Midwest Living Holiday Cookbook 2003

A warm brown-sugar sauce tops chocolate-studded bread pudding for a rich special-occasion dessert.

Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

An easy-to-use frozen spinach souffle makes this quiche's eggy-sausage filling easy to prepare. The recipe is from the Goldmoor Inn near Galena, Illinois.

Spinach Quiche a la Goldmoor

The irresistible combination of Cajun andouille sausage and bacon bump up the flavor of this home-style breakfast dish. A cast-iron skillet browns it best.

Lumbercamp Falls Skillet

Raisins dot the sauce and plump up as they're heated in this easy ham topper. Start with a spiral-sliced ham, and be sure to plan on leftovers to use in sandwiches and soups.

Baked Holiday Spiral Ham with Raisin Sauce

This recipe comes from the restaurant at the Desoto House Hotel in Galena, Illinois. Serve the main dish with your favorite white or blush wine.

Mediterranean Stuffed Breast of Chicken

Dish up this colorful main-dish soup with just half an hour of prep time and 20 minutes of simmering. The recipe comes from a Bayfield, Wisconsin, restaurant.

Chef Bill's Beef-Barley Soup

Wild rice and lake whitefish add a North Woods taste to this creamy soup. Serve with crusty bread.

Wild Rice and Fish Chowder

Roasted red sweet peppers fleck this dip with a festive crimson touch. Serve the warm, cheese-filled appetizer with bread or pita wedges, or some water crackers.

Hot Artichoke and Asiago Cheese Dip

This tall layer cake, with a medley of flavors from nuts, fruit and spices, comes from the kitchens of Silver Dollar City theme park near Branson, Missouri. Add a sprinkling of pecans on top for even more crunch.

Hummingbird Cake

The recipe for these spiced cutout cookies comes from the Goldmoor Inn near Galena, Illinois. Decorate with Royal Icing. While the cookies are still warm, make a small hole in the top for a satin ribbon, which lets you use the cookie an ornament or gift.

Gingerbread Man Cookies

The bubbly refresher is our version of a popular yuletide sipper that sparkles at Marshall Field's Oak Grill in Minneapolis.

Poinsettia Mimosas

Caramel and pecans form a gooey base for this chocolate dream pie. Make this decadent pie at least a day ahead so it has plenty of time to chill before guests arrive.

Caramel-Pecan French Silk Pie

Guests at the Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, Wisconsin, indulge in this nut-topped dessert.

Praline Crusted Cheesecake

This creamy, rich dessert comes from Courtright's Restaurant in Willow Springs, Illinois. Although the restaurant puts a solid crust of caramelized sugar on its creme brulee, we made it easier for you and drizzled it on.

Pumpkin Spice Creme Brulee

Dried cranberries and toasted walnuts accent this elegant fruit salad from Courtright's Restaurant in Willow Springs, Illinois. Finish the plate with brie cheese that's coated with bread crumbs.

Champagne-Poached Pear Salad

If your holiday diners are in the mood for beef, try this marinated flank steak with rich mushroom sauce. The recipe comes from Camp Ticonderoga in Troy, Michigan, where the cathedral ceiling, cobblestone fireplaces and wood floors remind visitors of an early 1900s Adirondack lodge.

Montana Broil

Here's a refreshing holiday salsa from Mackinnon's Restaurant and Gourmet Catering in Northville, Michigan. Serve the pear and veggie mixture with blue corn chips.

Autumn Fruit Salsa

Mint, limejuice, rum and honey bathe this fruit mixture in fresh flavors.

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey-Rum Dressing

Pumpkin blends with spices such as ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in fragrant Pumpkin-Currant Scones from Cafe Latte at Victoria Crossing in Saint Paul. Another holiday bread your guests will love: Best Potato Rolls from Lucia's Restaurant in Minneapolis. Our recipe for the potato rolls also gives a variation for Garlic and Rosemary Knots.

Pumpkin-Currant Scones

Best Potato Rolls

For this moist roast bird, we borrowed a couple of tricks from Cincinnati, Ohio, chef Paul Sturkey: basting with butter and cooking with broth in the pan. Serve with Paul's Cranberry-Pear Chutney (next slide).

Holiday Turkey

This delicious sweet-and-sour relish sparkles with the flavor of fresh cranberries and Asian pears. Make it up to five days ahead of your meal.

Cranberry-Pear Chutney

Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Marshmallows

Honey Pecan Salad Dressing

Cream of Parsnip Soup

Smoked Trout Cheesecake

Spicy Candied Pecans

Holiday Wassail

Fried Biscuits