Are you looking for Christmas dinner or dessert ideas?

It's the happiest time of the year! And, as much as we all enjoy the usual Christmas dishes, why not mix things up this year and try something new? Take a look through some of our favorite Christmas recipes from our large recipe archive and see what you think. (We believe you'll want to try them all!)

So mark your calendars for the holidays this year, and maybe one of these dishes will become a new family tradition.

Best wishes for the holidays!

Recipes and ideas for Christmas dinner

The Ultimate Keto Meal Plan

Turducken, which is a chicken stuffed into a duck stuffed into a turkey, has become a popular Christmas dish at 2106 Frankfort Ave. in Varanese.

"While most people connect Thanksgiving with turkey, Turducken is a fantastic dish for Christmas or any other holiday supper." It's a good choice because it's difficult to overcook and doesn't dry up," remarked owner John Varanese before. "It's almost impregnable." Simply preheat the oven to the desired temperature and you're ready to go. The best thing is that no cutting around bones is required."

Turducken is a lot of fun to make, despite the fact that it takes a long time. Removing the bones from the birds and keeping everything together can be difficult, but the presentation and flavor will likely impress your visitors - even if they're jaded.

For the ideal Christmas supper this year, follow the recipe below, which includes the accompanying gravy, sausage dressing, and cornbread dressing.

Turducken

* 5 lb. duck

* 3 lb. chicken

* 14 lb. turkey

* Sausage dressing

* Cornbread dressing

Marinade

Cut the wings off the duck and chicken before boning them. Follow the breast bone to the wing joint on one side of the breast. Cut along the hip joint and through it with caution. The back skin must be preserved. Rep on the opposite side. To keep the whole bird intact, start slicing the skin underneath the backbone from neck to tail. Remove the feet, then cut the meat away from the thigh bone inside to the leg joint, starting at the thigh bone. Cut around it, then work your way down the leg bone to remove it. All of the bones should be saved for the gravy.

Do not remove the wings from the turkey. Repeat the technique as directed for the duck and chicken, except leave the second and third wing joints intact and only remove the thigh bone, leaving the leg bone.

Turducken? This is the holiday dish to impress, according to a Louisville chef.

Place the chicken skin side down on the baking sheet. Cover the chicken with approximately half of the cornbread dressing, pressing it into a half-inch thick layer. Roll the bird over to close it tightly, almost like a football, with the seam toward the rear. Cover the duck with the entire amount of sausage dressing. Wrap the duck around the "football" of chicken. Reverse the method with the turkey, wrapping it completely around the duck with the remaining cornbread dressing. Reassemble the turkey using the trussing process. Tie the legs first, then work your way backwards from the neck. One person will be responsible for holding the bird while the other will be responsible for tying it. It will take some time and effort. Use the marinade to coat the meat. Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Wrap foil around the dish. Preheat oven to 225°F and bake for 12 hours.Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

marinade for turkey

* a third of a cup of dried thyme

* 14 cup garlic, minced

* Blended oil, 4 oz.

* 1 tbsp. kosher salt or sea salt

* 1 tablespoon pepper, cracked

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Gravy

* Bones from duck and chicken

* 2 cups onion, chopped

* 1 cup carrots, chopped

* 1 cup celery, chopped

* bay leaves (two)

* 1 lb. butter

* a quarter-pound of flour

* with salt and pepper

Method

Roast the bones in the oven until they are golden brown. Place the bones, onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves in a stock pot with enough water to cover them. Simmer for a minimum of six hours. Strain. Melt the butter in a saucepan to make a roux. Whisk in the flour gradually. Simmer till a nutty fragrance emerges. Using a small amount of roux at a time, thicken the gravy. Salt & pepper to taste. (You'll have some roux left over, which you can use for anything else.)

