For many, the holidays are synonymous with stuffing our guts with delicious, home-baked goods.

At Banfield, it’s no different — which is why we’ve put together our favourite recipes to enjoy over the holiday season!

Main Dishes

Savoury centrepieces for your holiday feast!

Vegetables Wellington

“I look forward to my Dad’s grand vegan Christmas feast throughout the entire year. A few years ago, he made this absolute gem that I still think about to this day. Enjoy!” — Katrin Emery

1. Roasted Carrots

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb small carrots (or large carrots quartered and cut into 4-inch sticks, scrubbed but unpeeled)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Adjust oven rack center position and preheat oven to 400°F.

Place carrots in a large skillet and cover with cold water. Season gently with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until carrots are tender and water has mostly evaporated (if there’s still lots of water left after the carrots are fully tender, drain).

Season cooked carrots with salt and pepper. Add thyme sprigs to pan, drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil, toss to coat, and transfer to oven.

Roast, turning occasionally, until carrots are lightly caramelized and wrinkled in appearance, about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, discard thyme, and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

2. Mushroom Duxelles

Ingredients

• 12 oz cremini mushroom, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ¼ cup bourbon
• 1 cup Japanese-style breadcumbs
• 1 recipe Smoked Mushroom Bacon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• ¼ cup minced fresh tarragon leaves
• ¼ cup minced fresh chives
• ¼ cup minced fresh chervil leaves (optional)

Directions

Place mushrooms in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides with a rubber spatula as necessary, 8 to 10 short pulses.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until moisture has evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, about 12 minutes.

Add shallots and garlic and cook, tossing and stirring, until fragrant and softened, about 1 minute.

Add soy sauce and bourbon and cook until almost dry, about 2 minutes. Add breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a bowl.

In a small bowl, toss bacon mushrooms with maple syrup until thoroughly coated. Roughly chop mixture and add to bowl with duxelles. Add half of parsley, tarragon, chives, and chervil and fold mixture together until homogenous.

Season generously with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Cashew-Bean Mixture

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw cashews
• 1 quart Hearty Vegetable Stock
• 1 (15-oz) can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, caps only, thinly sliced
• 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
• ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Directions

Place cashews in a medium saucepan and add stock. Season very lightly with salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has almost completely evaporated, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer cashews to the work bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides with a rubber spatula as necessary, 8 to 10 short pulses. Transfer to a large bowl.

Spread beans on a foil or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. Transfer to oven and roast, stirring occasionally, until beans are mostly split open and outer skins are beginning to get crunchy, about 35 minutes. Transfer mixture to the work bowl of a food processor and set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425°F.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shiitake mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until moisture evaporates and mushrooms are beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Add leeks and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper and add to food processor work bowl.

Process dried beans and mushroom mixture until roughly chopped, scraping down sides with a rubber spatula as necessary, 8 to 10 short pulses. Transfer to bowl with cashews. Transfer sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds to work bowl of the food processor and pulse until roughly chopped, scraping down sides with a rubber spatula as necessary, 8 to 10 short pulses. Transfer bowl with bean/cashew mixture.

Add remaining parsley, tarragon, chives, and chervil to mixture and fold together. Season generously with salt and pepper.

4. Assembly

Ingredients

• 1 (1 lb) package frozen phyllo dough, thawed)
• Extra-virgin olive oil as needed
• Coarse sea salt

Directions

Lay a single sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface and brush with olive oil. (Make sure to keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap to avoid drying out). Layer with about 1 1/2 cup bean/cashew mixture, leaving a 2-inch border all around.

Roll the phyllo and stuffing up like a burrito, tucking in the sides about halfway through rolling. Set the cigar-shaped roll aside.

Lay a clean sheet of phyllo on your work surface and brush with olive oil. Lay two more sheets on top, brushing each with olive oil as you layer them.

Spread half of mushroom duxelles evenly over bottom two thirds of phyllo sheet, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Lay roasted carrots in even, parallel rows in the mushrooms and cover with remaining mushrooms, pressing down with clean hands to form an even layer. Place the cigar-shaped phyllo roll on top of the carrots and mushrooms.

Roll the phyllo sheet up into a tight cylinder and set aside.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with a large piece of parchment paper and place remaining bean/cashew mixture on top of it in a rough 8-inch by 3-inch row. Lay a second sheet of parchment paper on top, followed by a second rimmed baking sheet. Press down firmly all over the baking sheet to spread mixture into a thin, even layer that will roughly fit on a piece of phyllo dough leaving a 2-inch border all around.

Remove top baking sheet and top layer of parchment paper. Place a single layer of phyllo dough on top.

Brush with olive oil, add another sheet of phyllo, and repeat, adding a total of 5 to 6 layers of phyllo and oil (do not oil final sheet of phyllo) Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of last phyllo sheet, place the second baking sheet on top, and holding both baking sheets together, invert the stack.

Remove the top baking sheet and the top parchment. You should now have 6 layers of phyllo with a thin, even layer of bean/cashew mixture on top.

Place the existing carrot/mushroom roll on top and roll up to secure. Set aside. Lay out a fresh sheet of phyllo and brush with olive oil. Place roll on top and roll up. Repeat, adding more layers of phyllo and olive oil until all of the phyllo is used up. Transfer roll, seam-side down, to a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Brush with more olive oil, sprinkle with coarse sea salt, and score gently with a sharp paring knife at 1-inch intervals all the way across the top.

