Quick and Easy Holiday Recipes for The Pantry

 

Quick and Simple recipes from my Cooking From the Pantry Series.

 1. Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

 2. Quick and Easy Cornbread Dressing

 3. Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs

 4. Roasted Vegetables with Olive Oil & Herbs

 5. Herb Butter Roasted Turkey (or Chicken)

 6. No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups

 7. Spiced Apple Cider

 A Simple and Grateful Feast • November 2025

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed, boiled for about 15 minutes  (or 4 cups mashed)

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup butter, melted

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

• 1/4 cup flour

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mash the sweet potatoes and mix with sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Pour into a greased baking dish. In a small bowl, mix pecans and flour, then sprinkle over the top. Bake 30 minutes or until golden.

 Reflection: Sweetness reminds us that gratitude softens even the hardest seasons of life.

Cornbread Dressing

 Ingredients:

• 4 cups crumbled cornbread
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp sage
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 stick butter

Instructions:

Sauté celery and onion in butter until soft. Combine with cornbread crumbs, sage, and chicken broth. Mix well and bake in a greased dish at 350°F for 30–35 minutes.

Reflection: Dressing fills the table, just as God’s Grace fills the empty places in our hearts.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes with Garlic

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh herbs of any kind, for garnish

Instructions:

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain, then mash with garlic, milk, and butter until smooth. Season to taste.

Reflection: Sometimes the simplest ingredients create the richest comfort—just like faith.

Roasted Vegetables with Olive Oil & Herbs

Ingredients:

• 2 cups carrots, sliced
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups red beets
• 2 small white or yellow onions, cut into chunks
• 3 tbsp olive oil, and Agave Nectar or Pure Maple syrup
• 1 tsp thyme, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ginger
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, thyme, parsley

Instructions:

Place in a large bowl, and toss the vegetables in olive oil, maple syrup, and herbs. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 25–30 minutes. Then garnish with additional fresh herbs.

Reflection: A little oil and seasoning remind us that God adds flavor and purpose to every life.

Herb Butter Roasted Turkey (or Chicken)

Ingredients:

• 1 whole turkey (or 4–5 lb. chicken)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Rub butter and herbs under the skin and over the bird. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. (1 ½  to 2 ½ hours unstuffed).

Reflection: When we prepare the main dish, let’s remember the true centerpiece of Thanksgiving—Jesus, our Bread of Life.

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz), softened
• 1/2 cup whipped topping
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Instructions:

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and pumpkin until smooth. Fold in whipped topping: layer graham crumbs and pumpkin mix in cups. Chill before serving.

Reflection: A little sweetness in a cup reminds us that joy is found in life’s small blessings.

Spiced Apple Cider

Ingredients:

• 1 quart apple juice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 orange, sliced
• 2 tbsp honey

Instructions:

Simmer all ingredients in a saucepan for 15–20 minutes. Strain and serve warm.

Reflection: A warm cup of cider brings comfort—just as God warms our hearts with His presence.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Herbed Roasted Baby Red Potatoes

 

About this recipe

🥔✨ Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside—these herbed roasted baby red potatoes are the ultimate side dish! Tag someone who’d love a bite! 

Servings: 4 Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds baby red potatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage or 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, until slightly tender but not fully cooked.
2. Drain potatoes and return them to the pot.
3. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and sage to the potatoes. Toss gently to coat evenly.
4. Spread potatoes cut-side down on a baking sheet in a single layer.
5. Roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and crispy on the edges.
6. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Lemon Pepper Fettuccine

I love Italian Cuisine. One of the things I love is fresh pasta. Making your own pasta is a satisfying way to work with your hands to create something delicious from ingredients you choose from your pantry. This is my first try at making pasta, and I think it came out pretty nice. There are so many ways to make homemade pasta these days, but I wanted to start out by taking a basic pasta recipe and putting together some wonderful flavors for my first attempt.  

Kitchen Tools to Make Homemade Pasta

• My hands ( smile )
• KitchenAid 2-piece pasta cutter set. Includes Pasta Roller and Fettuccine Cutter.
• One of my wine racks is to hang the pasta to dry. This tool was a last-minute creative drying rack. In my next pasta-making adventure, I will have the real thing, and that is “Pasta Drying Rack”. 

Basic Pasta Recipe

• 1 ½ cups (350 grams) Pasta Flour, Unbleached All-Purpose, or Semolina. (I used Semolina for this recipe.)
• 3 large eggs @ room temperature
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice ( about the juice of 1 lemon)
• ¼ cup grated lemon zest ( about 3 lemons)
• 2 teaspoons freshly milled black pepper

You will need extra flour for dusting your board and pasta roller/cutter. Also, add an extra 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to make a softer, pliable dough that’s easy to roll.

Steps

  

1.     Place flour in the center of your pastry mat, large wooden board, or other work surface. You may also use a large bowl. Form a flour volcano with a crater or hole in the middle.

2.     Combine eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl, blend well, then pour the mixture into the crater.

3.     With your hands, begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim.

4.     Once the flour has been incorporated and the mixture has formed a mass of dough, transfer the dough to a floured work surface.

5.     Keep incorporating the flour, turning the dough mass over several times while kneading so that the moist side of the dough is exposed to the floured surface, making sure the flour will be absorbed. Scrape up and discard any leftover hard bits of dough.

6.     Use the heel of your palm to push the dough down and away, and then fold the edge back over the top to keep a round dough ball. Do this process for about 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth.

7.     Now let the dough take a rest for about 30 minutes.

Now set up your KitchenAid Mixer with pasta roller attachment, then cut your dough into four (4) sections and flatten each section with a rolling pin. Be sure to keep your working surface dusted with flour. No, dust your pasta roller with flour and then feed your pasta into the roller. (You may follow the instructions supplied by the manufacturer.)

Once you complete the rolling of your pasta, then change out the pasta roller attachment with the Fettuccine attachment to make your pasta strips.