Nelnet Partner Solutions Holiday Recipes: From Our Kitchens to Yours

In the spirit of the holiday season, we would like to share some of our team’s favorite recipes.  From our kitchens to yours, we hope you will enjoy them as much as we do.  Have a wonderful holiday season! 

 

OREO DESSERT

To prepare: No oven needed.  Recipe has multiple layers.  Refrigerate before serving.

Ingredients:

1 small pkg of Oreo cookies

1 large box of instant vanilla pudding

2 cups of milk

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

Cool Whip

1/3 cup of butter

Directions:

Crush cookies; mix with 1/3 cup of butter. Pat evenly on bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Freeze for 10 minutes. Blend cream cheese with powdered sugar. Fold in 1 ½ cups of cool whip with cream cheese/powdered sugar mixture.  Spread over crushed Oreos. Mix 2 cups of milk with instant vanilla pudding. Put pudding mix on top of cream cheese/cool whip mixture. Put remaining cool whip over layer of pudding mix. Sprinkle with leftover Oreo crumbs.

 

ED’S BREAD PUDDING – CHOCOLATE

 Ingredients:

2 each Cubed white or sourdough bread                        

1 ½ Qts Whole Milk                                                                  

1 cup Raisins                                                               

½ cup Butter                                                                                        

1 ½ cups Sugar, white                                                              

1 ½ Tbsp Vanilla                                                                      

1 ½ Tbsp Cinnamon

½ Tbsp Nutmeg           

4 each Eggs, beaten                                                                

1 cup Half & Half                                                                      

1 cup Semi-sweet: Choc Chips or Chopped Choc          

Directions:

Chop bread into 2” x 2” pieces. Lay out bread in deep bowl or pan and add raisins and milk. Allow bread and raisins to soak in milk for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In another mixing bowl, mix all other ingredients. Once bread is fully saturated, add the sugar and egg mixture to the bread and mix. Place mixture in a buttered 11” x 9”, 2 inch deep pan and bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until center is firm. Remove from oven and cool. Shelf life = 7 days

 

CHRISTMAS BRUNCH SALAD

 Ingredients:

6 oz. Box of orange jello

16 oz. Can of crushed pineapple, undrained

Can of mandarin oranges, drained

16 oz. Cottage Cheese

3 cups of mini marshmallows

Lg. Container of cool whip

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.  My family has Christmas Brunch every year and this is always my contribution.  It is sweet and a wonderful compliment to just about anything.  Merry Christmas!

 

 

CRANBERRY SALAD

Ingredients:

1 – 1# bag of cranberries, washed

1 C. sugar

1 small can crushed, unsweetened pineapple

Directions:

Put cranberries in a blender, cover with water and chop, then drain. Add sugar and drained pineapple. Mix, allow to set overnight.

PEPPERMINT SCHNAPPS GRASSHOPPER

Ingredients:

1 oz peppermint schnapps

2 scoops vanilla ice cream

Green food coloring

Chocolate syrup

Chocolate chips

Directions:

Blend together 1 oz peppermint schnapps, 2 scoops vanilla ice cream and 2 drops of green food coloring.

Pour into a glass and pour some chocolate syrup on top and finish with a few chocolate chips. If you feel like you’re turning green, you’ve used too much schnapps.

 

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

2 16oz cans of sweet potatoes/yams

¼ cup Dry sherry

½ cup Milk

6 Tbls Butter/margarine

1 tsp Lemon peel

½ tsp Salt

¼ tsp Nutmeg

Cayenne pepper to taste

4 Eggs

Directions:

In a bowl, beat sweet potatoes as you think about Gainful Employment regulations. Slowly add in dry sherry, milk, and butter or margarine. Feel free to use a mixer if you’re exhausted from thinking about GE regs. Add lemon peel, salt, nutmeg, a dash or two or three of cayenne pepper, and eggs. Beat until exhausted once again. Pour into lined crock pot. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then turn to low for 3-4 hours.

ARTICHOKE DIP

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Cut leaf spinach

14 oz Marinated artichoke hearts (drained)

½ cup Alfredo sauce

¼ tsp salt and pepper

1 ½ cups Havarti cheese (shredded)

8 oz Cream cheese (cubed)

Directions:

Thaw 1 ½ cups of cut leaf spinach. Chop spinach and combine with 14 oz of marinated artichoke hearts (drained), ½ cup of alfredo sauce, ¼ tsp of salt and pepper, 1 1.2 cups of shredded Havarti cheese and 8 ozs of cubed cream cheese. Cook in Crock Pot on low for 2-3 hours. Great with celery sticks, carrots or crackers.

 

ITALIAN “MEATBALL” COOKIES

These cookies are called “meatballs” because the chocolate dough is firm and is rolled into balls before baking.  The mixture of chocolate, cinnamon, and other spices is absolutely delicious.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 ¾ cup Flour

1 cup Sugar

½ cup Cocoa (can add a pinch more if deeper chocolate flavor desired)

1 tsp each – cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice

1 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Baking soda

—————-

1 cup Milk

½ cup Oil

—————-

16 oz Bag semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup Walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Combine & sift dry ingredients in large bowl. Make a well in center and mix in the liquid ingredients.  Dough will be very firm; mix with hands to blend all ingredients. Then mix chocolate chips (required) and nuts (if desired) into dough.

Roll dough into balls (approx. 1 ¼ inch). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. When cool, top with frosting made of conf. sugar, butter, touch of vanilla, and milk added until frosting is desired consistency.