ELE’s Virtual Holiday Potluck
Potlucks are classic holiday events, but unfortunately, there will be fewer of them this holiday season. Due to concerns over social gatherings and hygiene, sharing food in a physical space may not be the best way to stay safe this December. With that being said, we refuse to give up swapping recipes! If you’re like me, this holiday season has involved far more cooking than usual, I’m definitely a “bring a bottle of wine to the function” kind of girl. But this year I have no choice but to cook and with staying in, there’s no one to do it for me! For those of us who are less experienced chefs, we are in great need of tried and true recipes. This list is a combination of the ELE team’s favorite family recipes and discovered online recipes that have become staples in our homes! If you want to get in on the delicious fun, keep reading to check out our go-to holiday recipes! Let us know which recipes you’ll be trying in the comments!
*If cooking isn’t your thing, scroll down to the bottom of this blog for cocktails and beverages that will blow your socks off!*
Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow
A classic holiday treat that all ages will enjoy! This recipe is crunchy and tastes like Thin Mints 🍪 This snack is a must-have in many homes, and we see why; it’s easy to make, fun to eat, and most importantly, delicious! If you’re looking for a recipe that takes little energy but has a high pay-off, this one is for you! Thankful to our Director of Events and Production, Bekah Wachenfeld for sharing this recipe!
Æbleskiver (Danish Dumplings / Pancakes)
This one is a family recipe from Executive Assistant, Berrit Keller; you could say she went above and beyond with this recipe! While many of us have been unaware of these delicious dough creations, they are certainly similar to our favorite American treats! Described as Danish donut holes, but sweeter; these are the perfect holiday treat if you want to try something new that still feels familiar!
Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
½ tsp baking soda
3 beaten egg yolks
3 egg whites, beaten stiff
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 cup buttermilk
Make It:
Sift the flour, soda, salt, and sugar together; add the beaten egg yolks and blend well. Fold in the 3 beaten egg whites. Bake in a greased Æbleskiver pan using oil for shortening, turning once with a sharp tined fork. Serve dipped in sugar or syrup, or with jam or jelly!
Maryland Crab Cakes
These aren’t just crab cakes, these are Maryland crab cakes. Let’s be clear, there are rules to these! Coming from our CEO, Erin Leonard’s cookbook- this recipe makes it clear which adjustments can be made while still creating truly authentic Maryland-style crab cakes! In other words, adjust spices to your liking but do not add additional ingredients like onion or peppers and use lump or backfin crab meat (do not use claw meat), if you want your cakes to be bona fide!
Ingredients:
1 lb cooked lump or backfin crab meat
15 saltine crackers finely crushed
½ cup mayonnaise
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1-2 tbsp oil of choice (for frying)
Tartar Sauce (for serving- optional)
Make It:
Mix together all ingredients, except for crab meat. Then fold in crab meat, carefully to not break up lumps. Form 6 crab cakes. Using a small amount of oil, fry the cakes in a pan until browned on all sides. Serve with tartar sauce.
Cranberry Pecan Baked Brie
As a dedicated cheese lover, this recipe brought a tear to my eye. This Baked Brie is the ideal appetizer for any holiday function- creamy, gooey cheese topped with crunchy and sweet toasted pecans and tart cranberries?! My mouth is watering just typing this! Serve with your favorite carbs- crackers, pretzels, or bread. Project Coordinator, Katherine Thesing really outdid herself by bringing this recipe to us!
Creamy Baked Mac & Cheese
While technically there’s no wrong way to make mac & cheese, this recipe in particular is especially right. Texture is generally where most mac & cheese recipes fall short, and this one is truly a creamy, cheesy dream. Combining cheddar and gruyere, the cheese pull on this dish is insane! This is by far our Social Media Manager, Nicole McNamara’s favorite Mac & Cheese recipe, and she is very particular about her mac.
Cioppino (Seafood Stew)
This traditional Italian-American dish of Seafood Stew is an awesome alternative to greasy or heavy holiday dinners! For our pescatarian friends, it can be difficult to find traditional holiday entrees, but we guarantee that this one will be the solution to those problems! Of course, this meal isn’t just for the dietarily restricted; obviously, you have to like seafood but if you do, you will adore this heartwarming savory dish! Big thanks to Maria Elena Smith, our marketing director for sharing this with us, she gets bonus points because this recipe has a video to follow along with!
