We know: Everyone goes gaga for your great-grandmother’s creamed spinach dip recipe. There’s no need to nix tradition—just mix in one or two of these trendy ideas and your holiday party will be so 2017.
Food, Folks and Fun
1. Holiday Truffles
Sure, you could roll and cut out your cookies like you do every other year. Or you could go the trendy route: roll them into cute bite-size balls, then dip them in chocolate. We love these mouthwatering Gingerbread Oreo Truffles.
Steele House Kitchen
2. Braising Turkey Thighs
Dryness is the enemy of your holiday bird. Luckily, braising turkey thighs guarantees meat that’s practically dripping off the bone. Plus, you can do cool stuff like braising them in hard cider.
Running to the Kitchen
3. Cornish Hens
Skip the giant holiday roast that’s terrifying to cook and looks like it’s from the caveman era. Cornish hens are personal-size chickens that are oh-so-elegant and fancy.
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
4. Mushroom Gravy
We’ve seen the technique everywhere this year: using mushrooms to enrich a vegetable stock base. The results are make-ahead, good for any diet (even vegan and vegetarians) and pretty darn tasty. (Get our version of the recipe here.)
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
5. Hasselback Everything
We’re guessing you’ve heard of hasselback potatoes, but did you know you can give other fruits and veggies the same fancy-looking treatment? Cutting the accordion-like shape takes no time at all, and all of those crevices are designed to catch toppings and sauce.
How Sweet Eats
6. Elegant Cheese Balls
Forget the tacky Super Bowl snack you know and kinda hate. This year you’ll see soft cheeses rolled in gorgeous, colorful toppings (think: pomegranate seeds) on the hors d'oeuvres table at a lot of holiday parties. They’re pretty and so festive.
Food&Wine
7. All Things Smoked or Charred
Guess what? That prosciutto-wrapped asparagus is suddenly totally 2017 when you throw it on your grill pan instead of baking it in the oven.
The Healthy Maven
8. Brussels Sprouts Chips
We love the Brussels fad, but when they’re extra-super-duper crispy? Now we’re talking. To achieve, separate and roast the individual leaves. Pair the results with creamy dipping sauce like restaurants do.
Twenty20
9. Rosé With Dinner
Trust us on this one: It’s acceptable (and stylish) to drink the pink wine in colder weather. Look for darker-hued vinos that’ll complement roast meat and veggies—and be sure to buy more than one bottle; it’ll go fast.
Twenty20
10. Chilled Red Wines
Hear us out: Red wine that’s been popped in the fridge is highly refreshing and drinkable. Look for a bottle like Beaujolais with bright acidity, alcohol levels under 13 percent and juicy notes of fruit—then stash it in the fridge for 30 minutes before popping the cork.
The Cookie Rookie
11. Slow-Cooker Cocktails
You’ve heard of slow-cooker mulled wine and cider. But this year, take your cocktail up a notch by branching out. Slow-Cooker Gingerbread Lattes, anyone?
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