with evaporated milk, mix until smooth. *May add 2% milk if too thick. Add salt & pepper to taste.
- Spray bottom and sides of a 9×13″ pan with cooking spray.
- Spread browned beef in pan. Pour soup mixture on beef, and stir them together until completely mixed. Cover mixture with the frozen tater tots.
- Bake in a preheated 375° degree oven for about an hour or until tater tots are golden brown and the hot dish is bubbling.
Slow Cooker Chicken Salsa Verde
Recipe courtesy of Roz Harris of Fit Chicks!
“We don’t believe in diets, because the first three letters spell “D-I-E”! If the best, healthiest nutrition plan is filled with diets and deprivation, that’s a recipe for failure. So, we ditched the diets and created simple, tasty, and good for you meals. One of our favorites is anything Mexican and this slow cooker (or instant pot) chicken recipe doesn’t disappoint. This recipe is a great make-ahead and second helping budget stretcher. Serve in a bowl with more veggie toppings like tomatoes, avocado, or tri-color peppers. You can also serve this filling on a tortilla shell or over rice.”
Ingredients
-
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs
-
2 cups salsa verde (Trader Joe’s has a Hatch Pepper variety!)
-
1 bottle of beer
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2 teaspoons cumin
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Salt and black pepper
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Optional: 1 jalapeno, stem removed and diced, leaving the seeds in for extra heat if desired
Directions
- Add chicken to the slow cooker. Top with salsa verde and beer, and sprinkle with cumin, and season with a few generous pinches of salt and a pinch of pepper. Use a pair of tongs or a spoon to turn the chicken so that both sides are coated. Cover.
- Cook for 3-4 hours on high heat, or 7-8 hours on low heat.
- The chicken is ready when easily shreds with a fork. Shred the chicken in the slow cooker, and toss with the juices. Then remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and serve warm. Or, store the shredded chicken in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Captain Rodney’s Cheesy Bake
Recipe courtesy of Cynthia’s Hallmark
This is a glaze we have sold for years in our stores and is a Cynthia’s Hallmark customer favorite. It has the recipe right on the bottle!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- One 8 ounce package of cream cheese
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 2 green onions (chopped)
- 6 Ritz crackers (crushed)
- 8 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled) or equivalent “real” bacon bits
- 1/2 cup of any Captain Rodney’s Glaze
Directions
- Mix mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, onions, half the bacon, and ¼ cup Captain Rodney’s Glaze in a quiche pan.
- Top with crackers and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Top with remaining bacon and Captain Rodney’s Pepper Glaze.
- Serve with crackers.
Beyond Stuffing
Recipe courtesy of Michael Martinelli of Pure Eatery Fishers
“This is a vegan version of a holiday classic that I created.”
Ingredients
- 4-6 everything bagels
- 4-6 pretzel rolls
- 1 poblano pepper (Diced)
- 1 sweet pepper (Diced)
- 1 jalapeno (Diced)
- 1 sweet onion (Diced)
- 1-quart mushrooms (chopped)
- 4-6 Beyond Sausages (Hot Italian preferred!)
- 1.5 cups vegan butter (melted)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- A sprinkle of thyme
- A pinch of rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Chop all bagels and pretzel rolls and add to a large mixing bowl. Cut beyond sausage into 1 cm thick pieces.
- Sautee all vegetables in a saucepan on medium heat for 8 – 10 minutes or until all the mushrooms appear to have released their juices. In a separate pan cook beyond sausage on medium heat for 8 – 10 min or until firm and juicy.
- Combine beyond sausage and veggies with bread mix in a mixing bowl and gently mix until an even distribution is achieved. Remove from bowl and place in an oven-safe dish (casserole dish)
- Pour vegan butter and vegetable broth directly over the stuffing evenly. Sprinkle garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Place uncovered dish in the oven for 30 minutes (taking out and mixing halfway through).
- Serve.
White Chocolate Peppermint Iced Brownie Bites
Recipe courtesy of Cynthia’s Hallmark
This dip mix is a best seller at Cynthia’s Hallmark, and the brownies have been a customer favorite for years. Cynthia loved everything chocolate!
Ingredients
-
Wind & Willow White Chocolate Peppermint Mix
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8 oz package of cream cheese
-
Brownie batter
Directions:
- Prepare your favorite brownie recipe or boxed mix. Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined 8×8 pan and bake according to directions.
- After baking, allow brownies to cool completely. In the meantime, combine White Chocolate Peppermint Cheeseball Mix with room temperature cream cheese, reserving the topping for later.
- When brownies are completely cool, top with the white chocolate cream cheese mixture. Allow chilling in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Remove from pan and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Sprinkle with Peppermint topping just before serving.
Special Tip: Remember to save a couple for Santa!
Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe courtesy of Josh Perry
“A variation of Paula Deen’s cinnamon roll recipe, this Perry family favorite is perfect for a chilly winter morning or a holiday breakfast.”
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 1 (1/4 oz) package yeast
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups all-purpose flour
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3-6 tablespoons hot water
Directions
- Mix dough ingredients together in a large bowl until combined. Knead the dough by hand or, if using a stand mixer, mix on medium speed for 5-10 minutes adding additional flour as needed until the dough is smooth and not too sticky.
