Midwest Living Holiday Cookbook 2009

Turkey dominates the menu at the Strongbow Inn in Valparaiso, Indiana. Use turkey leftovers in their meaty turkey pie recipe. Light eaters might prefer to split a pie.

Strongbow Turkey Pie

Whether you're looking to tweak your favorite dressing or create a new tradition, Mix and Match Bread Dressing meets the challenge. Start with the basic recipe, then try one of the blends shown at left or craft a custom version.

-- Top right: Whole wheat bread anchors a mix of sweet potato, celery, almonds, apricots and sage.

-- Left: Wild rice stands in for bread in this dressing studded with button mushrooms, celery, bacon, pecans, golden raisins and thyme.

-- Bottom right: Sourdough bread cubes blend with cooked bulk Italian sausage, celery, dried cranberries, pine nuts and rosemary.

More holiday side dishes: Minnesota wild rice and pecans fill Wild Rice, Barley and Dried Cherry Pilaf with crunchy texture as it pops with fruit flavor. A blend of chile peppers and spices give Aunt Maude's Southwestern Turkey Chili a smoky flavor and kick of hotness.

Mix and Match Bread Dressing

Wild Rice, Barley and Dried Cherry Pilaf

Aunt Maude's Southwestern Turkey Chili

This make-ahead dessert stores in the freezer for up to a month, ready to serve surprise guests. Vanilla or chocolate wafers form an easy base for the creamy filling. The center dips slightly after cooling, making an indentation to fill with whipped cream.

Baby Citrus Cheesecakes

"This is a twist on a popular dish and is one of my personal favorites," says April Osburn from the Clabber Girl Bake Shop in Terre Haute, Indiana. Thinly slice the apples so they get done in the allotted baking time.

Ginger-Cinnamon Apple Crisp

The sweetness of dried fruit and chocolate meets salty pretzels and popcorn in our easy food gift. Pour the snack mix in a jar, and cover the lid with a circle of colorful scrapbooking paper. Grosgrain ribbon around the edge of the lid pairs with yarn and a tag to complete the package.

Orange Popcorn Gorp

This is our give-you-a-break coffee cake. Prepped in a half-hour, it waits in the fridge until you pop it in the oven the next morning. Serve warm, and the chocolate stays irresistibly melty.

Overnight Cherry Chocolate Coffee Cake

Len Skvor trades the traditional corned beef for thinly sliced turkey in this twist on a classic Reuben at his Cork 'n Fork Deli 'n Grill in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. To reduce the sodium, rinse sauerkraut with cold water before using.

Rachel Sandwiches