Holiday Meals

Guest Writer; Marybeth Summers, Top 5 Holiday Meals!

It is difficult to choose between all of the holiday meals, so I have selected the top five. These dishes were created by my father in law, who is Scottish my father who is Polish and myself who is Irish (I was adopted).

From the choices of dishes that my father in law prepares I must say that Skrilie is my absolute favorite. I am a very picky eater and he would never tell me what I was eating until I was done eating it. Skirlie is a traditional Scottish dish made from oatmeal, onion, fat, and seasoning. This dish would be served as the traditional stuffing for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Knowing how much I enjoy this dish my father in law has been serving it for over fifteen years.

My second favorite dish is my dad’s homemade polish potato pancakes. This is a dish that my dad has been making by scratch ever since I was a little girl. I remember him getting up early on Thanksgiving and Christmas with the grater out and grating fresh potatoes into this amazing dish. As an adult I always have him make extra so that I can take them home. The only item they need to be topped with is a little bit of sour cream.

The third dish that I enjoy making is homemade orange cranberry cheesecake. I make my cheesecake batter and add in fresh orange zest and orange juice. For the topping on my cheesecake I make a cranberry topping with fresh cranberries and orange zest.

My fourth dish is a Brussel sprout, sweet potato casserole. This is a warm dish with Brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, onions, fresh cranberries and drizzled with a balsamic glaze over the top. I am not a fan of Brussel sprouts so this is a versatile dish that allows you to pick around those little sprouts.

And I have saved the best for last. Homemade Bailey’s chocolate mousse! Super simple to make and it is not too sweet. You get that taste of Bailey’s, but not too much, the light flavor of chocolate mousse that just melts in your mouth. I always have to make a double batch because everyone enjoys it.