- Place dough into a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for about an hour. When dough is ready, roll out into a 15×9 inch rectangle on a well-floured surface.
- Once rolled, mix ingredients for filling together in a small bowl. Spread filling out onto the dough, leaving 1-2 inches on one of the 15-inch sides to allow for sealing. Beginning on the other 15-inch side, slowly roll the dough until you reach the 1-2 inch border on the opposite side. Add a little water or egg wash to help seal.
- Once roll is fully formed, cut into 12-15 slices with a sharp knife. Avoid pushing down on dough while cutting to keep the roll full.
- Prep a 13×9 inch baking pan by coating the bottom with butter. Place cut rolls into the pan close together for proper rising (rolls should be touching but not crammed together).
- Cover with foil and put in the fridge overnight. The next morning, remove the rolls from the fridge and let them sit on the counter for a couple of hours to warm up and rise.
- When ready, bake rolls at 350 °F for 25-30 minutes. When rolls are finished baking, remove from the oven and sit on the counter in the pan to cool.
- Once rolls are slightly cooled, mix together the glaze ingredients and spread over warm rolls. Rolls should be warm enough to slightly melt glaze without running off rolls completely.
White Chocolate Party Mix
Recipe Courtesy of Peggy Bell
“We traditionally have a baking day each December and give away all our baked goods. This is something that is made and given to friends and family.”
Ingredients:
- 1 lb white chocolate
- 3 cups of Rice Krispies
- 3 cups of Corn Chex
- 3 cups of Cheerios
- 2 cups stick pretzels
- 2 cups dry roasted peanuts (optional)
- 1 12-oz bag plain M&M’s (red & green makes it festive)
Directions:
- Combine cereal, pretzels, peanuts & candy.
- Melt white chocolate in double boiler or microwave.
- Stir in quickly & evenly to coat.
- Spread mixture on wax paper to cool.
- Break into smaller pieces if needed.
- Refrigerate to keep fresh.
Whiskey Frost
Recipe courtesy of Sun King Brewery
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Sun King Spirits White Whiskey
- 1/4 Clementine
- 1 Bar Spoon Sugar
- 2 Dashes Orange Bitters
- Ginger Beer, to top
- Orange swath or slice to garnish
Directions
- In a shaker pint or mixer glass, muddle clementine, sugar, and orange Bitters.
- Top with White Whiskey and ice and stir to chill.
- Strain into a Large Rocks Glass with ice, top with ginger beer and garnish with a clementine (or orange) swath or slice.
Korean Beef Bulgogi
Recipe courtesy of Hye Jin Kalgaonkar of The Hot Room Yoga
Ingredients:
- 1 lb sliced rib eye (but any thinly sliced beef meat will work)
For the marinade:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/8 cup mirin
- 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp miso paste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp of sesame oil
- 3 fresh garlic cloves chopped
- 2 stalks of green onions/scallions, green part only (finely chopped)
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
Directions:
- Marinate the meat and place it in a plastic bag overnight.
- Grill or cook over olive oil 2-3 minutes each side.
- Serve!
Strawberry Jell-O Holiday Salad
Recipe courtesy of Karen Courtney
“I have never been a Jell-O lover, but at one of my first holiday carry-in lunches at work, this was served. I loved the strawberry and cream flavor and have been making it for over 30 years now for either Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter dinner, where it has become a family favorite spanning three generations.”
Servings: 16 servings
Ingredients
- 2 packages of 3 oz. strawberry flavored Jell-O (regular or sugar-free works)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple, drained
- 2 10 oz. packages of frozen strawberries, thawed
- 4 bananas, mashed
- 1 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1 pint (16 oz.) of sour cream
Directions
- Boil the 1 cup of water and dissolve both packages of Jell-O in it.
- Add drained pineapple, thawed frozen strawberries, mashed bananas and chopped walnuts and mix well, using a blender or food processor.
- Pour half of the mixture in a glass 8 x 8 pan and chill in the refrigerator until just set, a bit so as not to be runny, about 15 minutes. Keep rest in the blender and stir occasionally so it does not set up.
- Once the layer is set, spread the sour cream over the top of the chilled and set fruit mixture, and then add the rest of the fruit mixture on top.
- Chill the whole dish in the refrigerator for several hours until firm set and then serve.
Special Tips: I use a blender to make this and it’s a good way to use up slightly ripe bananas. Pecans can also be substituted for walnuts.
Granny’s Sugar Cream Pie
Recipe courtesy of Ashley Elrod, Director of Community and Public Relations for the City of Fishers
Ingredients
- 1 pint whipping cream
- 1.5 cups sugar
- ¼ cups flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Unbaked pie crust of your choice
- Nutmeg and cinnamon to taste
Directions
- Combine sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt, and cream. Cook in a double boiler or on low heat, stirring until slightly thickened.
- Pour into an unbaked pie shell and dot with butter. Sprinkle with nutmeg or cinnamon.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
- Serve at room temperature for most luscious results (Granny’s advice).
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