Of course, you can’t have a cocktail party without some wow-worthy holiday appetizer recipes. Start with a tray of Mini Cranberry Meatballs—sweet, tangy, and gone in a flash. Pair those with Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms, which are warm and savory with just the right pop of flavor. And for a touch of elegance, serve up Paula’s Walnut Praline Brie and Fruit Platter that features the most decadent sweet and crunchy topping—plus, it’s just plain pretty!

Now, for the sippers! Mix up a batch of Paula’s Christmas Martinis for a festive and fruity holiday cocktail recipe. Bonus—they look downright magical with a little sugar rim and a beautiful garnish of rosemary and cranberries. And if you prefer to serve up something cozy, a mug of Hot Buttered Rum will warm everyone right down to their boots.

Round out your Christmas cocktail party menu with a sweet bite or two. Paula’s Peppermint Pinwheels are as cute as they are tasty, and a tray of Old-Time Chocolate Fudge adds a nostalgic quality that we just adore this time of year.

Pull out your prettiest platters, light some candles, and crank up those carols. With this mix of finger foods and festive drinks plus plenty more options below, your holiday gathering will be the talk of the town. Happy holidays, y’all!

The post 20 Recipes for a Christmas Cocktail Party appeared first on Paula Deen.

Whether you’re a fan of the classic champagne toast or you’re looking for something a bit different, we’ve got you covered. For those who enjoy a bit of bubbly, you can’t go wrong with Paula’s New Year’s Eve Champagne Punch or her glitzy Startini champagne cocktail recipe with festive gold flakes.

For you cocktail connoisseurs, consider serving up The Lady & Sons’ Pecan Caramel Apple Martini or this Christmas Martini recipe, which is appropriate all holiday season long! Prefer something a little more classic? You can’t go wrong with a Hot Buttered Rum recipe or a traditional Eggnog recipe!

But not everyone (Paula included) needs an adult beverage in hand as they ring in the new year! Whether you’re looking to make something fun for the kids or you just don’t drink, this Not-Really-Champagne Cotton Candy Mocktail or Paula’s Rosemary Blood Orange Spritzer are both fabulously festive options.

And while taste is ever-important, let’s not forget the importance of presentation on a night like New Year’s Eve! Have fun with beautiful sugared rims, garnishes, edible glitter, and swizzle sticks to make them feel extra celebratory.

Now that we have our New Year’s Eve cocktail recipes and New Year’s Eve mocktail recipes sorted out, let’s raise our glasses and cheers to a new year full of joy, love, and adventure. Here’s wishing y’all a sparkling New Year’s Eve!

Cheers!

The post 15 New Year’s Eve Cocktails & Mocktails Recipes appeared first on Paula Deen.

Get out the good linens, light a few candles, and add an arrangement of flowers. Then prepare one recipe from each category (with the exception of the Valentine’s Dinner side dish recipes—you’ll want two to three from that one!), and you’ll have a fabulously romantic dinner for your special Valentine in no time.

Do you prefer to eat out or dine at home on Valentine’s Day? Let us know in the comments section. And, of course, we wish you a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

Appetizers:

Shrimp Crostini

Red Pepper Scallops

Grilled Oysters with Lemon Dill Sauce

Crab Cakes

Caprese Pinwheels

Main Courses:

Five-Star Filet Mignon Stuffed with Mushrooms & Onions

Whole Steamed Lobster

London Broil

Slow-Cooked Roast with Creamy Herb Sauce

Shrimp & Scallop Fraiche

Side Dishes:

Spinach Salad with a Hot Blackberry-Walnut Dressing

Brandied Steak-Side Mushrooms

Roasted Red Potatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette

Risotto Cakes

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Honey-Lemon Carrots

Green Bean Bundles with Bacon Vinaigrette

Creamed Spinach

Dessert:

Strawberry Cannoli Parfaits

Classic Chocolate Fondue

Chocolate-Covered Cherries

Chocolate Bread Pudding with Rum Toffee Sauce

Chocolate Brownie Shake

Drinks:

French Martini

Startini

Pimm’s Cup

Strawberry Fizz

Sweet Tea

The post A Mix & Match Valentine’s Day Menu appeared first on Paula Deen.

Follow our paper lanterns how-to and add some sparkle and decorative fun to your night.

The post How-To: Paper Lanterns appeared first on Paula Deen.

