What is your favorite "Go To" dish to take to holiday parties?

Shrimp tree!

Get a tall styrofoam cone from the craft store. Buy curly leaf lettuce, those ruffly toothpicks and about a pound of fresh shrimp. boil the shrimp in whatever shrimp boil you like, chill them immediately in ice. Tear the lettuce in the smaller pieces and tack them to the cone with toothpicks. Tack shrimp to the now covered cone. Put the remaining shrimp in icy bowls and provide cocktail sauce. This one has been a hit everywhere I go.
 
Thanks for posting your recipes, Angelhalo.

May I ask for one more? That squash casserole sounds interesting.

No problem! Its always a hit, even with people who don't love squash.

Squash casserole

3 to 4 lbs of yellow squash - I use crook neck but it can be any yellow summer squash.
1 large onion - I use whatever onion type I have readily available
8 oz sour cream
1 can condensed Cream of Mushroom soup or Cream of Chicken with Mushroom
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese - I use sharp cheddar
1 1/4 cup Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing Mix
1 tablespoon butter


Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

Chop the squash and onion and shred the carrot.

Use a 3 qt pot and just cover the squash, onion and carrot with water and salt.
Bring to a boil and let cook until done but still firm. Use a fork or knife to check for firmness of the squash. Approx 15 mins.

While these vegetables are cooking, in another dish mix the condensed soup, sour cream, and cheese.

Then in a small non stick pan, just toast the stuffing mix in the butter.

When your vegetables are done, drain then pour the soup mix in the pot and mix well with the vegetables. I usually heat it one more time and then salt and pepper to taste.

Pour your vegetable mixture into the baking dish, making sure you have sprayed it first, and top with the toasted stuffing mix.

Bake until it begins to bubble on top and gets to be a nice golden brown. You can safely set your timer for 30 minutes then check it. Adjust time according to your personal taste in color.
 
Pepperoni Dip

8oz block of cream cheese
1/2 lb pepperoni (diced works best)
1 can condensed cream of celery soup

Combine all ingredients in small crock pot. Stir occasionally until heated through.

This is so good - no one ever believes that it contains cream of celery soup!
 
Thanks, Angel!

That sounds very good and different, too.

Will regular yellow squash or zucchini would work?
 

Pepperoni Dip

8oz block of cream cheese
1/2 lb pepperoni (diced works best)
1 can condensed cream of celery soup

Combine all ingredients in small crock pot. Stir occasionally until heated through.

This is so good - no one ever believes that it contains cream of celery soup!
Do you think that will fit in a one or one-point-five quart crock pot? TIA!
 
Layered Taco Salad (similar to HannaBelle's 9 layer dip in the OP)

16oz sour cream
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 packet taco seasoning mix
Add seasoning to cream cheese and sour cream. Beat with mixer until incorporated. Spread in bottom of 11x3 or similar dish.

Top with layers of shredded lettuce, shredded Mexican/Taco blend cheese, diced tomatos (or drained salsa), black olives, green onion or green pepper.

I don't usually layer refried beans because no one in my house likes them.

Deviled Eggs
I don't have a recipe. I add Miracle Whip and yellow mustard, to preferred taste and texture, to the yolks and blend in the food processor, adding a little bit of milk to make the mixture creamy enough to pipe into the whites. Garnish with paprika.
Pampered Chef has a recipe that uses vegetable cream cheese. It's tasty, but I haven't made it in a long time.

Baked Corn Supreme
directions on the back of Cope's Dried Corn. Love it for the holidays.
 
I do a simplified version of the SPinach Artichoke dip from the first post. Also, Swedish Meatballs are a crowd pleaser:

Spinach Artichoke Dip
1 block frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt OR 1 teaspoon horseradish

Combine all ingredients in casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 30 mins. Serve with crackers or french bread cubes.


Swedish Meatballs
1 bag frozen mini meatballs, thawed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small tub sour cream
dash Worchestershire sauce
splash white wine
salt and pepper to taste

Combine soup, sour cream, wine, Worchestershire, and seasonings in small saucepan. Heat over med heat until bubbly. Add meatballs and cook until heated through. Serve in chafing dish or small Crock Pot on low.
 
Had to go get my crinkled up recipe for Nutty Buddy pie off the fridge LOL

This recipe makes 3 pies

3 graham cracker crusts
2cups confectioner's sugar
1- 8oz package cream cheese
1 cup milk
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2- 9oz cool whips
1 bottle of magic shell
1/2 cup of crushed peanuts

Mix sugar and cream cheese. Then add milk, peanut butter and cool whip. Pour into pie crusts, sprinkle with peanuts and drizzle with magic shell. Freeze and serve.

I have to tell you, I made this over the weekend for my DD's birthday and boy was it ever a hit! Personally, I thought it was oversweet, but I was definitely in the minority. I brought one of the pies to work today and you wouldn't believe the response. I actually had to search out the recipe for my boss because she insisted she had to make this TODAY. :rotfl: We all agreed this would be a great thing to bring to a party!
 
I have to tell you, I made this over the weekend for my DD's birthday and boy was it ever a hit! Personally, I thought it was oversweet, but I was definitely in the minority. I brought one of the pies to work today and you wouldn't believe the response. I actually had to search out the recipe for my boss because she insisted she had to make this TODAY. :rotfl: We all agreed this would be a great thing to bring to a party!

Awww thats so nice to hear! I'm glad they enjoyed it!

I'm actually getting ready to make it for work tomorrow and couldn't find my crinkled up old recipe so I had to come here and do a search for when I had posted it last! LOL!
 














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