By Sydney Brown

With Thanksgiving having just passed, we are firmly in the midst of the holiday season. This is the time where many families and friends gather and use the holidays as an excuse to eat copious amounts of food. I reached out to some of the teachers and admin at Apex High School to bring you some of their favorite holiday recipes. 

Sides

Mac and cheese was a side suggested by both Mrs. Hoffman and Ms. Overdiep. Mrs. Hoffman offered the Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese by Trisha Yearwood while Ms. Overdiep sent in Mueller’s baked Macaroni and Cheese. Whether you’re willing to wait or more impatient (like me) either of these recipes will be a delicious add on to your menu. 

A new recipe that could be introduced to your friends and family are the Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms by Ina Garten. Sent in by Mrs. Munger, this dish is different from most dishes commonly eaten during the holiday season, but could easily become a staple. Mushrooms, sausage, scallions all come together to create a savory bite that will disappear in seconds.

Mr. Oltmans sang the praises of his wife’s Sweet Potato Casserole. No matter how you feel about sweet potatoes, he’s convinced that this recipe will leave you reaching for more and more.

Mr. Summers was more than ready to share the Official Frable Family Sausage Stuffing, a meal that’s been his favorite for as long as he can remember. Another stuffing recipe is Mr. Zies’ Mom’s Stuffing. This recipe also incorporates sausage into the stuffing and uses the Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing mix. Both recipes are a twist on the traditional stuffing recipe, and will be fantastic to eat alongside the many other sides at the table. 

Dessert

Of course, no meal is complete without some form of dessert. 

Mrs. Fackler-Bretz sent in her Peanut Butter-Chocolate Banana Cream Pie. She said she typically makes it for Easter, but gets requests for it year-round. As the name suggests, this pie has creamy peanut butter, semi-sweet chocolate, and only two bananas. With a whipped topping and vanilla pudding, this dessert is sure to garner many fans at the dinner table.

Following the peanut butter theme, Mrs. Hofmann suggested these Peanut Butter-Chocolate No-Bake Cookies. They’re easy enough for even the worst baker to make and it won’t take long for them to be ready to eat. 

While peanut butter and chocolate is a popular combination, my favorite desserts almost always include apples of some form. Mr. Brown, our new assistant principal, recommends Apple Dumplings.  It uses Granny Smith Apples and crescent dough, along with brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla to create the perfect dessert for a cold winter night.  

Last but not least, Mrs. Summers sent in the recipe for Vonney’s Sugar Cookies. Sugar cookies are a classic dessert for any event, and can be made even outside of the holidays. They’re fun to make with your friends and family and can be made into any shape or design that you want.