Month: December 2025

Posted in #Recipes

Our 100 All-Time-Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Bake the Best Holiday Cookies

Whether you’re still learning the basics of cookie making or are all about using those pro baking tips you’ve mastered over the years, there’s no better time to bake from scratch than during the holidays. Whether you whip up an assortment of holiday bars and barks to pack and ship to someone special or are baking a batch of easy-to-make cookies to serve alongside homemade hot chocolate on movie night, you’ll find that cookies always spread cheer. Nut and spice cookies, fruity cookies, sugar cookies and more: we always have a hard time narrowing down our favorites (which is why this collection has 100 recipes!).

But, we have to admit that the imperfection of these festive smashed cookies places them at the top of our list. The addition of two eggs gives the centers a tender and soft texture, while the crinkled edges get ever so slightly golden and crisp. Top with a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze for a holiday treat perfect for a cookie tin — and that’s oh-so-fun to make!

Food Network

Posted in #Recipes

The Best Recipes of 2025

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Every year, Taste of Home readers remind us that the best recipes come straight from home kitchens. We get thousands of recipe submissions, each one earning a Test Kitchen-approved stamp before it’s published to the site.

There are so many recipes that it would be impossible to choose the best of the best without your help! You pinned them on Pinterest, shared them on social media and saved them to your recipe box, helping us determine which ones rise to the top.

These are the dishes that won hearts (and taste buds!) everywhere, whether they’re brand-new recipes or tried-and-true classics. From family dinners to bake-sale favorites, every recipe here is reader-approved, home-tested and downright delicious.

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

25 Ripe Banana Recipes to Use Up Your Bunch

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

And just like that, another week flew by without even touching the bananas in the fruit bowl. They’re probably deeply freckled or almost black, but just because they’re too ripe to peel and eat plain doesn’t mean they’re not salvageable. Since the bananas are soft and extremely sweet at this point, they’re perfect for mashing up and using in ripe banana recipes.

This collection includes plenty of banana desserts, such as decadent banana cheesecake, ice cream, brownies, chocolate cake, classic banana pudding and even a fancy bananas Foster. Of course, there is no shortage of breakfast recipes where bananas shine in smoothies, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, coffee cake and muffins. And it’s not a complete list without plenty of banana bread recipes, from the classic loaf to modern offshoots like pumpkin and apple topped with caramel and coconut.

So many banana recipes are available. Whether you’re working with one ripe banana or a whole bunch, you’ll definitely find a recipe that inspires you. And if your bananas aren’t quite ripe yet but you’re itching to use them in overripe banana recipes, you can totally ripen bananas yourself. I prefer the oven technique, but the microwave method works too!

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

100 Easy Holiday Appetizers To Elevate Your Party

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Our Best Holiday Appetizer Recipes

If you ask us, one of the best parts of the holiday season is the snacking that happens before the main meal. Who wouldn’t want to mix up a festive cocktail or two and treat themself to an assortment of small bites before a special holiday dinner? Cheese balls and cheese logs, party-ready dips, wow-worthy platters—with so many delicious options, choosing what to make can be difficult. One of the recipes we always include in our pre-dinner spread however, is this baked brie.

We like to dress it up for the holidays; we stuff it into little golden parcels of puff pastry along with a hit of cranberry sauce and crunchy walnuts—for the ultimate sweet-and-savory bite.

Food Network

Posted in #Recipes

We Tried Dolly Parton’s 5-Layer Casserole, and Now We’re Making It on Repeat

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Dolly Parton has written and performed plenty of chart-topping country songs. She’s also made countless appearances on TV (like this Netflix Christmas musical), along with penning several books. To us, though, Dolly is famous for her chicken and dumplings as she is for “Jolene.”

This Dolly Parton casserole recipe is rumored to be one of her signature dishes. It’s made up of simple ingredients, jam-packed with potatoes, ground beef and vegetables to make the ultimate comfort food. It’s not fancy, but sometimes, the beauty of a dish is its simplicity.

How to Make Dolly Parton’s Casserole

Dolly Parton Casserole Ingredients
Molly Allen for Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 3 large russet potatoes, sliced
  • 1 pound ground beef, browned and seasoned
  • 2 onions, sliced and rings separated
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1-1/2 green bell peppers, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, generously to taste

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

27 Traditional Holiday Cookies You’ll Want To Bake Every Year

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Traditional Christmas and Holiday Cookie Recipes

If you ask us, holiday baking season is the most wonderful time of the year. That’s when we get to break out the royal icing, sprinkles and colorful candy pieces—and give all our favorite holiday cookies an extra special touch. And, while we always make sure to include something new in our roundup, there’s nothing better than a freshly baked batch of the classics.

