Midwest Living November December 2017 Recipes

Flavored with port wine, orange juice, cloves and cinnamon, our real-fruit mold packs holiday spice and a jiggly punch of throwback glamour. (And don't worry; the alcohol cooks off, so it's actually family-friendly.)

Boozy Jellied Cranberries 

Laced with garlic and rosemary and topped with pecans and goat cheese, this easy casserole gives a savory wink to the traditional sweet-on-sweet Turkey Day staple.

Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese "Mallows"

Inspired by Thai peanut sauce (and everyone's favorite childhood snack), these celery sticks are a tasty and nutritious afternoon snack. The recipe easily multiplies to serve at a party.

Asian Ants-on-a-Log 

Spoon these indulgently saucy mushrooms (inspired by classic Midwest casseroles) over baguette slices or crostini. The recipe comes from the Chowgirls Killer Catering cookbook. To serve the dish skillet-style, start the recipe off in a 10-inch oven-going skillet.

Wild Mushroom Hotdish 

These crisp, airy cookies taste like old-fashioned bakery cookies—but they're decorated in a totally modern way that's fun and so kid-friendly. The "canvas" is royal icing, and the "paint" is just food coloring!

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies with Watercolor Icing 

This crowd-pleasing sweet-and-salty appetizer comes from the Chowgirls Killer Catering cookbook. For ease or just a different flavor, you can skip roasting fresh Italian sausage and swap in a smoky precooked sausage. 

Butternut Squash and Sausage Skewers 

We added walnuts, cranberries and seedy bread to classic sage-and-onion turkey dressing—and we did it in a slow cooker. The lidded appliance keeps the stuffing perfectly moist and, of course, frees up the oven for another pie.

No-Bake Harvest Stuffing 

Pizza dough is the secret shortcut in this 45-minutes-and-done recipe. It doesn’t yield a fluffy Amish-style roll, but rather a breakfast treat with a toothsome chew, like the love child of cinnamon buns and garlic knots. 

Lazy Morning Cinnamon Rolls 

Imagine a Waldorf salad, but lighter and more refreshing, with a tangy lemon-thyme vinaigrette. This salad would go beautifully with roast pork or turkey.

Celery and Apple Salad with Walnuts 

This rich mash is more than just a vehicle for gravy. It’s a subtly sweet blend of parsnip, celery root and two kinds of potato, plus plenty of butter, sour cream and nutmeg.

Hidden Roots Mashed Potatoes

This nutmeg-spiced spin on the French classic is luscious and so festive and Christmassy. The recipe comes from Chowgirls Killer Catering in Minneapolis.

Eggnog Créme Brulee 

Is our all-natural, totally homemade version of the iconic Thanksgiving side more work than the one made with canned stuff? Well, yes. But wow, is it good.

Can-Don't Green Bean Casserole 

This ridiculously flavorful vegetarian gravy will satisfy even the heartiest meat-eaters. Along with sherry and tomato paste, dried porcini mushrooms (available in the produce sections of large supermarkets) replicate the savory flavor of drippings. 

Mushroom Gravy with Sherry and Thyme 

A little bit of rice thickens this unexpectedly delicious and weeknight-easy celery soup; a few slices of pear add the perfect sweet finish (and look beautiful, too).

Curried Celery Soup with Pear 

Featuring whatever’s in season, this gorgeous platter is Chowgirls Killer Catering's most popular menu item, an unexpected and delicious alternative to raw veggie trays. The recipe comes from the Minneapolis company's cookbook, Chowgirls Killer Party Food.

Roasted Fall Vegetables with Saffron Aioli

Des Moines chef George Formaro says no food hugs you like potato gnocchi. The good news is, his recipe for the Italian classic is super easy--and so are his ideas for how to sauce them.

Gnocchi 

This spin on a classic Caesar salad trades kale and almonds for lettuce and croutons. The recipe comes from the Chowgirls Killer Party Food cookbook.

Kale Caesar Salad with Lemon-Rosemary Chicken 

Russian beet soup doesn’t sound sexy, but this silky, lemon-herby version from Minneapolis' Chowgirls Killer Catering is shockingly good. (You can serve it any season, but the red hue is especially festive for Christmas!)

Chilled Borscht 

This festive gin cocktail gets its sweet-tart flavor from maple syrup and Meyer lemon juice. The recipe comes from the Chowgirls Killer Catering cookbook. Feeling fancy? Garnish each glass with a sage leaf or, at the holidays, sugared cranberries.

Sage Woodstock 

These mini meat- and vegetable-filled turnovers are equally good warm from the oven or at room temperature. The recipe comes from the Chowgirls Killer Catering cookbook.

Iron Range Pasties 

Celery syrup may sound strange, but its light, sweet, grassy flavor is really lovely. Use it to flavor soda water, or as the base of a gin cocktail.

Celery Syrup