Simple and Tasty Holiday Recipes Even the Kids Can Make

As busy as it gets around the holidays, I truly enjoy holiday recipes for homemade treats. But I don’t have the 3 hours it takes to make the fancy white chocolate raspberry cheesecake or vanilla French macarons that they miraculously turned out in 30 minutes, probably with the help of TV production and editing magic. But I do have a few quick and more importantly tasty go-tos at holiday time that are crowd pleasers. What is even better is that your kids can get involved and make these holiday recipes with you! So tune Alexa into the holiday classics station and put on your favorite Christmas movie in the background…the one that brings all those holiday vibes while you whip up some of these holiday recipes with your kids, ages 2 to 102!

Holiday Recipes: Christmas Breakfast or Brunch

Croissant Waffles

Ingredients:

Crescent Rolls, refrigerated canned pastry

Butter

Powdered Sugar

Maple Syrup

Optional Fillings:

Cinnamon and Sugar, Chocolate Chips, Nutella, Cookie Butter, Jam or Jelly

1.  Open the crescent rolls and separate out the pre-cut triangle shapes. Lay out the   triangle shaped pastry flat.
2. Spread butter on the flat crescent roll pastry.
3. Add any of the optional fillings. You can be creative here and try anything you like from cheese to peanut butter. WARNING: A little goes a long way. Don’t overfill your croissants because it can get messy.
4. Roll up the pastry starting from the wide end of the triangle to the tip of the triangle, making a croissant.
5. Heat up a waffle maker and spray non-stick cooking oil on the top and bottom of the waffle maker to minimize sticking. Place the rolled up croissant in the middle of the waffle maker, close the top and let the waffle maker do it’s thing. It is a good idea to check on the waffle for doneness intermittently to make sure it isn’t burning or overcooking. The waffle may be done and cook quicker than a traditional waffle. Open up the waffle maker slowly and check to see if the croissant waffle is sticking to the waffle maker. Remove the waffle once it is crispy and browned. WARNING: The waffles may stick to the waffle maker. Be prepared to use a knife or end of a spoon to help separate the waffle from the waffle maker before swinging the waffle maker wide open. But even if you break up your waffle, it still tastes good!
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Cheesy Turkey Sliders

12 Hawaiian rolls

1/2 pound sliced turkey

10 slices of cheese, whatever kind you fancy, cheddar, havarti, provolone, or even mix it up with a few different types.

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) Butter

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon packed Brown sugar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Optional: Everything Bagel Seasoning, Dried Onion (2 teaspoons)

1.  Slice the Hawaiian rolls. Don’t separate the rolls, just slice the entire package of rolls so there is a sheet of the top halves (connected) and the bottom halves (connected).
2. Set the bottom sheet of rolls in a baking dish and add a layer of cheese to the bottom half of the sliced Hawaiian rolls.
3. Add a layer of turkey on top of the cheese, and then add another layer of cheese.
4. Place the top sheet of rolls on top of the turkey and cheese.
5. Make the Sauce: Melt the butter in a microwave and whisk in mustard, brown sugar, Worcester sauce, and salt. Optional: Add chopped onion
6. Pour sauce evenly over the top of all the sliders in the baking dish.
7. Optional: Sprinkle tops with everything bagel seasoning.
8. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 14 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 3 additional minutes. Serve warm.

They are supposed to be soggy. The rolls soak up the butter and brown sugar goodness and you can taste it in every bite!

Holiday Recipes: Potluck Desserts

S’mores Crack

Ingredients:

Graham Crackers or Saltine Crackers

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter

1 cup of light brown sugar

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mini-marshmallows

1.  On a medium to large size baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay down crackers to cover the entire sheet. You can use graham crackers or saltine crackers or both.
2. In a pan on medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together and stir until combined. Boil the butter/brown sugar mixture and stir frequently for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the mixture over the top of the crackers.
3. Spread the chocolate chips and marshmallows on top of the butter/brown sugar mixture.
4. Bake at 375F for 5 to 8 minutes. Check on the s’mores crack closely so that the marshmallows don’t burn.
5. Once nicely browned on the top, remove from the oven.
6. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes then dig in!

Easy Shortcut Alfajores (caramel sandwich cookies)

Ingredients:

Pre-made refrigerated sugar cookie dough

Dulce de Leche (milk-based caramel), Nestle makes a “La Lechera” dulce de leche in a can and a squeeze bottle. Alternatively, you can buy a can of sweetened condensed milk and boil it as described below.

Powdered sugar

1. Roll out the refrigerated sugar cookie dough and cut out round cookie shapes. Ideally, 1 to 2 inch diameter round cookie shapes are typical. But you can get creative here and try any cookie-cutter shape here. If you can keep it small, that would be best. These are sandwich cookies so keep in mind that you will have to make double batches.

2.  Bake the cookies as directed on the packaging.

3. After the cookies are done and cooled down, spread a thin layer of dulce de leche on a cookie and then place another cookie on the top to make a sandwich-style cookie.

4. Roll the sandwich cookie in powdered sugar until it is completely covered. Enjoy!

Dulce De Leche Recipe from a can of sweetened condensed milk:

Take a closed and sealed 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk and put in a sauce pan or pot. Fill the pot with water, enough to completely submerge the can. Boil the water and the can for 3 hours. Keep the water topped off so the can stays submerged. After 3 hours, remove the can from the water, wait 1 hour for the can to cool off and when you open the can, you will have dulce de leche!

Holiday Recipes: Quick Snacks

Energy Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

2/3 cup toasted shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter or almond butter

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Stir all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.

2.  Cover the mixing bowl and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

3.  Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and enjoy!

My kids and I have made all of these holiday recipes on several occasions and they never fail. Enjoy and provide comments on any yummy holiday recipes of your own!