Good Tidings & Good Eats: Holiday Recipes, Reads and More from HCPL Staff

The holidays have a way of turning us all into creatures of cozy habit—reaching for the same beloved recipes, books, and comfort watches. Below, some HCPL bloggers share a favorite holiday recipe and something they love to read, watch, or listen to this time of year. 

Southern Green Bean Casserole

Contributed by Amanda RP, Children's Program Librarian

My mother makes THE best green bean casserole I've ever eaten. Mama's side of the family is from East Texas/Southern Louisiana; her mother and grandmother made the best Deep South comfort food this side of the TX/LA border. Mama has made green bean casserole every year since I can remember, and this dish fully embodies the winter holidays for me.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups (2 lbs) Italian/Romano/Flat green beans - fresh (blanched)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup - I use Campbell's Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic, or Golden Cream of Mushroom
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 TBSP butter
• 3/4 cups French fried onions, separated - I use French's brand French Fried Onions, 6oz
• 3-4 strips bacon, crispy for crumbling
• salt & pepper

Directions:

• Prepare 24-48 hours prior to baking
• Cut each green bean into 3-4 pieces.
• Blanch the beans: boil beans for 1 minute, remove and immediately plunge into a bowl of icy water for 1 minute, set aside to drain/dry.
• In a pan, cook garlic & shallots with butter until lightly browned; set aside.
• In the same pan, fry the bacon until very crispy; let cool completely, then crumple into pieces.
• In a large bowl, whisk milk into soup until mostly smooth (some lumps are fine).
• Combine beans, shallots, garlic, & bacon with/ soup mix.
• Add salt & pepper to taste.
• Add 2/3 cup of fried onions & stir.
• Pour into a 9x9 glass or medium ceramic baking dish.
• Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes; top with the remaining onions & bake for 5 minutes more, uncovered.

Holiday Pairing: Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

I read this chapter book in elementary school, and thought it was the funniest and sweetest story. I love how the kids' world and the parents' world come together in the end, proving that an open heart can bring a community together to care for those in need. In 2020 my oldest son, who was eight years old at the time, and I performed this show with our church, and he fell in love with the story, too! He checked out every version we had at the library: the chapter book, the audiobook, the movie, and the picture book. It truly was the best Christmas pageant ever!

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Cranberry (Leftover) Turkey Salad

Contributed by Anjela M, Youth Services Assistant Manager

During the holidays, most tables feature a turkey, usually surrounded by numerous side dishes. With food aplenty, there is almost always leftover turkey for the next few days. When you are not big on leftovers, you learn how to rework leftover turkey into new meals. My family has turned leftover turkey into everything from enchiladas to turkey noodle soup. One of the easiest leftover meals to make is Cranberry (Leftover) Turkey Salad.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups of Leftover Turkey Breast (diced)
• 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 Oz of Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup of Dried Cranberries (or put as little or much as you want)
• 1/2 cup of chopped Pecans
• 2-3 Celery ribs
• Chopped Green Onions
• 1-2 tablespoons of Dill Relish
• 1/2 tablespoon of Sweet Relish
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

• Mix the softened cream cheese and mayonnaise together.
• Stir in the turkey, celery, green onions, cranberries, dill relish, and sweet relish.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• If needed, add more mayonnaise and relish to taste.
• Serve in leftover dinner rolls.

NOTE: I don't measure when cooking, so the measurements above are estimations. Add as much or as little of the ingredients to your taste. I feel like pecans are necessary, while my sister complains that they should not be included at all. Feel free to substitute with ingredients you have on hand. Not a fan of cream cheese? Substitute with Greek yogurt. Switch dried cranberries with apples. Just don’t add raisins, I will judge you. Basically, let the ancestors tell you how much to add.

Holiday Pairing: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Enjoy this leftover turkey salad as you watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. If you've seen the movie, you know that the Griswolds did not have much of a turkey to try this recipe.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Pozole Verde

Contributed by Esteban S, Adult Program Librarian

Growing up on the border, our holidays were always infused with Mexican and American traditions. Apple pies next to buñeulos and tamales next to turkeys. One of my favorite dishes that my Tias (Aunts) made during Christmas and New Year's was pozole! Our family actually alternated between pozole and menudo each year, but I much preferred pozole (argue in the comments). There are also different types of pozole, mainly pozole rojo which is typically made with pork and pozole verde, typically made with chicken.

My favorite is pozole verde because I love chicken! This is a recipe that I adapted from online that I’ve been making for the past 2 years.

Ingredients:

Makes 8 servings

• 2 lbs of boneless chicken
• 1 lb tomatillos
• 1 large diced white onion
• 3-4 jalapeños, seeds removed for less spice
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 2 cups of cilantro
• 2 cans of white hominy
• 6 cups chicken broth
• Oregano
• Salt & Pepper

Optional:

• 4-6 limes
• 2 serranos (if you like it extra spicy)
• Cabbage
• Sliced radish

Directions:

• Bring a pot to a boil, and add the chicken, tomatillos, peppers, onion, garlic, and seasonings. Then reduce to a simmer and cover for 40 minutes
• Remove and shred the chicken.
• Remove the other ingredients and blend with the chicken broth and cilantro to make a green sauce
• Add the chicken, sauce, and hominy back to the broth and cook on high for 15-20 minutes.
• Season with salt to taste, and add any extra ingredients you’d like.

