Holiday Foods for the Family

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Are you tired of your standard holiday recipes? Are looking for something new to try this year? Consider one of the following options to change up the routine for your traditional meal.

No matter how great your recipe is for a main meat dish, your family may grow weary of it if it never changes from year to year. It is also important to switch up the meat that you serve for different holidays. For example, if you prepare the standard turkey for Thanksgiving, serve ham, chicken, or lamb for Christmas. You can also look for new preparation methods. Instead of roasting a turkey in the oven, why not put it on the grill this year? New marinades and dips can be a welcome addition to main meat dishes as well. Opt for mango salsa or fruit glaze instead of heavy gravy.

Mix up the salads and sides with new ingredients such as cous cous. Don’t forget to explore green olive recipes for sides. They can make a great addition to potato salads, pasta salads, fresh greens, and light side soups. Of course you can’t forget to include a cranberry dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Add a new zest to the recipe this year with fresh ginger. Instead of traditional stuffing, think about making a sage and sausage stuffing this year. Bread, sage, and celery will keep it a standard fare while sausage, cornbread, and leeks will provide just the right amount of flavor and moisture.

Kids and adults alike will both be excited about a baked vegetable dish that includes cheese and bacon. Don’t be afraid to serve more unusual vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts. If you prepare them with lots of flavor instead of simply steaming or roasting them plain, people are likely to be very receptive to them. There are also some great options for green olive recipes with vegetables. Think about roasting them with tomatoes, garlic, and herbs.

Does your family sigh when they see plain mashed potatoes on the table? This year prepare scalloped potatoes with slivered fennel. If you’ve never served sweet potatoes, rise to the challenge this year and make mashed sweet potatoes or sweet potato fries. There are lots of sweet potato toppings, such as brown sugar and marshmallows, that will get everyone excited about baked sweet potatoes.

Picking up one of the current dessert trends is an easy way to put a new spin on one of your favorite holiday desserts. Cake pops and cupcakes are both popular right now. There are lots of fun choices for holiday cake pops including turkeys, reindeer, snowmen, Santa hats, and Christmas trees. Decorating cupcakes or cake pops can be a fun post-meal activity for both kids and adults.

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Jake Alexander is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow him @JakeAlexander17.