x
Breaking News
More () »

Meijer's simple holiday recipes featured on WTOL 11 Your Day

APPETIZERS Brie with Cranberries and Almonds Serves: 8-10 Ingredients: 1 (8 oz.) round Brie (or Camembert) 1 (6 oz.) pkg. dried cranberries (Craisins) 1 (3.5 oz.) pkg. sliced almonds 1 tsp. Meijer Almond
APPETIZERS
Brie with Cranberries and Almonds

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) round Brie (or Camembert)

1 (6 oz.) pkg. dried cranberries (Craisins)

1 (3.5 oz.) pkg. sliced almonds

1 tsp. Meijer Almond extract

1 Tbsp. water

1 loaf baguette, sliced thin

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove top ring of the cheese, leaving rind on sides and bottom in tact. Place cheese cup side up on baking tray or in Brie baker.

2. Combine cranberries and almonds in a small microwave-safe bowl. Add extract and water and mix well. Microwave about 20 seconds.

3. Pour cranberry mixture over brie.

4. Bake uncovered 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Cover to keep warm until serving.

5. While brie bakes, lay baguette slices on a baking sheet. Spray with pan spray and bake 5-6 minutes, until lightly toasted.

6. Serve warm brie with toasted baguette.

Cranberry Salsa

Serves: 10

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz.) can Meijer whole berry cranberry sauce

12 oz. Meijer salsa, drain excess liquid (try our Fresh salsa from the Meijer Deli case)

1 – 3 Tbsp. finely chopped Jalapeno pepper

Meijer multi-grain tortilla chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, empty cranberry sauce and mash slightly with spoon. Add salad and chopped jalapenos. Mix well. Chill and then serve with whole grain tortilla chips.

Roasted Grapes with Fennel and Arugula

Serves 18 (approximately)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. seedless red or black grapes

1/4 cup fennel seed

1/2 tsp. chili flakes

1 Tbsp. thyme

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup Meijer olive oil

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400oF. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together. Place on a large baking sheet and roast until soft and caramelized. Take out a let stand. Serve warm with flatbread bar.

Flatbread Bar:

2 fennel bulbs, sliced thin; reserve fennel fronds (small willowy leaves) for garnish.

1 bunch (or package) arugula, wash and pat dry, cut large pieces into strips

2 cups (about 12 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

2 pkg. toasted Naan or other flatbread, cut into 18 large wedges. (To toast, place bread on baking sheets in a single layer. Bake at 350oF for 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly browned and slightly crunchy.)

Recipe adapted from the "G" cookbook by The California Grape Commission.

Tangy Meatballs

Serves: 12-16

Ingredients:

1 large bag (4 lbs) Meijer fully cooked frozen meatballs, thawed

4 cups barbeque sauce

2 (14 oz.) cans Meijer cranberry sauce

Directions:

1. Add cranberry sauce and bbq sauce to a medium mixing bowl and blend well. Transfer sauce to a crockpot set to medium heat.

2. When sauce is warm add meatballs and gently mix to coat. Cover crockpot and continue heating until meatballs are heated through.

SWEET TREATS
Mini Lemon Tarts

1 (11.3 oz.) jar Lemon Curd (Robertson's brand, available in the International asile at Meijer)

2 (1.9 oz) packages Athens mini fillo shells (30 shells), thawed

Mint leaves; wash and pat dry

Fresh raspberries; wash and pat dry

Directions:

1. Spoon lemon curd into mini fillo shells.

2. Garnish with a mint leaf; top with a raspberry.

Elegant Eggnog Trifle

Serves 10

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups Meijer cold fat free or low fat milk

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Jell-O Vanilla Instant pudding

4 Tbsp. orange juice, divided

1/8 tsp. McCormick ground nutmeg

1 tub (8 oz.) Meijer frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (13.6 oz.) pkg. pound cake, cut into 1" cubes

1/4 cup Planters slivered almonds, toasted

3 cups hulled and halved strawberries (reserve 1/2 cup for garnish)

Directions:

1. Pour cold milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix, 2 Tbsp. orange juice and nutmeg. Whisk 1 minute until set. Gently stir in thawed whipped topping.