Cranberry Grape Salad
Another family recipe, this time from ELE partner and Designer, Julie Walter of Wit & Eye; this one is coming right from grandma! We don’t have too many salads on this list, but this one is no ordinary Caesar! This “salad” is sweet and festive-friendly! We really can’t get enough of marshmallows this holiday season ☺️
Ingredients:
1 package cranberries
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
¾ package of mini marshmallows
12 oz of Cool Whip
¾ cup sugar
Red Seedless Grapes- washed and cut (as many as you want)
Make It:
Wash cranberries and drain. Cover with sugar and set overnight. Grind cranberries and add, add pineapple as well. Stir in marshmallows and grapes. Finally, fold in Cool Whip. Add nuts, if that’s your thing!
Pumpkin Cake
We’ve all heard about pumpkin pie, but pumpkin cake?! Yeah, that’s next-level stuff! Of course, this cake is fluffy and moist but it also has a marshmallow whipped cream cheese icing that is ridiculously good. As a fan of pumpkin spice, I’m beyond excited to make this for Christmas.
Drinks: Classic Holiday Beverages and Cocktail Recipes that ROCK
Julegløgg (Danish Hot Christmas Glogg/ Mulled Wine)
This Danish version of Mulled Wine is another fantastic recipe from Berrit’s family! Spiced with citrus, cinnamon, and cloves- this traditional holiday staple will give you the festive feels!
Ingredients:
Rind of ½ lemon
2 ¼ pts. dry red wine
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
6 cardamom seeds
½ cup sugar
½ cup chopped almonds
½ cup seedless raisins
1 cup Cognac
Make It:
Shave the outside yellow peel from the lemon with a vegetable peeler. Cut the peel into ⅛” strips. Combine the sliced lemon rind, red wine, cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom seeds, sugar, almonds, and raisins in a large saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Just before it reaches a boil, transfer to a serving bowl. Add the cognac just before serving. Light it with a match and ladle it into punch cups. Serve a few almonds and raisins in each serving.
Image Source: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CUlwXgAUcAA2Hrc.png
Caramel Apple Sangria
It’s great to have friends like Julie Walter, especially when she sends us recipes like this! She found this recipe somewhere online years ago and we aren’t sure where. So please let us know if you have seen this recipe before! In her words this drink is “sweet and refreshing, this sangria is the perfect twist on apple cider for a boozy holiday afternoon”, and we honestly couldn’t agree more! This makes 2 pitchers of sangria; for one pitcher- halve the ingredients.
Ingredients:
1 bottle (750 ml) of Pinot Grigio (or your favorite mild white wine)
1 cup caramel-flavored vodka
6 cups apple cider
2 medium apples, cored and chopped
Make It:
Stir in wine, vodka, and apple cider together in a large pitcher. Add chopped apples. Serve over ice.
Raspberry Champagne Fizz
This recipe is so easy, it’s actually funny. This recipe has 3 crazy simple steps: cut up berries, pour in raspberry syrup, add champagne; seriously that’s it! Delicious, easy, and the ombre detail makes this cocktail look super impressive! This one comes from Social Media Manager and self-proclaimed lazy girl, Nicole!
Image Source: https://www.bhg.com/recipe/raspberry-champagne-fizz/
Mint To Be Bourbon & It’s Caliente
During our Thanksgiving Cocktail Livestream with Mixologist, Diesha Banner from A Glass Above, Erin and Diesha made 2 delicious and unique cocktails. While these were originally created for Thanksgiving, why not repurpose these for the rest of the holiday season?! “Mint To Be Bourbon” and “It’s Caliente” share many similar ingredients, making it super easy to recreate both with just a few adjustments! If you want Diesha to walk you through the process, the full live is available here! Want the recipes but don’t want the livestream? Stay tuned to our Instagram this week where we’ll be posting trimmed tutorials for making these drinks individually!
Mint To Be Bourbon
Credit: @erinleonardevents on Instagram
Image Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CH9bNvXnsGL/
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It’s Caliente
Credit: @erinleonardevents on Instagram
Image Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/CH9bNvXnsGL/
Follow @aglassabove_ on Instagram