If you ask us, holiday baking season is the most wonderful time of the year. That’s when we get to break out the royal icing, sprinkles and colorful candy pieces—and give all our favorite holiday cookies an extra special touch. And, while we always make sure to include something new in our roundup, there’s nothing better than a freshly baked batch of the classics. We’re talking buttery shortbreads, all different types of sugar cookies and, of course, plenty of gingerbread. If looking for a handful of recipes that rely on classic flavors and tried-and-true techniques, these are the ones to add to your repertoire. You’ll find snowballs, thumbprints, biscotti and more. No matter which cookies you decide to bake, spritz are a holiday must. The green and white tie-dye effect gives these classic cookies a modern-retro look, and the red sprinkles add a bit more holiday cheer.

Food Network

Posted in Book Reviews, Uncategorized

101 Things to Do with a Tortilla

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

101 Things to Do with a Tortilla takes this delicious and nutritious staple of so many countries and brings it into the mainstream with family-friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and more. Tortillas are a no-fail recipe ingredient, and Stephanie Ashcraft and Donna Kelly show that tortillas aren’t just for Mexican food anymore!

From the Back Cover

101 Things to Do With a Tortilla

Tortillas with a twist from the author of the New York Time’s Best-Seller 101 Things to do With a Cake Mix!

Southwest Egg Rolls
Lattice-Top Chicken Potpie
Tortilla-Crusted Fish Fillets
Cherry Enchiladas
Strawberry Shortilla
And more!

Posted in #Recipes

The 23 Best 5-Ingredient Holiday Treats (That Anyone Can Make!)

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Festive Treats With 5 Ingredients or Less

With ambitious holiday party planning comes the potential to spend the entire time cooking in the kitchen—while your guests wonder where you are. Let’s skip all that. Instead, take the quick-and-easy route: put together something festive and enjoy your limited time together, with treats that only require a handful of ingredients. Each clocks in at just five or fewer—and will fill everyone you love, including you, with holiday cheer. One of our favorites? This reimagined take on the Yule log. Using store-bought Swiss roll cakes ensures this version is a breeze—but still impressive enough to dazzle your family and friends.

Food Network

Posted in #Recipes

Pecan Pralines

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

When traveling in the southern United States, you’ll find pecan pralines as easily as you will find a chocolate bar. Legend has it that this treat originated from nuts accidentally spilling into a vat of caramel. Regardless of how they came to be, they are irresistible and delicious. Pecan pralines offer buttery, sweet and rich flavors that melt in your mouth. It is nearly impossible to eat just one.

Pecan Praline Ingredients

  • Butter: The butter aids in creating a melt-in-your-mouth caramel that envelops the pecans in this recipe.
  • Sugar: We use granulated and brown sugar to prepare the caramel for these pecan pralines.
  • Half-and-half: The half-and-half is essential for creating this recipe’s creamy and rich caramel.
  • Condensed milk: We depend on condensed milk to provide these pecan pralines with a nostalgically sweet and comforting flavor.
  • Corn syrup: The corn syrup helps solidify these pecan pralines so they do not fall apart as soon as you pick them up.
  • Pecans: We mix pecans into the batter of these pralines because they give the confection a necessary crunch.
  • Vanilla extract: The vanilla helps deliver the warm flavor profiles in this pecan praline recipe.

Taste of Home

Posted in #Recipes

30 Healthy Winter Soups to Warm and Fill You Up

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

As a dietitian surviving thriving in cold Michigan winters, soup season is a serious time of year. A steamy bowl of soup warms you from the inside out, and it’s one of the best ways to boost nutrition when fresh summer produce dwindles. These healthy winter soups pack nutrient-rich vegetables, whole grains and lean protein into every comforting bite. From soups made creamy with veggie purees to fiber-rich lentil and chicken noodle soups, you’ll find a flavorful soup here that fits your nutrition goals.

What sets these recipes apart is their focus on whole foods and from-scratch cooking. Using wholesome ingredients like homemade bone broth, herbs, spices and seasonal vegetables, like butternut squash, kale and carrots, these soups deliver valuable nutrition without being difficult to prepare. And because life doesn’t slow down when you’re hungry, you’ll find plenty of one-pot meals and slow-cooker soups that come together quickly, proving that healthy winter cooking can be both nourishing and doable.

Taste of Home