As you know, we’ve been sharing some special holiday recipes from Spud staff. These are the classics: the ones passed down from our grandparents to our parents, and now to us and our kids. They’re those dishes that every non-immediate family member asks “are we having *blank* this year?!” and you confidently respond, “of course!”. In Round 1, we shared Jess’ creamy artichoke dip and my family’s mashed sweet potatoes with pecans and brown sugar, but this time we’re taking it to the next level. If you’re in need of new holiday inspiration this year – for breakfast, lunch and dinner – look no further. We’ve got you covered with our Spud-ified family holiday classics.

3 Spud-ified Family Holiday Classics

Annie’s German Pancake

Annie is one of our graphic designers here at Spud HQ. If you see any creative sketches, illustrations, or designs on the site, there’s a good chance that’s her. This dish is one of Annie’s family holiday classics. Picture a Yorkshire pudding but sweet: it’s crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and topped with something sweet. Serve for breakfast with your choice of toppings (ex. Maple syrup or your organic fruit of choice).

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup whole milk
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Plus any desired toppings

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Heat a cast-iron pan enough to melt the butter, then set aside.
3. Beat eggs with a hand blender, then incorporate milk, flour, salt, vanilla, and sugar. Blend until foamy, about 1 minute. Pour batter into skillet and put in the oven.
4. Bake until sides puff up around the edge of the pan and turn golden brown. 15-20 minutes. Ideally you want the sides to be crispy and the middle soft.
5. Cut like a pizza (so everyone gets the beloved crispy crust). Top with maple syrup, fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar, cardamom (this makes it extra Christmassy), or fresh fruit/fruit preserves – whatever suits your fancy.

Lea’s Bubble and Squeak

Wondering what to do with the holiday leftovers? Lea’s family puts them to good use. Lea is our Customer Care Manager here at Spud. If you call us with a problem, her team will resolve it. She’s also a big foodie here at the office, so trust me when I say this dish is a winner. (It’s also perfect for #LetsNotWaste!) Loaded with all the family holiday classics like leftover potatoes and stuffing, you can serve it with eggs for breakfast, or bread and butter for a light lunch/supper dish. Add cranberry for extra sweetness!

Ingredients

Basically whatever you have on hand, but Lea usually adds these:

• Leftover mashed potatoes or roast potatoes, diced
• Leftover stuffing
• Leftover cooked brussels sprouts, chopped
• Leftover cooked carrots, broccoli, or roast veggies, chopped
• 2 ounces butter/vegan butter/oil
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Bacon (optional)
• Cranberry sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix the sprouts and carrots with the mashed potatoes and stuffing. Season if needed with S&P.
2. Heat the butter (or butter alternative) in a large frying pan. Add the veggie and potato mixture. Add bacon if using.
3. Fry over a medium pan for about 8-10 minutes until brown and the Bubble and Squeak sizzles. Enjoy!

Geoff’s Baked Cauliflower and Leek Gratin

Geoff is our Junior Produce Buyer. He’s the second-hand-man to our produce buyer Micky, and as a team, they pick our fresh fruits and veg. In his spare time, he’s *almost* a pro chef, so this dish is guaranteed good. This is one of his favourite family holiday classics, as it’s a great replacement for mashed potatoes. Alternatively, instead of cauliflower, use broccoli to up your greens quota. In Geoff’s words, “watch as your family devours this”.

Ingredients:

• 1 Lg Cauliflower or 2 medium cut into florets (7 – 8 cups)
• 6 strips of bacon (or not for vegetarians)
• 3 leeks, the white and light green parts only, chopped into half moons
• 1 yellow onion
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp of butter
• 3 tbsp of all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup of any good melty cheese. (Geoff likes to use a sharp cheddar, but he’s also used a Gruyere)
• 1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp of salt

Topping:

• 1/2 seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 grated Parmesan
• 2 tsp of melted butter
• Parsley to top (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch dish.
2. In a large pot, blanch the cauliflower in salted water until tender, drain and set aside.
3. In a large skillet cook the bacon for about 5 minutes or until your desired crispiness, rest on paper towel. (Ignore these steps for the veg version)
4. Save some of the bacon fat and add the leeks, garlic, and onion to the pan, stirring occasionally until soft and starting to turn golden, remove and add to the cauliflower.  Add the bacon as well.
5. Melt butter in the skillet until melted, sprinkle with flour and cook for about 1 minute.  Gradually add in your milk whisking constantly until mixture is smooth and thickened.
6. Whisk in your cheese and salt until the cheese is melted.
7. Pour over your cauliflower, leek and bacon mixture, stirring until everything is well coated.  Add mixture to greased pan.
8. Sprinkle the topping over top and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and baked throughout. Top with parsley if using.