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True Blue Holiday Cookbook

True Blue Holiday Cookbook

GATA Buffalo Dip – Get After That App-etizer

Recipe Courtesy of: Jennifer Lewis (‘08,’10)

Servings: 10 – 12

Prep time: 3 hours

Cook time: 2 – 3 days

Ingredients:

  • 8 boneless skinless chicken breast
  • Two blocks of cream cheese
  • 36 oz of ranch dressing
  • 1-2 lbs of shredded cheddar
  • 24 fl oz of buffalo sauce

Directions:

  1. In a crockpot, cook boneless chicken breast until cooked through. Shred chicken in the crockpot. (Save time and cook ahead or use a rotisserie chicken shredded).
  2. Add in the buffalo sauce, cream cheese, ranch, and shredded cheese.
  3. Cook on high and stir occasionally.
  4. Serve with chips while yelling “Hail Southern!”

Low Country Marinated Shrimp

Recipe Courtesy of: Susan Warren Cox (‘75)

Servings: 8

Prep time: 30 minutes

Marinate: 2 – 3 days

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs deveined, cooked, peeled shrimp
  • 2 large white onions, sliced thin
  • Small jar of capers
  • 1 lemon, sliced thin

Marinade

  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp tarragon vinegar
  • Juice of 3 lemons
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp dry mustard
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp pickling spices (can be tied in cheesecloth or not)
  • Red pepper flakes

Directions:

  1. Slice onions.
  2. Prepare marinade.
  3. In large jar with tight-fitting lid, layer shrimp, onions, lemon slices, and capers.
  4. Pour marinade over mixture.
  5. Turn jar upside down.
  6. Turn jar at least daily for 2-3 days until shrimp are pickled.

Ham & Cheese Sliders

Recipe Courtesy of: Amber Deas (‘24)

Servings: 6

Prep time: 15 – 20 minutes

Cook time: 5 – 7 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 twelve pack of sweet hawaiian rolls
  • 1 nine oz package of honey ham
  • 6 – 7 slices of cheddar cheese
  • 4 – 5 tbsp of garlic & herb butter

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Without separating the rolls, cut the whole pack in half horizontally, so you have a top and bottom section.
  3. Place the bottom half of the rolls in a baking dish.
  4. Layer the ham evenly over the rolls, then add the cheese slices on top.
  5. Place the top half of the rolls back on.
  6. Soften the garlic & herb butter in the microwave for a few seconds until spreadable or melted.
  7. Brush the tops of the rolls with the softened butter.
  8. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden.
  9. Slice and serve warm.

Chicken Ranch Dip

Recipe Courtesy of: Heather Hood Johnson (‘97)

Servings: Varies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: None

Ingredients:

  • 1 large can white meat chicken (drained)
  • 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing/Dip
  • 1 block cream cheese (softened)

Directions:

  1. Drain can chicken.
  2. Soften cream cheese.
  3. Place ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir together with spoon or electric mixer.
  4. Serve with your favorite cracker, Fritos, or chips.

Cranberry Fluff

Recipe Courtesy of: Heather Hood Johnson (‘97)

Servings: Varies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: None

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups raw cranberries (ground)
  • 3 cups miniature marshmallows
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 cups seedless green grapes (halved)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

  1. Combine cranberries, marshmallows, sugar. Chill overnight.
  2. Next morning, add remaining ingredients – except cream.
  3. Whip the cream into stiff peaks and mix.
  4. Spoon into serving bowl. Chill and serve!

This is a Reid family favorite! Holidays are not the same without Cranberry Fluff!

Nannies Pineapple Casserole

Recipe Courtesy of: Nancy Christofferson (‘15)

Servings: 10 – 12

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 – 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 20oz cans crushed unsweet pineapple, drained
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheese
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1 stack Ritz crackers, coarsely crushed

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the first 4 ingredients until nicely incorporated and pour all into a 2 quart casserole dish.
  2. In a separate medium bowl, crumble the Ritz crackers and pour over the melted butter, toss to coat well and cover top of casserole with cracker mix.
  3. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until golden brown

Christmas Morning Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Recipe Courtesy of: Erika Witcher Simpson (‘04, ’20)

Servings: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 1 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips (my favorite are milk chocolate chips)

Directions:

  1. Separate the egg whites and egg yolks in separate bowls.
  2. Whip the whites of the eggs until you have stiff peaks.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl.
  4. Incorporate the liquid ingredients with the dry ingredients.
  5. Mix in the egg yolks with liquid and dry mixture.
  6. Fold in the egg whites with the rest of the batter.
  7. Mix in the chocolate chips.
  8. Heat a lightly greased griddle or non-stick pan to medium heat.
  9. Pour 1/3 cup of the batter on the heated cooktop.
  10. Flip the pancake over when you see large bubbles form on the pancake.
  11. Cook until golden brown.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

Recipe Courtesy of: Katie Cravey (‘22)

Servings: 10 Slices

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 75 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 sticks Land o Lakes salted butter
  • 1 (8oz) sour cream
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 eggs (brown yard eggs work best)
  • 3 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

  1. Grease and flour tube pan.
  2. Cream butter, sugar and sour cream. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
  3. Add vanilla.
  4. Combine flour and salt. Add to butter mixture.
  5. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until brown.
  6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and enjoy!

Chocolate Rum Cake

Recipe Courtesy of: Erika Witcher Simpson (‘04, ’20)

Servings: 12

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 50 – 60 minutes

Ingredients:

Cake Batter

  • 1 package chocolate cake mix
  • 1 – 3.9 ounce package of instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup gold rum
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Rum Glaze

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup gold rum
  • 1/4 cup water

Directions:

Cake Batter

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Grease a Bundt pan.
  3. Place chopped pecans at the bottom of the Bundt pan.
  4. Beat the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 cup rum.
  5. Pour the batter into greased Bundt pan over the top of the pecans.
  6. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Rum Glaze

  1. When the cake is out of the over, start on the rum glaze.
  2. In a small sauce pan, combine the butter, white sugar, and water.
  3. Bring mixture to a rolling boil for 2 minutes.
  4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour in the rum.
  5. While the cake is still warm and in the Bundt pan, pour the glaze over the cake.
  6. Let sit until cool and then flip the cake onto a plate for serving.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie

Recipe Courtesy of: Erika Witcher Simpson (‘04, ’20)

Servings: 8 Slices

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: None

Ingredients:

  • 1 can blueberry pie filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 Graham cracker pie crust

Directions:

  1. Beat together the cream cheese, lemon juice, and condensed milk until smooth.
  2. Pour into pie crust.
  3. Gentle pour the canned blueberries on top.
  4. Chill for an hour.