From appetizers to desserts and everything in-between, these easy Thanksgiving recipes will taste great—and make you look great while they’re at it. We promise—no one will know that you just threw these together before you walked out the door.

What will you be doing this Thanksgiving—staying home and relaxing or getting together with family? We’d love to hear your plans. Let us know in the comments below, won’t you? How ever you choose to spend it, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving!

The post Last-Minute Dishes to Bring to Thanksgiving Dinner appeared first on Paula Deen.

Pro-tip: Set a few options out at the beginning of the night, and as the party goes later into the evening, bring out a round of new appetizers to keep things interesting and your party guests in check!

Are you hosting a New Year’s Eve bash? Let us know how you’ll be celebrating (and what you’ll be serving) in the comments below!

Sweet and Mild Meatball Appetizers

Meatballs that are sweet, savory, and tasty—perfect for the New Year!

Pesto Cheese Blossoms

Tired of serving cubes of cheese at your parties? Try this pesto cheese blossom recipe, and your guests will be raving with delight.

Hot Tomato Tart Appetizers

A new twist on a classic tart recipe.

Fig Balsamic Blue Cheese Crostini

These are so simple to assemble, but make such a stunning presentation!

Cheese-Stuffed Mushrooms

An instant crowd favorite, you’ll want to be sure to make some extras!

Brie en Croute

Ooey, gooey brie wrapped inside a pastry—folks, it doesn’t get much better than that! Paula even has an air fryer version.

Bacon-Wrapped Breadsticks

A must-have at any New Year’s party. But don’t take our word for it, try them for yourself.

Shrimp Crostini

A true taste of the South on a little crostini, these are the perfect appetizer to be passed around at your next gathering.

The Heavyset Cheese Ball

Get a little artistic with this cheese ball!

Spinach-Gruyere Puff Pastry

Gruyere and spinach, a wonderful combination! You won’t believe how fast these will fly off your plates.

The post New Year’s Eve Party Appetizers appeared first on Paula Deen.

This recipe is perfect to prep on Christmas Eve and bake off in the morning! To get started, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 8 thick slices of country white bread, buttered and cubed
• 1 pound of loose pork breakfast sausage
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 1 cup yellow shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 7 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• Paula Deen’s Hot Sauce or a hot sauce of your choice

Once you have your ingredients gathered, use a non-stick cooking spray to grease an 8×8 glass baking dish.

Then, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 or 10 minutes. We like to use a wooden spoon to break the sausage up into medium-sized crumbles, but Paula always prefers larger chunks of meat in her soups and casseroles. Once it’s cooked, fold in the chopped sage.

While the sage is cooking, add the buttered and cubed bread to the baking dish, and then sprinkle the sage and sausage mixture over the bread, ensuring it is evenly distributed.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cayenne, dry mustard, and salt and pepper, whisking together to ensure it’s mixed well; then, pour this mixture over the bread and sausage. Now, just cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until morning.

On Christmas morning, simply preheat the oven to 350˚F, remove the plastic wrap from the casserole dish, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake it for about an hour, or until it’s hot and bubbly. We like to do this right as the kids are waking up to open presents so that it’s ready to go when the gift-opening festivities are done.

Now, serve it hot, and watch those eyes light up with delight all over again.

Merry Christmas, happy eating, and happy holidays from the whole Deen Team!

The post Paula’s Favorite Christmas Breakfast Casserole Recipe appeared first on Paula Deen.

While there are many recipes that can be made ahead (and we’ve supplied quite a few here in this blog), we know that sometimes it’s just helpful to have a little guidance on what kinds of recipes work best to make ahead and then either freeze or refrigerate, what parts of a recipe can be made ahead, and what would be best to leave until the day-of.

