Bon appétit!

By Tresa Erickson

Feature Writer

The holidays are a time to gather with those near and dear to your heart and treat them to some tantalizing food. Whether you are planning to serve a big meal or just a few appetizers, here are some recipes you might want to try.

Eggnog Hot Chocolate

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

2-1/2 c. milk

4 c. eggnog

1 t. vanilla

Whipped cream

8 cinnamon sticks, garnish

Melt chocolate in milk over low heat. Remove and let stand for 2 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is smooth. Add eggnog and heat until warm. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into mugs and serve with whipped cream and a cinnamon stick.

Cranberry Salad

1 12-oz. pkg. frozen cranberries, chopped

1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple

2 c. sugar

1/2 pt. heavy whipping cream

1 c. walnuts, chopped

2 c. mini marshmallows

Combine cranberries, pineapple and sugar. Let stand for 1 hour for sugar to dissolve. Strain, cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, whip cream until soft peaks form and fold into cranberry mixture with walnuts and marshmallows.

Asparagus Rollups

16 asparagus spears

1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

2 T. chives, minced

16 slices bread, flattened with crusts removed

1/4 c. butter, melted

3 T. Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400º F. Heat asparagus in a small amount of water until crisp and tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside. Combine cream cheese, bacon and chives. Spread 1 T. on each slice of bread. Top with an asparagus spear. Roll up tightly and place seam-side down on a greased baking sheet. Brush with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cut rollups in half and bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Au Gratin Potatoes

4 potatoes, thinly sliced

1 onion, sliced into rings

Salt and pepper to taste

3 T. butter, melted

3 T. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

2 c. milk

1-1/2 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400º F. Butter a 1-qt. casserole dish and place half of potatoes in bottom. Layer with onion slices and remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk butter, flour and salt for 1 minute. Add milk and cook until thick. Stir in cheese until melted. Pour over potatoes, cover with aluminum foil and bake 1-1/2 hours.

Cauliflower Delight

1 head cauliflower, quartered

4 T. butter

1 c. onion, minced

1/2 c. Italian-seasoned dry breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring cauliflower to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until fork-tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and chop into bite-size pieces. Melt 1 T. butter in a skillet and sauté onion in it. Add remaining butter and breadcrumbs and cook until bubbly. Stir in cauliflower and heat until warm. Season with salt and pepper.

Special Spinach

1 lb. frozen chopped spinach, thawed

2 c. water

4 t. chicken bouillon granules

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

3 c. half-and-half

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring spinach, water, bouillon, onion and garlic powder to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until spinach is tender. Melt butter in a small saucepan, whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in half-and-half, beating until smooth. Add to spinach and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Tangy Honey-Glazed Ham

1 10-lb. fully cooked, bone-in ham

1-1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar

1/3 c. pineapple juice

1/3 c. honey

1/3 large orange, juiced and zested

2 T. Dijon mustard

1/4 t. ground cloves

Preheat oven to 325º F. Place ham in a roasting pan. Combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and set glaze aside. Bake ham for 2 hours, remove from oven and brush with glaze. Bake an additional 30 to 45 minutes, brushing with glaze every 10 minutes.

Orange Crunch Cake

1 c. butter

1-1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. sour cream

1 t. vanilla

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1 c. raisins

1/2 c. walnuts

2 T. orange zest

1/4 c. orange juice

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. Cream butter and 1 c. sugar. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda and add to creamed mixture, blending just until moist. Stir in raisins, walnuts and orange zest. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Dissolve 1/2 c. sugar in orange juice and pour over hot cake.

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