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.
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.
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.
The wonderful thing about chili is it’s infinitely customizable. Our turkey sweet potato recipe is the perfect example; it contains no beef or tomatoes and includes sweet potato puree or canned pumpkin for a hint of sweetness and extra nutrition. It’s a wonderful dish to start on a cool morning, as much of the cooking is done in a slow cooker. This just might become your new signature chili recipe!
Ingredients for Turkey Sweet Potato Chili
Ground turkey: 1 pound of already ground turkey gives this recipe plenty of protein.
Onion: One small onion, chopped, is all you need for this dish. Feel free to add more if you enjoy loads of onions or omit them if you don’t care about them.
Chicken broth: Chicken broth adds umami to this dish; you’ll need 2 cups for this chili recipe.
Sweet potato puree or canned pumpkin: One 15-ounce can of either item adds color and flavor to the chili. It also saves time, as you won’t have to peel or cook sweet potatoes.
Chopped green chiles: One 4-ounce can adds heat and makes the chili a little spicy.
Spices: Chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, curry powder, oregano and salt team up to make this a wonderfully aromatic and delicious chili.
Great northern beans: Rinse and drain one 15-ounce can of these beans for the chili.
Sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced red onions (optional): These add-ons can be served at the table so everyone can choose their favorite extras.
Having diabetes can make the holiday season feel more frantic than festive, especially when searching for diabetic Christmas desserts that people actually want to eat. As a dietitian, let me let you in on a little secret: you can enjoy delicious, easy Christmas desserts and treats, even if you’re working hard to manage your blood sugars. While traditional desserts can lead to blood glucose spikes, these diabetic-friendly Christmas treats have all the flavor and fun you need, with a lot less sugar.
From apple desserts to peppermint cookies and eggnog mousse, these blood sugar-friendly sweets are the perfect sweet addition to your diabetic-friendly Christmas recipes. So you don’t have to sacrifice flavor for health, I’ve rounded up the best diabetic Christmas desserts that balance sweetness with nutrition, so you can feel good about your macros while joining in on the holiday fun.
You don’t need meat to enjoy a satisfying Mexican meal. Vegetarian Mexican recipes starring cheese, black beans, veggies and even lentils make comforting dishes inspired by traditional fare. You’ll find twists on classic recipes, like a Mexican street corn bake, plus Tex-Mex food like queso.
While many easy vegetarian recipes are adapted from non-vegetarian dishes, certain Mexican recipes are naturally meatless. To name a few: guacamole, homemade tortillas and bean tostadas! Round out your feast with tequila cocktails and any one of these sweet Mexican dessert recipes.
Registered dietitian Wendy Jo Peterson prescribes meals like these better-for-you Mediterranean recipes to her clients. To round out any Mediterranean meal, pair it with lean proteins, nuts, olive oil, beans and extra vegetables.
Lavishly dusted in powdered sugar, buttery pecan-packed Mexican wedding cookies are synonymous with celebration. These melt-in-your-mouth cookies are equally beloved in regions around Mexico and the U.S., a staple at weddings, holiday parties and virtually any festive gathering. Texture-wise, the cookies are a lot like shortbread—crumbly rather than chewy, thanks to the fact these tasty treats are baked without eggs.
With their resemblance to snowballs, Mexican wedding cookies are just begging to be included in your Christmas cookie swap, but are delicious any time of year, boxed up as edible gifts or dunked into a cup of milky tea.
We’re counting down the top Christmas cookies—here’s one of them! To join the countdown and for more festive fun, sign up for our Holiday newsletter.
Why are they called Mexican wedding cookies?
Also called Mexican wedding cakes, these nutty, buttery delights are sometimes called Russian tea cakes and polvorones. Look across the world, and you’ll encounter similar cookie recipes: Pecan sandies, Italian wedding cookies, Greek kourabiedes and qurabiya, to name a few. Ingredients vary (more than anything, it’s the nuts used), and sometimes they’re round, while other versions, like this Mexican wedding cake cookie recipe, are crescent-shaped.
The precise origins of this sweet treat are lost to the mists of time. Many food historians believe these cookies have medieval Middle Eastern roots, with recipes spreading to new regions via trade routes across the centuries. They also think the recipe traveled to Mexico with the Spanish in the 16th century. There’s speculation that the name Mexican wedding cakes replaced Russian tea cakes around the 1950s, at the height of the Cold War. Whatever you call them, they’re delicious!