1. Make doughs ahead of time and freeze them, unbaked. We’re talking cookies, pie crusts, rolls, you name it. We recommend letting the dough thaw in the refrigerator before baking them in the oven. Want to save even more time? You can bake breads completely before serving, and just allow them to thaw prior to dinnertime.
2. Prep your fruits and veggies. This is often one of the most time-consuming and messy parts of cooking. Save yourself a little clean-up and a lot of time by chopping your fruits and veggies a couple days in advance.
3. Similar to the point above, chop or toast nuts ahead of time. Paula uses nuts in everything—dressings, desserts, salads, and sides. You can safely prep them ahead of time, and they’ll be just as flavorful when it comes time to use them! Just make sure they’re stored in an airtight container.
4. Make your soup, and freeze it. To maximize storage space in your freezer, put it in zip-top storage bags, and lay them flat in the freezer. Simply thaw in the refrigerator and then re-heat it on the stove top before serving.
5. Pre-make dips and dressings. We recommend assembling these a day or two before, popping them in the refrigerator, and baking them off the same day. Just skip the cheese until they’re ready for the oven.
6. Avoid freezing raw eggs or dairy. While sour cream, yogurt, and buttermilk should never be frozen, you technically can freeze milk; however, most experts advise against it to avoid a change in texture. This includes freshly whipped cream, as it won’t hold for long. And raw eggs? Don’t think about freezing them either. If you have a recipe that calls for eggs or dairy, we recommend assembling up to that point and freezing it, adding the eggs and dairy the day-of, or baking it off completely, saving the cheese topping for the day-of.
7. Let casseroles thaw in the refrigerator for a day or two, then bring to room temperature prior to baking. This speeds up the baking process, freeing up valuable oven time for other menu items. And while times and temps do vary, a good rule of thumb is to reheat casseroles at 325˚F or 350˚F for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are hot and bubbly.
8. And last, but certainly not least, make sure you have enough bakeware and serving ware ahead of time. After all, you don’t want to find yourself in a pickle on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day with no stores open. If possible, invest in some disposable aluminum bakeware so as not to tie up all yours in the freezer for the days or weeks leading up to Christmas.

Did we miss anything? Share your tips for prepping recipes ahead in the comments below. Happy prepping, y’all!

The post Make-Ahead Christmas Recipes appeared first on Paula Deen.

Christmas appetizers work perfectly, as most guests prefer to graze on snacks rather than eat a big sit-down meal due to the vast number of soirees they have to attend! So for your event, consider Christmas party appetizer recipes, like Paula’s Salmon Dip, Air Fryer Fried Ravioli, and Mini Cranberry Meatballs. Plus, she has more easy Christmas appetizers, like her Sugar-and-Nut Glazed Brie, which is fabulous served with some fancy crackers and fruit, and her popular Bacon Pinwheels.

Even without a big feast, your guests and loved ones will eat well with a little help from Paula’s Christmas party appetizers! Will you be making any of these for your holiday gatherings? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Festive Party Starters: 9 Christmas Appetizer Recipes appeared first on Paula Deen.

First, be sure to buy proper storing containers and zip top baggies. These will be helpful for your own storing purposes and also for packing up leftovers for your guests to take home.

Freeze, freeze, and freeze! Freezing food is a perfect way to preserve your holiday leftovers. And, you’ll be so happy on a busy day down the road when you remember you have a ready-to-go meal in the freezer. Use these tips for keeping your frozen foods safe and fresh:

1. Be sure to freeze in an airtight container or wrapping to prevent freezer burn. Zip-top freezer bags are the best, but be sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible before sealing.
2. Cool food completely before freezing. Begin the cooling processes on the counter, and then finish it in the refrigerator before freezing. Do not leave food at room temp longer than 2 hours.
3. Freeze in small portions for quick defrost.
4. Freeze within 3 days of cooking.
5. Don’t keep frozen meats or gravy longer than 4 months.
6. Re-heat frozen pie in a 350-degree oven while still frozen for about 20-25 minutes.
7. Defrost food in the refrigerator, microwave or a cold-water bath (in a sealed zip-top bag). If using cold water bath, change water every 30 minutes to keep it cold.

Make soups and stocks. Leftover turkey carcasses and vegetables make wonderful homemade stocks, which freeze well for a rainy day. Try one of these delicious soups to use up your leftover ham or turkey:
Turkey Minestrone
Yellow Squash and Ham Soup
Senate Bean Soup
Butter Bean Soup
Sweet Potato Date Soup

Make breakfast or lunch for all of your house guests. Everyone knows the leftover Thanksgiving sandwich is almost better than the meal itself! Fill your friends and family up with one of these next-day recipes:
Turkey Hash
Turkey Cranberry Monte Cristo
Turkey Pot Pie
Gobbler Cobbler Pie
Smashed Potato Pancakes
Ham Salad
Hungry Brothers Biscuits
Potato Casserole

Donate! And lastly, remember those less fortunate in your community. Donate leftover canned food and non-perishable items to a food pantry in your area. Or, make up a plate of food and deliver it to an elderly person in your neighborhood.

The post Leftover Thanksgiving Recipes and Ideas appeared first on Paula Deen.