Sausage Dressing

* 12 cup onion, diced

* 12 cup celery, chopped

* Oil that has been blended

* 12 lb. sausage

* 4 cups crusty bread (from the day before)

* Your favorite recipe for chicken/turkey stock

* Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small amount of mixed oil, sauté the onion and celery until transparent. Brown the sausage in the pan. Combine the sausage mixture and bread in a mixing basin. Combine all of the ingredients. To make the dressing wet, add enough stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cornbread Dressing

* 6 cups cornbread crumbles

* 12 cup onion, diced

* 12 cup celery, chopped

* Oil that has been blended

* 1 tablespoon sage leaves, chopped

* Your favorite recipe for chicken/turkey stock

* Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small amount of oil, sauté the onion and celery until transparent. Combine the onion/celery and cornbread in a mixing basin. Combine all of the ingredients. To make the dressing wet, add enough stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipes and ideas for Christmas side dishes

Gasthaus, on Brownsboro Road, has been operational for about a quarter-century, thanks to Annemarie and Michael Greipel. Annemarie's early recollections of her own Germany, on the other hand, are so vivid that she can almost taste them.

Roasted geese (Weihnachtsgans) with chestnut stuffing, potato dumplings (Kartoffelknödel), and red cabbage were traditional holiday fare, however chicken, roast beef, or rabbit were occasionally substituted. Glühwein, a warm drink brewed with cinnamon, cloves, and brandy, was also plentiful.

Potato dumplings are one of Gasthaus' most popular sides, not just at Christmastime but all year. Sauerbraten (beef marinated in herbs, spices, and wine vinegar), Wiener Schnitzel (breaded veal in cream sauce), and Jäger Schnitzel are some of Gasthaus' perennial favorites (breaded pork loin in brown bacon and onion sauce).

Dumplings made from potatoes

This recipe makes 6 to 8 3-ounce dumplings.

* 1 pound potatoes, raw

* 1 pound potatoes, skinned and cooked

* 1 teaspoon of flour

* 1 ovary

* 1 teaspoon of salt

* Stock made from beef or chicken (optional)

Peel and grate raw potatoes with a cheese grater. Fill a clean towel with the potatoes and squeeze to remove any extra liquid. Peel and mash boiling potatoes while they are still warm. In a large mixing basin, combine all ingredients except the stock. Mix thoroughly. Make six to eight balls out of the mixture. Bring water to a boil in a big saucepan. Add more beef or chicken broth for extra taste. Place the dumplings on top. Reduce heat to low and cook for five to ten minutes, or until dumplings float to the surface of the water. Remove from the heat, drain, and serve.

Red Cabbage

* 1 huge red cabbage head

* 1 cup red wine vinegar 2 cups water

* a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt to taste

* 1 stick of cinnamon

* 7 garlic cloves

* 7 berries of juniper

* 14 pound chopped bacon 4 bay leaves

* 2 tablespoons oil (vegetable)

* 1 onion, medium

* brown sugar (two teaspoons)

* 2 applesauce cups

* 5 bouillon cubes (beef)

* seasoning with salt and pepper*

* Cornstarch

Remove all limp and green leaves until the cabbage head is solid. Remove the white stalks from the cabbage and quarter it. On a mandolin, shred the quarters. Fill a plastic jar halfway with shredded cabbage.

Combine the water, vinegar, a bit of sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl for the marinade. Pour the red cabbage over it.

Wrap cinnamon, cloves, juniper berries, and bay leaves in cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni. Place the cloth in the marinade and tie it. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 48 hours after covering container.

In a large pot, cook the bacon. Pour in the vegetable oil. Cook until the bacon is slightly browned. Toss in the onions and brown sugar. Cook till golden brown on both sides. Combine the marinated red cabbage, applesauce, and bullion cubes in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Cook for up to 2 hours on low heat, depending on how crunchy you like your cabbage. Remove the bouquet garni once the cabbage is done. If there is any surplus liquid, drain it. To taste, season with salt and pepper. Dissolve some cornstarch in water to thicken the cabbage and give it a wonderful glossy shine. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked cabbage, salt, and pepper.

Sweet potato casserole

* 5 sweet potatoes (each weighing 9 to 10 ounces/255 to 280 g)

Cooking spray made with coconut oil

* a half-cup (112 g) Mascarpone is a type of cheese that is similar to ricotta

* a third of a cup of light brown sugar

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

* 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

* 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt plus 1/2 teaspoon

* 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped of seeds

* 1 teaspoon orange zest, grated

* Caramel sauce, 1/4 cup (60 ml)

* 3 large egg whites, room temperature (cold egg whites don't whip as well)

* a quarter teaspoon of cream of tartar

* sugar, 6 teaspoons (75 g)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).

Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and pierce the skin of the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Bake the sweet potatoes for about 1 hour, or until they are soft. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool completely before cutting them in half lengthwise and scooping out the meat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sweet potato flesh, mascarpone, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon salt, vanilla bean seeds, and orange zest. Mix on medium speed until everything is well blended. Scrape the mixture into a casserole dish and pour the caramel sauce over the top. Remove from the equation.

1 to 2 minutes on medium speed, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment until frothy. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, until firm peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes. If you overwhip the egg whites, they will deflate.

Spread the meringue on top of the sweet potato mixture and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is brown and the center is heated.

Kolachi

To make the dough, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

* 8 to 9 cups flour, sifted

* 1 pound butter or margarine (unsalted) (room temperature)

* 2 cups sweet milk, warmed

* 6 beaten egg yolks

* 12 cup of sugar

* 1 Tablespoon yeast, big and rounded

* a quarter teaspoon of salt

For the filling

* 2 pound walnuts, shelled

* 1 gallon of milk

* 2 lbs. sugar

*14 cup butter (unsalted)

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 6 beaten egg whites

To make the dough, follow these steps: Separate the eggs and lightly beat the yolks. Set aside the whites. Set aside yeast that has been dissolved in warm milk. Flour should be sifted and measured. Mix in the sugar and salt. Cut the butter into the flour with your hands until it's crumbly. Combine the eggs, milk, and yeast mixture in a mixing bowl.

Work until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the basin (may add more flour if needed). Knead until smooth on a floured board. Allow two hours to rise after covering with a cloth. Make eight balls out of the mixture. Allow for a one-hour rise time, covered.

Make the filling

Finely grind the nuts until the bits clump together when squeezed in your hand. Warm the milk, sugar, and butter in a large kettle until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in the nuts and vanilla extract. Allow time for the mixture to cool. Fold in the six egg whites left over from the dough-making process into the nut mixture.

Combine

Baking sheets should be greased. Roll out each dough ball to a thickness of 1/4 inch and spread with filling. (To make sure you don't run out of filling, divide it evenly into eight bowls.) Roll it up like a jelly roll. Poke holes in the roll's ends (as in halupki or'stuffed cabbage'). Place seam side down on cookie sheet. With a fork, prick the top 6-8 times.

Allow for a half-hour rise time (or longer to avoid cracking). Using a beaten egg, brush the surface. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then check for a browned bottom. Cool first in the pan on a wire rack, then remove from pan.

Recipes for Christmas desserts

Nothing says Christmas like homemade pies, cookies, and cakes, and nothing says Christmas like homemade pies, cookies, and cakes. We dug through our large recipe archives from Louisville eateries and selected some of our favorite recipes in the hopes of inspiring you to do some holiday baking.

Triple Chocolate Pâté

Porcini, 2730 Frankfort Ave., is the source. Approximately 8 people, depending on the size of the slice

Dark chocolate ganache

* 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

* 1 pound chocolate milk

* heavy whipping cream, 3 oz.

* heavy whipping cream, 3 oz.

* 1 teaspoon butter (unsalted)

* Amaretto Di Saronno, 1 oz.

Milk chocolate ganache

* 1 pound finely chopped milk chocolate

* heavy whipping cream, 3 oz.

* 1 teaspoon butter (unsalted)

* Amaretto Di Saronno, 1 oz.

Heat the cream to boiling for each ganache. Remove the pan from the heat. Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth. Combine the butter and Amaretto in a mixing bowl. Pour the dark chocolate ganache into a mold that has been lined with plastic wrap to make it easier to remove. Allow the chocolate to thoroughly set and firm by freezing the mold for at least five minutes. On top of the dark chocolate ganache, pour the white chocolate ganache. Allow for at least five minutes of freezing time. Finish with a layer of milk chocolate ganache. Refrigerate for at least one night.

To serve, take the dish out of the fridge one hour before serving. Place the mold on a cutting board and invert it. Take off the plastic wrap. Depending on your preference, slice the layered pâté to the desired thickness.

!!!!!!!!MARRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!

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