Mexican Wedding Cookie Ingredients
TASTE OF HOME
Butter: I like using salted butter to balance out the sweetness in these cookies. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the recipe if you opt for unsalted.
Confectioners’ sugar: Creaming the confectioners’ sugar with butter helps give Mexican wedding cookies their wonderfully delicate texture. You also roll the still-warm cookies in confectioners’ sugar when they come out of the oven.
Vanilla extract: Along with pecans, vanilla is the main flavor that floods your taste buds when biting into a Mexican wedding cookie. Since it’s so prominent, use the best vanilla extract you can. Almond extract is a lovely substitution, or combine half of each.
Pecans: Both regular and toasted pecans are phenomenal in this recipe. Lightly toasting the pecans for a few minutes in the oven will give them a deeper, richer flavor.
Christmastime gives you loads to look forward to: decorating the tree, making snow angels, listening to your favorite holiday songs on repeat and breaking out those once-a-year Christmas candy recipes. While we love gooey cinnamon rolls before opening gifts and Christmas cookies with a mug of hot cocoa, there’s nothing like biting into a rich fudge square or snapping off a piece of crunchy, nutty brittle.
This roundup has festive candy treats for all skill levels, whether you have experience cooking sugar for chewy caramels or want a simpler melt-and-mix style candy. You’ll find the holiday flavors you crave around Christmas, like peppermint, cinnamon, eggnog and chocolate. You can also use this holiday season to iron out common chocolate truffle mistakes or teach yourself to make your favorite copycat candy bars for gifts.
Making these homemade Christmas sweets can be a fun activity to do with your friends and family. Spend time creating and decorating the treats together, and then set out supplies for these creative food gift wrapping ideas to package them into delicious and memorable presents!
Have you ever been digging into a chicken enchilada and thought, this would be even better if I were eating it with a spoon? No, is it just us?
Well, we took apart the beloved Mexican dish and reimagined it as a soup. We led with southwestern flavors from poblano peppers, cumin and enchilada sauce, and added lean protein from shredded chicken. This healthier, homemade take on enchiladas doesn’t require much more than popping the ingredients into a slow cooker and going about your day. But if you don’t have a slow cooker, we’ve got your back in our recipe variations below.
While comforting, this dish is fiber-and-protein-filled for a nourishing weeknight dinner (and you can easily freeze it for future meals.) We love it alongside some cornbread or margaritas for the adults.
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup Ingredients
Anaheim or poblano peppers: These large, green peppers are more savory than spicy, adding smokiness and complexity to the flavors in the soup. Poblano peppers are slightly more spicy than Anaheims (although not by much)—both are relatively mild.
Onion: Aromatic and savory, onion (yellow onion is usually best in a soup) also adds a little touch of sweetness
Garlic: Bold and aromatic, garlic provides a key, savory flavor to this meal. Fresh garlic will have the strongest flavor, so opt for that over pre-minced garlic or powder.
Chicken: The primary protein in your dish, this chicken will be shredded for tender bites.
Chicken broth: This is the liquid base for your soup. Using chicken broth amplifies the savory flavors for a more dynamic dish.
Mexican diced tomatoes: This refers to diced tomatoes mixed with other ingredients, often green chilis. If you can’t find this, make your own mix of diced tomatoes and canned green chilis for a similar southwestern-inspired taste.
Enchilada sauce: Enchilada sauce typically includes flavors like chiles, tomatoes, cumin and oregano. It’s not usually that spicy.
Tomato paste: This paste helps increase the enchilada flavor with a very concentrated taste of tomatoes.
Chili powder: This is where you’ll get the heat and a little bit of smokiness.
Cumin: Earthy and warm cumin compliments the other flavors and spices in the enchilada sauce, helping the dish taste more vibrant.
Chipotle hot pepper sauce: While optional, a chipotle hot pepper sauce will, unsurprisingly, increase the heat, while also lending a savory, smokey flavor.
Cilantro: Bright and herbal, cilantro lifts the heavier flavors. If you don’t like the taste of cilantro, you can omit it.
Cheddar cheese: An optional topping, cheddar cheese has a sharp flavor that adds dimension to your soup. For best results, shred the cheese yourself!
Avocado: An optional topping, avocado can help tame the hotter flavors and add a rich, healthier creaminess.
Sour cream: An optional topping, sour cream can balance the heat from the chili powder and hot sauce while providing a well-balanced tang.
Tortilla strips: An optional topping, tortilla strips add a little extra crunch.
Good Food, Good Meat, Good God, Let's Eat! 