It’s the holiday season and if you’re anything like me, that means life is about to get a whole lot busier. It’s the time of year for parties, family, friends, and lots of good food. Whether you’re serving up a full spread for your own get together or need a fun and tasty dish to bring to someone else’s party, I’m here to take off some of the pressure. Below are two delicious, aesthetic, and easy to make recipes I’ve developed for this holiday season that you and your whole family can enjoy.

Everyone loves a good appetizer, sometimes even more than the actual entrée. Turn up the dial on your appy’s style with my fun, festive, and delectable Stuffed Cheesy Garlic Bread Holiday Tree. This savory delight is the perfect knockout appetizer to kick off a meal or can be enjoyed as a tasty afternoon bite. Plus, I love that it opens the door for you to explore your creativity! Customize it into a wreath, snowman, or other festive shape and use bright colored berries and beautiful sprigs of fresh or dried herbs for an extra festive presentation!

For a super fresh and herbal flavor without tons of extra work, I recommend using flash frozen fresh herbs. Like most people, I’m a busy guy a lot of the time, so my herb gardens aren’t always in the best shape – especially in the winter months. Frozen fresh herbs allow me to continue to use that full flavor I adore without relying on healthy plants or having to spend time crushing and dicing.

Ingredients:

• 4 frozen cubes Dorot Gardens Chopped Garlic
• 4 frozen cubes Dorot Gardens Parsley
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 2 cups grated mozzarella
• 1 tube large biscuit dough, 8 total

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Add Dorot Gardens garlic and parsley into a microwave safe bowl with butter. Cover bowl with a paper towel and microwave for 4 minutes on high. Be careful as bowl may be hot.
3. Divide butter mixture in half. Allow one half of butter mixture to cool a bit before mixing in grated mozzarella and grated parmesan.
4. Use your fingers to carefully split each biscuit into two rounds, then gently flatten out each biscuit dough until you have a circle. Fill the center of each dough with cheese mixture. Pinch outer dough together until you form a ball.
5. Place biscuits seam-side down onto a greased baking sheet to form a tree or holiday wreath. Brush the reserved garlic butter equally on the smooth top side of each ball and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese.
6. Bake for 16-20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

No holiday season is complete without some yummy dessert, and cookies can be a great, heartfelt gift for friends, family, coworkers, teachers, and even your neighborhood mail carrier! Show your appreciation for everyone on your good list and finish your holiday dinners strong with my heavenly Tahini Shortbread Holiday Cookies! These tasty cookies are amazingly sweet and delectable, and only you have to know that they’re also packed with vitamins, protein, and nutrients due to the tahini, a superfood.

I love making tahini cookies for my own family during the holidays because they satisfy that sweet tooth while also being shockingly nutritious. I always use organic tahini so that my desserts – usually the least nutritious part of the meal – are as healthy as possible. You’ll definitely be on the nice list when Santa tries these cookies!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ sticks butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup Mighty Sesame Co. Organic Tahini
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups flour
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Sprinkles of your choice
• Optional: parchment paper

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, beat butter, sugar, and tahini for 3-4 minutes until creamy. Add salt and flour and beat on low speed until combined, scraping bowl from time to time.
2. Mix sesame seeds and colored sprinkles together and pour them out on a small baking sheet or flat dish.
3. Carefully knead the dough and shape into two tubes of equal size. Carefully roll each cube onto sesame seeds until fully covered.
4. Roll each dough tube with parchment paper, twisting the ends and refrigerate for 2 hours or longer.
5. Pre-heat your oven to 350°F and remove dough from refrigerator. Cut into ¼” coins and place onto baking sheet.
6. Bake for 13-16 minutes edges are brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Makes 2 dozen.

Now you have a couple amazing ideas for creating the perfect menu for your holiday party – ones that will satisfy your friends and family and leave them asking for seconds! And remember, you don’t need to be a fancy chef to serve up some crowd-pleasing dishes – but using my recipes won’t hurt! With some planning and preparation, you can create a holiday party so delicious your friends will be talking about it for years to come. And with my holiday recipes, you’ll be able to do just that.

You can follow me on Instagram (@ChefGeorgeDuran) and Facebook (@GeorgeDuranEats) and at www.georgeduran.com.