Bake until golden brown, crisp, and puffed, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.

5. Gravy

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 quart Hearty Vegetable Stock
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Directions

While roast is baking, make the gravy. Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil and flour in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk until flour is nutty brown, about 3 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in stock.

Add soy sauce, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until thickened and reduced to 3 cups, about 20 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and lots of black pepper.

To serve, trim ends off of roast and discard. Carve roast at table, passing gravy alongside.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

“The smell of these warm and flavourful meatballs simmering in the house will surely bring out the holiday spirit! They’re much better if you make them a day ahead and let them sit in the fridge to absorb the flavor of the sauce.” — Amanda Garlough

1. Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 lb hamburg
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• 1 onion, minced fine

Directions

Mix all ingredients well, until mushy. Form small meatballs.

Bake in 500 degree F oven for 7 minutes.

2. Sauce

Ingredients

• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup dry red wine
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

Mix ingredients in large Dutch Oven. Boil for 5 minutes on high.

Add cooked meatballs to boiled sauce. Simmer on low for at least 60 minutes.

Desserts

For those with a sweet tooth!

Holiday Tarts

“The recipe for these amazing tarts has been passed down for 5 generations. Unique and delicious, they will be a hit at your holiday gatherings!” — Amanda Garlough

 Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 375 ml sugar
• 250 ml crushed pineapple
• 250 ml walnuts
• 125 ml butter
• 5 ml vanilla
• 250 ml raisins
• 36 tart shells (or pie crust for 2 double pies)
• 36 maraschino cherries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)

Combine eggs, sugar, pineapple, walnuts, butter, vanilla and raisins in a large bowl.  Mix well.

Roll out piecrust and cut out rounds with the rim of a coffee can.

Fit pastry into greased muffin tins.

Spoon filling to 2/3 full and top with a cherry.

Bake 20 to 30 minutes until crust is browned.  Serve warm with ice cream.

Makes about 3 dozen tarts.

Mini Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins

“Every! Christmas! Morning!” — Liz Jackson

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup melted butter
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 (6 oz) package butterscotch chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.

Sift together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, butter, and pumpkin in a separate bowl. Mix the flour mixture with the egg mixture. Stir in the butterscotch chips; pour into each cup of the muffin pan to about 3/4 full.

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 48 servings.

Cranberry Lemon Muffins

“These delicious muffins are fluffy and packed with sweet and tangy flavor. Swap to orange zest and add a little clove (1/8 teaspoon) to make these even more of a holiday treat.” — Amanda Garlough

 Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup cranberries, halved
• 1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds (optional)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Mix lemon juice and milk in a measuring cup, to sour milk; beat eggs, oil, and milk mixture in a bowl. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened; fold in cranberries.

Fill prepared muffin cups two-thirds full. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

Chewy Peanut Bars

“Ever since I can remember, my Grandma has been making my family these delicious Chewy Peanut Bars for Christmas. Enjoy!” — Jessica Harris

Ingredients

• ¾ cup honey (liquid)
• 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 10 large marshmallows
• 3 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped

Directions

Butter a 9×13 oblong pan.

Combine honey and peanut butter in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until just boiling, stirring occasionally then remove saucepan from heat.

Add the chips and the marshmallows. Stir until melted.

Add the rice cereal and peanuts.  Grease hands slightly (with butter). Pack peanut mixture into pan. Press firmly and evenly.

Cool in refrigerator. Cut into squares.

Pecan Crescent Cookies

“Simple yet irresistible, these butter cookies have a great texture and unique shape that immediately gets them noticed at the dessert table of any holiday gathering!” — Ashley Law

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• Confectioners’ sugar

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour. Stir in pecans.

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 2 ½-inch logs and shape into crescents. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 325° for 20-22 minutes or until set and bottoms are lightly browned.

Let stand for 2-3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Makes approx. 6 dozen cookies.

Shreddie Clusters

“Quick and easy to prepare, these Shreddie Clusters are so delicious that I can almost guarantee they will be the first snack to disappear on the table!” — Jessica Harris

 Ingredients

• 1 (6 oz) package semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups Nabisco Shreddies
• ½ cup chopped nuts

Directions

Melt chocolate chips, corn syrup, and butter in a saucepan, stirring until smooth.

Add Shreddies and nuts, stirring until coated.

Drop and shape into small clusters a spoonful at a time onto aluminum foil sheet.

Refrigerate until set.

Makes 2 ½ to 3 dozen clusters.

Bonus Dishes

These don’t require an oven, but are simply too good to pass up!

Sauerkraut Balls

“An acquired task, but one that will quickly become a family favourite!” — Lynn Bereza

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons margarine
• 1 chopped onion
• 1-1/3 cups chopped ham
• ½ clove garlic
• 4 tablespoons flour
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 3 cups sauerkraut drained and chopped (if strong rinse)
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Directions

Melt margarine —brown onion, add ham and garlic. Brown or heat together then stir in flour and cook a few minutes more.

Add broth, sauerkraut and parsley. Cook slowly to form a thick paste.

 Chill until very cold. Form into balls. Roll in flour, egg, milk and breadcrumbs.

Deep fry in very hot oil.

Conclusion

From our #BanFam to your fam, we wish you a safe and happy holiday!