Last Minute Holiday Recipes

Is it just us or did the holidays really come out of nowhere this year?! If you’re in need of some last minute recipe inspiration for holiday gatherings or even just cozy dinners in, we’ve got you covered. Here are some things we’ve been loving, from easy apps to more elaborate mains.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squash
• 1 pound sausage of your choice, casings removed
• 8 oz mushrooms
• 1 small onion
• 2-3 stalks of celery
• 1 small apple
• Olive oil or butter
• 2 tbs chopped fresh herbs of your choice (rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley or a mix)
• ½ cup shredded cheese (I’ve done parmesan and aged cheddar and both were great!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Cut the squash in half, scoop out seeds, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 40 minutes. The flesh should be fork tender. 
3. Meanwhile, heat a few glugs of olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it apart and getting it nice and brown.
4. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms, onion, celery, apple, salt, pepper, and most of the herbs (save a bit for garnish).
5. Cook until sausage and all vegetables are soft (about 8 minutes).
6. Once squash is cool enough, scoop out the flesh leaving about ¼ inch on the skin. 
7. Mix the scooped out squash into the ingredients in the pan. Add salt and pepper to your taste
8. Mound the squash halves with the mixture and sprinkle the cheese on top.
9. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted (about 10 minutes).
10. Sprinkle the remaining herbs for garnish and enjoy hot!

*adapted from Well Plated by Erin

Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates

Ingredients

• Large medjool dates
• ½ cup goat cheese
• ¼ cup raw walnuts and/or pistachios, or nuts of your choice
• Honey for drizzling 
• Fresh thyme for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut dates in half and remove the pits 
2. Fill each half with goat cheese 
3. Press either walnuts or pistachios into the cheese, using 1-2 nuts per piece
4. Drizzle with honey (and if you don’t like honey, try balsamic glaze!) and a few leaves of thyme

Savory Spiced Nuts

Ingredients

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup cashews
• 1 cup pecans 
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 1.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne 
• 1 tsp coconut or brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F
2. Mix nuts together in a bowl
3. In another bowl, combine the spices
4. In a third bowl, whisk the egg white 
5. Toss the nuts in the egg white until well coated. Then add the spice mixture and toss again.
6. Spread the nuts in an even layer on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for 20 minutes, tossing once.
7. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 20 minutes. This is crucial for them to harden and get crunchy!

Note: you can use whatever nuts you like here – peanuts are delicious here as well

Parsnip Fries

Ingredients

• 3 large parsnips
• 1 tbs olive oil
• Salt
• 2.5 tbsp mayonnaise 
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard 
• 2 tbsp honey
• ½ tsp white wine vinegar 
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp cayenne (if you like heat)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper 
2. Peel parsnips and cut them into into thin strips – think: fry shape
3. Place the parsnips onto the baking sheet and toss with olive oil and salt. Bake for 15 min or until golden brown
4. While baking, whisk the remaining ingredients together for the honey mustard sauce
5. Serve hot with honey mustard sauce!

*recipe adapted from Walder Wellness blog