2. Sprinkle cubed pound cake with the remaining 2 Tbsp. orange juice.

3. In a trifle dish or large glass bowl, layer half of the cake, half of the strawberries, half of the almonds and half of the pudding mixture.

4. Repeat layers. Garnish with reserved strawberries and more almonds.

5. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe source: Kraft foods.

Deconstructed Pumpkin Pie

Makes about 60 pops.

Ingredients:

1 Meijer freshly baked pumpkin pie

20 cookie treat sticks (found in the baking pans and supplies aisle)

11 oz. paged of chocolate chips, melted

2-2oz. packages pecan pieces (or coconut, or baking sprinkles)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, crumble entire pumpkin pie and mix well. Shape into balls – about a 3 oz. portion (ping pong ball size). Place on a cookie sheet and freeze for about one-hour.

2. Roll to make balls uniform and insert cookie sticks. Place back into freezer until fully frozen, about 1 hour.

3. Gently melt chocolate chips and dip the "pops" into the melted chocolate and then into pecan pieces (or coconut, or sprinkles). Allow to sit on cookie sheet to harden. Refrigerate until serving.

Follow Meijer Chef Ray and Chef Jen on twitter @StepbyStepChef and facebook on Step by Step Chef.

Wine & Cheese Pairings

Wine Cheese

Chardonnay Asiago (Italian hard cow's milk)

Beaujolais Baby Bel (French soft cow's milk)

Asti Baby Swiss

Cabernet Sauvignon Blue Cheese, Gorgonzola, Roquefort & Stilton

Merlot Blue Cheese, Gorgonzola, Roquefort & Stilton

Champagne, Blanc de Blancs Brie (French cow's milk)

Or Rose, Red Bordeaux

Dry Sherry (esp. Manzanilla) Cabrales Blue Cheese (Spanish cow's milk )

Red Bordeaux, Brut Champagne , Moscato d'Asti President Camembert Rounds

California Sauvignon Blanc Chevre Goat Cheese (French)

Riesling, Champagne or Red Bordeaux Colby (American cow's milk)

Chardonnay, Riesling Cotija (Mexican aged cow's milk)

Champagne, Chardonnay, White Zinfandel Cream Cheese

Retsina, Chardonnay, Beaujolais, Merlot Feta (Greek sheep's milk)

Barbaresco, Barolo, Barbera, Pinot Grigio Fontina (Swedish cow's milk

Barolo, Amarone, Barbaresco, Sauternes Gorgonzola (Italian cow's milk blue)

German Riesling or Spatlese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gouda (Dutch cow's milk)

Chardonnay, White Burgundy

Dry Champagne, Blanc de Blancs, Gewurztraminer Gruyere (Swiss cow's milk)

Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc Havarti (Danish cow's milk)

Rioja, Sherry, Ribera del Duero Manchego (Spanish sheep's milk)

Zinfandel, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay Monterey Jack (American)

Sangiovese, Chianti, Orvieto, Chablis, Pinot Grigio Mozzarella (Italian fresh cow's milk)

Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sherry Muenster

Amarone, Barolo, Chianti, Barbaresco, Chardonnay Parmesan (Italian hard cow's milk)

Chianti Classico, Zinfandel, Brunello di Montalcino Pecorino (Italian sheep's milk)

Chardonnay, Chianti Classico or Riserva, Merlot,Shiraz Provolone (Italian cow's milk)

Chardonnay, Lambrusco, Sauvignon Blanc, Brachetto Ricotta (Italian cow's milk)

Merlot, Barbaresco, Sangiovese, Barbera, Nebbiolo Romano (Italia hard cow's milk)

Port Ruby or Tawny, Sauterenes, Riesling, Roquefort (French sheep's milk blue cheese)

Port Tawny, Sauternes, Madeira, Riesling late harvest Stilton (British cow's milk blue cheese)

Before You Leave, Check This Out