Santa's Spuds in a Blanket

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 teaspoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
12 slices bacon
48 extra-crispy tater tots*

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a cooling rack on top of baking sheet.
2. In a small bowl, combine ketchup, barbecue sauce, and brown sugar. Brush both sides of bacon with ketchup mixture. Cut each slice of bacon in half crosswise and then in half lengthwise to make 4 pieces. Wrap each prepared piece of bacon around a tater tot and place, seam-side down, on rack. Brush tops of prepared tater tots with remaining ketchup mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until bacon is crisp.
*For testing purposes, we used Ore-Ida Extra Crispy Tater Tots.

Christmas Morning Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate morsels
Strawberry syrup

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, and eggs. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring to combine well. Stir in chocolate morsels. Spray a nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat. Spoon batter, in batches, by 1/4 cupfuls onto skillet. Cook for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with strawberry syrup, if desired.

Joy Juice

Makes about 3 1/2 quarts

Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
4 cups pineapple juice
4 cups apple juice
2 (11.3-ounce) cans strawberry-banana-flavored nectar*
2 cups water
Garnish: cubed apple, cubed orange

Directions:
1. In a large pitcher, combine orange juice concentrate, pineapple juice, apple juice, strawberry-banana nectar, and water, stirring to combine well. Cover, and chill. Serve chilled or over ice. Garnish with apples and oranges, if desired.
*For testing purposes, we used Jumex strawberry-banana nectar.

Jingle Bell Breakfast Scramble

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
12 large eggs
1 1/2 cups grated mild Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add ham and bell peppers; cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender,
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, cheese, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture into pan; cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until set. Serve immediately.

Frosty's Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh orange juice
6 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ripe bananas, sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
2 Red Delicious apples, cored and diced
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 cups halved seedless green grapes

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine orange juice, brown sugar, honey, and cinnamon stirring until sugar is dissolved; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine bananas. apples, strawberries, and grapes. Pour orange juice mixture over fruit, tossing gently to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

French Onlon Beef Stew

ACTIVE: 10 MIN - TOTAL: 5 HR 10 MIN OR 8 HR 10 MN - SERVES 4

Ingredients:
8 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 tsp leaves
1 14.5-oz. can low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup apple juice
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-in. pieces
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lb lean beef stew meat, trimmed and cut into 1/2-in. pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 thick slices country bread
4 oz Gruyére or Swiss cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

Directions:
1. Tie a piece of thread or kitchen twine around the thyme sprigs and place them in a 5- to 6-qt slow cooker. Add the chicken broth, apple juice. carrots and onions and mix to combine.
2. Season the beef with 7»: tsp each salt and pepper; sprinkle with the flour. Add the beef and any excess flour to the slow cooker and mix to combine. Cook. covered. until the beef and vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.
3.When the stew has 10 minutes left to cook, heat the broiler. Place the bread on a foil-lined broiler-proof baking sheet. Sprinkle with the cheese and remaining tsp thyme. Broil until the cheese starts to brown. 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon the stew into bowls and top with the Gruyére toasts.

Chicken Potpie Soup

MAKES 8 CUPS; SERVES 6 - ACTIVE: 15 MIN TOTAL: 48 MIN

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter
1 leek, white and light green part only, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium parsnip, diced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1/4 cup four
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3-02 box of 2), thawed as package directs
4 oz fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-in. pieces

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Melt butter in a 5-qt pot. Add leek, carrots, parsnips and celery. Saute 5 minutes or until softened slightly. Add flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
3. Stir in broth. Add chicken, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. cover and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, unfold puff pastry on a cutting board. Cut along folds in dough and then quarter crosswise to make 12 rectangles. Place rectangles an ungreased baking sheet
5, Bake 12 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Let cool.
6, Remove cooked chicken to a plate to cool slightty. Add green beans to simmering soup; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Remove soup from heat.
7. As the green beans cook, shred chicken with fingers or two forks. Add to soup. Top with puff pastry or serve it on the side.