Traditional Southern holiday meals resonate through my memory and my recipe box. Roast turkey, cornbread dressing, gravy, Brussels sprouts, green bean casserole, mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows, cranberry sauce, ambrosia, pumpkin pie and coconut cake show up in the best way possible in November and December.

Turkey does bring to mind the year my Uncle Ben went turkey hunting on Thanksgiving morning and promised to bring back a turkey ready for the pan by 10 a.m. and dinner at 1 p.m. Ten starving children and eight hungry adults finally had a small portion of a scrawny, tough old bird at 4 p.m. My grandparents did not fall for that the next year.

While tradition often guides our holiday meals, life’s experience introduces new ways and new dishes to add to our holiday celebrations. Places we’ve lived or visited, friends from other parts of the United States or from other countries, magazine articles, and the wonderful internet world of recipes open doors to new dishes and menus.

Over the past years, I’ve had Christmas with Mexican friends in El Paso and learned that tamales are “must have” for Christmas dinner. We spent hours in a warm kitchen spreading masa over cornhusks, piling on fillings, wrapping and steaming the savory packets. 

The next year, Christmas dinner was prime rib and served on the USS Rowan at the naval base in Yokosuka, Japan. Thinking about walking up the gangway to the ship and being greeted by a sailor and an officer in dress blues brings shivers to my spine, especially when I remember those whose holiday family meal is eaten with shipmates.

When close enough to Louisiana to enjoy holidays with family, we feasted on groaning boards that were truly overloaded. My German mother-in-law added her famous potato salad to the table, plus stollen, lebkuchen and pfeffernüsse sent by her German relatives. Seafood gumbo, oyster dressing and pralines showed up on the south Louisiana tables, and hunters added venison roasts and
cochon de lait.

With COVID-19 likely to determine the size of holiday gatherings again this year, a simpler menu that's easy to prepare seems to be called for. We've downsized our turkey to Cornish game hens, and the Wild Rice Stuffing with Dried Fruit and Pecans is a stovetop dish that's ready in less than an hour. Start it when the hens go in the oven.

A traditional green bean casserole never tasted like Not Your Mama’s Green Bean Casserole, which looks more like dressing and has flecks of artichoke hearts and green beans throughout. It may be the richest item on the table and is certainly the most garlicky.

The piece de resistance of this new traditional holiday meal is the Almond Joy Cake. The candy bar-turned-showpiece dessert will delight coconut and chocolate lovers. Assemble it in time to display and entice guests to anticipate dessert. For the few who don't like chocolate, Cherry Pineapple Bars combine maraschino cherries with the traditional hospitality represented by pineapple.

Southern cuisine, reworked favorites and old favorites mixed with new set the stage for a gathering of family and friends – the most important tradition of all.Enjoy a (New) Traditional Southern Holiday Meal

Roasted Cornish
Game Hens

Cornish game hens, 1 per person

Butter

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With hands, massage soft butter all over hens. Season inside and out with salt, pepper, garlic powder and seasoned salt. Place in a foil lined pan. Bake for 1 hour or slightly more, depending on weight. Baste with pan drippings every 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature up to 400 degrees the last 15 minutes to brown and crisp up the skin. Let rest 15 minutes then serve in halves.  

Wild Rice Stuffing with
Dried Fruit and Pecans

“Cutting up apricots is the most labor intensive step of this recipe.”   

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped sweet onions

2 1/2 cups canned chicken broth

3/4 cup wild rice 

3/4 cup long grain white rice

1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Bring 2 1/2 cups broth to boil in large saucepan. Add wild rice; bring to boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add white rice; cover and simmer until all rice is tender and liquid is almost absorbed, about 15 minutes longer.

Stir dried apricots, cranberries and raisins into rice mixture; cover and simmer 3 minutes. Stir onions and remaining 2 tablespoons butter into rice. Mix in pecans. Season with salt, if needed.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples and Walnuts

“The Brussels sprouts can be shredded the day before. Add the honey mustard dressing, apples and walnuts early enough to scrape into your serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to place on the table.”

Salad

1 pound Brussels sprouts

1 medium tart apple, sliced

1/2 cup sliced red onion

1 cup chopped walnuts

Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts. Using a food processor or sharp knife, slice sprouts thinly. Then slice apple and red onion; combine.

To toast walnuts, spread on a plate. Microwave at one minute intervals until toasted. Add to sprout mixture.

Combine Dijon mustard, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, garlic and olive oil in a jar, and shake until blended. Add salt and pepper as desired. Pour over vegetables, toss to coat, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.  

Georgia Peach Cranberry Sauce

“The Georgia Peach Cranberry Sauce evolved out of wanting to use up a bag of frozen peaches from a friend’s tree. Peaches bump up the flavor, but they're so juicy that extra simmering is needed to thicken the sauce.”

1 (16-ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries

16 ounces frozen peaches, cut into bite 

size pieces

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Mix cranberries, peaches, sugar and water in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and lower temperature to a simmer. Cook until cranberries pop and sauce has thickened.

Not Your Mama’s
Green Bean Casserole

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, reserving liquid

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1 (15-ounce) can French style green beans, drained

1 egg

1/2 cup artichoke liquid (reserved)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Saute garlic in olive oil over low heat for about 3 minutes. Finely chop artichoke hearts. Combine hearts, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, green beans and egg. Pour oil and garlic over mixture; stir well. Add ½ cup artichoke liquid. Add black pepper, to taste. Bake in greased casserole for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  

Almond Joy Cake

Brownie Base

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 ¼ cups self-rising flour

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 1/2 stick melted butter, cooled

3 beaten eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

Stir together sugar, flour and cocoa. By hand, mix in butter, eggs and vanilla. Pour into 10-inch greased, fluted tart pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Coconut Filling

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

Beat eggs in a microwavable bowl. Add sugar, vanilla, butter and coconut.  Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes, then stir. Microwave for 1 minute; stir. Repeat twice or until the mixture is thick. Let cool to room temperature.

Additional ingredients:

Cool Whip

Chocolate syrup

Slivered almonds, toasted

Bake Brownie Base, cool, and set on serving dish. Top with Coconut Filling, leaving ½ inch border of cake exposed. Mound Cool Whip in the center, leaving ½ inch border of filling exposed. Drizzle chocolate syrup back and forth over Cool Whip, Filling, and Base. Top Almond Joy Cake with toasted almonds. Serve within 2 hours or refrigerate until serving.

Cherry Pineapple Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 (8¾-ounce) can crushed pineapple

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 cup chopped maraschino cherries

Combine flour, brown sugar and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup crumb mixture; press remaining mixture on the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool slightly while preparing topping.

In saucepan, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in undrained pineapple and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat; stir in cherries. Spread evenly over baked layer. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture on top. Bake for 30 minutes more. Cool before