My Favorite Holiday Dish
Holidays are about sharing. Please enjoy some favorites from Team Novity's table.
Markus:
Has to be a Swedish potato and anchovy casserole with the odd name “Jansson’s Temptation”. Basically, julienned potatoes with lots of heavy cream and anchovies mixed together, and then baked in the oven until ready. The weird name aside – it's really delicious. And, of course, meatballs!
Gwen:
My holiday fave is Spinach + Artichoke Dip in a Sourdough Bread Boule (with a few additions)! Serve this with crackers, bell peppers, bread or whatever you like to put dip on. My personal favorite is to use the top part of the 10” diameter bread boule, cubed and toasted in olive oil. Add 2 roasted, pureed fully ripe (red) jalapenos to this recipe, as well as 1/3 of a cup of Salvadorean Crema (or Crema Mexicana). Remember to share.
Eric:
In a poorly concealed effort to get her sons to eat sweet potatoes, my mom created a casserole that combines cubed sweet potatoes and apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, and then bake the whole thing with butter and ¼ cup of brown sugar (so it’s just a little bit sweet, but not too much). She only made this at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and now it’s one of my favorite things for the holidays.
Mike:
The typical Green Bean Casserole was a holiday dish I tended to avoid each year. However, I was recently tasked with making one for Thanksgiving as it was the only side-dish missing from the spread and stumbled upon this beauty of a RECIPE. It was easily the biggest “hit” of all the homemade dishes that day and made many of the other ‘home-chefs” just a tad bit jealous. We didn’t even get to enjoy leftovers the next day, because there weren't any! So... I’ll be making it again for Christmas😊!! Note: “May take longer to cook casserole than time noted in recipe. Make sure its browning prior to adding the crispy onions and putting back in.” Enjoy!!!
Matt D:
It’s got to be empanadas, a holiday tradition of my wife's extended family. Deep-fried and stuffed with meat, potatoes, onions, and a secret blend of spices and aromatics, then dipped in a spicy aji, what's not to love? The recipe is a long-guarded family secret, and it will stay that way.
Yogen:
I am not a cook, but I like to enjoy the banana pudding recipe by Magnolia Bakery in NYC. Here’s the recipe: https://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/magnolia-bakerys-famous-banana-pudding/
Tim C:
My wife brought a wonderful holiday food tradition into our family – Lumpia! Lumpia is a popular Filipino dish that consists of spring rolls filled with a mixture of vegetables, meat, and sometimes seafood. Making lumpia takes a bit of a commitment, but the results are extremely satisfying and are sure to be a big hit with your family and friends anytime of the year. Using ChatGPT type in the following search term: Please provide me with a traditional Filipino Lumpia recipe.
Selin:
Whenever I return to Turkey, my mom always makes me yoğurtlu patlıcan salatası, which is the Turkish version of babaganoush; roasted eggplant with yogurt but spiced differently. She also makes me roasted Charleston peppers soaked in olive oil and grape vinegar. This is a family recipe passed down from my grandma, and while it's very simple, it's really delicious and I look forward to it every time I visit. Besides that, it's traditional to have pomegranate on New Year, so my mom, my sister and I will deseed pomegranates together and have them by the spoonful!
Emil:
My wife had fond memories as a child of eating City Chicken on a stick. City Chicken isn’t actually chicken; it’s also been known as mock chicken. It’s sometimes thought of as a Polish recipe, although it’s not actually from Poland. What’s up with this dish? Made of small bits of meat, usually pork and veal because during the Great Depression, they were less expensive than chicken. The meat used was often scraps, placed on a wooden skewer and formed to resemble a chicken leg. It was breaded and fried and/or baked. We love making it with pork rind breadcrumbs (no carbs) and boneless skinless chicken thighs as well. Great for the holidays. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/213666/best-city-chicken/
Prakyath:
It has to be Hyderabadi Biriyani. It is one dish we used to look forward to as children, constantly visiting the kitchen, eyeballing the pot, and appeasing our appetite. The best part of Biriyani for me is sharing. Yet before we could enjoy our much-anticipated meal, we would be asked to deliver two or three heaped plates of biryani to our next-door neighbors who would be eagerly looking forward to receiving their share, as the aroma could be sniffed from blocks away.
It is made of Tender, succulent pieces of meat. Fluffy, long-grained basmati rice, infused with saffron, nutmeg, and cardamom and topped with browned crispy curls of onion and a fried garnish of cashews and raisins. Served with raita (a condiment made of yogurt) and nagara baigan (roasted aubergine).
Full Recipe - https://www.licious.in/blog/recipe/hyderabadi-chicken-biryani-recipe
Robert:
Having recently moved to the South I would have to submit one of my favorite sides, pineapple casserole. This is a great mixture of sweet and savory and pairs well with ham or roast main courses. To give this a try check out the recipe at Pineapple Casserole Recipe (southernliving.com)