Southern Treats for Your Holiday Feast

The story below is from our November/December 2019 issue. For the full issue Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!

Photos By Ashley Cuoco

Prepare and share these festive recipes with friends and family this holiday season.

During the hustle and bustle of the holidays there is always one thing we can count on: People want to eat good food and plenty of it! We southern cooks are always prepared with creative recipes that impress our guests. 

How do we do it? We share our recipes that are full of sugar, spice and everything nice! Here are some of my favorite holiday recipes that I am so happy to share with you:

I serve this green bean recipe at every holiday gathering and always get requests for the recipe. 

Parmesan Prosciutto Green Beans

  8-10 servings

• 11/2 pounds fresh green beans
• 3 ounces prosciutto (I use the packaged Boar’s Head brand. Deli-sliced prosciutto may not fry very well)
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup shaved Parmesan
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 stick butter, cut into small pats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wash green beans and remove stems. Place in large pot of boiling water (no need to add salt since this recipe has lots of salty ingredients).  Cook beans until they are just tender.  Drain and set aside.

Place oil in a frying pan and place over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, place prosciutto slices in the pan and fry, turning once, until prosciutto is crispy. Remove slices from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

In a bowl, combine parmesan and panko bread crumbs.  Place green beans in a baking dish and sprinkle with panko bread crumb mixture, toss to combine.  Dot the green beans with the butter pats. Crumble the prosciutto and sprinkle it over the green beans. Place green beans in oven and bake for 30 minutes. 

Sweet and Spicy Bourbon Cashews

• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 8½ ounce can lightly salted whole cashews
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt + ½ teaspoon salt to sprinkle over cashews after baking
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk egg white until frothy. Then whisk in the bourbon. Stir in cashews, mixing until moistened.

In a separate small bowl, mix together sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, cayenne pepper and lemon juice until combined. Sprinkle over moistened nuts, stir to combine and spread onto pan.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Watch carefully so the cashews do not burn.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and stir. Allow to cool before serving. Store cashews in mason jars or tightly covered container. 

Marinated Cocktail Shrimp

These delicious cocktail shrimp can be served as an appetizer or side dish. 

  6 servings

• 16 ounces frozen raw extra-large peeled and deveined shrimp, tails removed (thaw following package directions)
• 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning for cooking water + ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning to season shrimp
• ¼ cup non-pareil capers
• 1 small red onion, cut in half and sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 1 small lemon, cut in half and sliced thin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon medium PERi-PERi sauce (South African hot pepper sauce)
• Cocktail and/or remoulade sauce for serving

Fill a 6 quart stockpot half full of water and add 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat.  

Place shrimp in boiling water and cook until the shrimp are pink and opaque (about 4-6 minutes), being careful not to overcook the shrimp. Remove shrimp from pot and place in a mixing bowl. 

Add the capers, red onion, olive oil, dill, lemon, salt, ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning and PERi-PERi sauce. Stir to combine all ingredients. 

Cover and place in refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Serve chilled with cocktail and/or remoulade sauce.

Cherry Fig Chutney

Inspired by David Lebovitz’s fig chutney recipe.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup finely diced red onion
• 1½ tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Juice and zest of one lemon
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup dried cherries
• 11/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch red pepper powder
• 4 tablespoons orange liqueur (I like La Belle Orange Liqueur for this recipe)
• 24 fresh figs, stemmed and diced

Serve as condiment for holiday turkey or ham.  Appetizer suggestion:  Serve with Brie cheese or your favorite triple crème cheese and Fine Cheese Company Lemon and Sea Salt crackers – available at Fresh Market. 

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add the onions and cook until translucent, which will take about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the remaining ingredients, except for the figs. Let cook at a low simmer for 20 minutes, then add the figs, cover the pot and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the figs are tender and cooked through.

Remove the lid and cook 10 to 15 minutes over low heat, stirring, until the mixture thickens and becomes jam-like. 

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