Holiday Pairing: "Mi Burrito Sabanero" by Simon Diaz

A consistent tradition my family had was listening to Christmas music in both English and Spanish. Of course, "Feliz Navidad" is a holiday favorite, but there’s another catchy, cute Christmas song you might not have heard yet: "Mi Burrito Sabanero"! Literally translated to “My Little Savannah Donkey,” this song is about traveling to see the birth of Jesus, and I heard it all the time in church, at home, and even in stores during the holiday season. Check out what free Spanish holiday music we have on Freegal!

Jewish Apple Cake

Contributed by Gage P, Youth Program Librarian

My family typically loves anything apple-related. Apple pie, apple turnovers, apple rugelach, caramel apples; you name it, we like it. So, this apple cake is right up our alley. Normally, apple cakes are reserved for Rosh Hashanah – apples are usually eaten during this holiday to represent our hope for a sweet new year – but the cinnamon-sugar-apple smell of this cake is perfect for wintery months and Hanukkah nights.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 5 large apples (I suggest honeycrisp or pink lady, but it's up to you)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup orange juice (you can add a little more if you want something a bit tangier, but too much will upset the wet to dry balance of the recipe)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Supplies:

• 10-inch tube pan (like the ones that make bundt cakes)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 and grease your pan
• Peel, core, and chop your apples
• The chops don't need to be even, so don't worry
• Mix cinnamon and ¾ cup sugar in a small bowl; set aside
• Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a separate bowl
• Beat eggs and 2 cups sugar in a bowl until well-mixed/bubbly/fluffy (not super specific, but you'll know when you see it; this might be easier with an electric mixer, but you absolutely do not need one)
• Pour half the egg mix into the flour, pour the oil, and then the rest of the egg mix
• Mix in orange juice and vanilla extract until smooth and well-mixed
• Pour half the batter into your tube pan
• Layer half the chopped apples on top, sprinkle half your cinnamon-sugar mix over the apples
• Repeat steps 8 and 9 with the rest of the batter, apples, and cinnamon-sugar mix
• Bake for 1 hr 30 min
• Insert toothpick in the center; if it doesn't come out clean, bake for another 15 minutes
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes then transfer to wire rack or plate for cooling

Holiday Pairing: Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

This isn't exactly a holiday book, but it is a very cozy read and a perfect match for the apple-cinnamon-sugar warmth you'll get from baking and eating this cake.

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea

Old Fashioned, Homemade Eggnog

Contributed by davec, Senior Digital Content Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a traditional eggnog recipe. It uses raw eggs and alcohol, which may not be safe for children, pregnant people, older adults, or those with compromised immune systems. Here is a recipe for eggless and alcohol-less eggnog that is very tasty. 

I grew up on store-bought eggnog and loved it. For me, it was one of the many tastes of Christmas—because nothing says holidays like a big ol' glass of guar gum and high fructose corn syrup-laden dairy products. Then--many years ago, now--I arrived early at a friend's Christmas party and, because she was running late and knew I knew my way around a kitchen (or more likely wanted to delay my inevitable foray into her well-stocked liquor cabinet), asked me to help with the eggnog. Thinking this was a matter of pouring it out of a jug into the punch bowl and adding her liquor to taste—and, believe me, there would be much tasting to get it just right, I readily agreed. Instead, that night I learned the true meaning of eggnog, if not the true meaning of Christmas, and it has nothing at all to do with the mass-produced stuff you buy at the corner store when you need something to bring to the Festivus airing of the grievances after all your gingerbread men came out looking like Quasimodo. This eggnog is truly magical.

Ingredients:

• 10 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 3/4 cup sugar, or more if desired
• 2-3 cups of liquor of choice. The original recipe calls for equal parts brandy and whiskey, but you can choose one or the other. Rum (not spiced rum) is also very tasty. As I said above, it is just as good with no alcohol at all.
• 1 quart whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 whole grated nutmeg or 3 teaspoons of ground nutmeg

Directions:

• Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl until pale yellow.
• Add about 1/3 of the sugar while continuing to whisk, when the sugar and yolks are well mixed. Repeat the process with the next third of the sugar, then the final third. Once done, you should have a nice, thick, and creamy mixture.
• If you are making the grown-up version, this is where you add the liquor(s) of your choice. Add it slowly whisking the whole time until mixture is smooth.
• Add the whole milk slowly while continuing to whisk until it’s fully combined.
• Now, add the heavy cream slowly while continuing to whisk until it’s fully combined.
• Whisk in the nutmeg until well mixed.
• In another large bowl, whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then gently fold them into the eggnog 1/3 at a time until the mixture is smooth.
• Your eggnog is ready to serve, but connoisseurs of the grown-up version say you should let it rest in the refrigerator at least 4 hours and as long as 3 days.
• To serve, ladle into glasses and sprinkle or grate nutmeg on top.
• Enjoy responsibly.

Holiday Pairing: The Dead of Winter and The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas

I have a distinct memory of myself as a 3 or 4-year-old cowering under a chair, screaming as Santa (many years later revealed to be Mr. Pyle from down the block) stood over me, rocking on his heels, completely flummoxed by this unexpected reaction, but looking about eight feet tall and scary from my vantage point. You could say the connection between horror and Christmas runs deep in my psyche, but I'm not alone. Many cultures worldwide have traditions based not on good tidings and cheer, but on fear and darkness. The long nights and barren winter landscapes, coupled with the hand-to-mouth existence of many of our ancestors, bred a real fear that spring might never come, which in turn gave rise to tales and traditions rooted in confronting those fears. The Dead of Winter and The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas dig into the often arcane layers of tradition that accrued over the centuries. 

The Dead of Winter

The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas

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From all of us at HCPL, we wish you the happiest of holidays and all the best in the coming new year!