Holiday Recipes by Musicians (2024)

By Carly Rae Jepsen

"Every time I make this banana bread, I make new friends. My stepdad used to make it once a week; it's like dessert for breakfast."

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup butter

½ agave nectar or honey

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups banana pulp

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup dates

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream the butter and agave nectar (or honey) then beat in eggs. Add sifted ingredients in three parts, alternating with banana pulp, beating smooth after each addition. Fold in the chopped nuts and dates.

Place the batter in a greased loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes at 350°F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Play this: "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” by Judy Garland (Meet Me In St Louis)

Adapted by John Legend from So Delushious

5 large potatoes

1 lb. thick-cut bacon

½ lb. ham steak

½ cup flour

2 sticks butter

1 large onion

1 pint half and half

Milk

Garlic powder and salt and pepper for seasoning

Peel, slice, rinse, and drain potatoes and layer about ¼ of potatoes in a large casserole dish. Cut ham into ½-inch cubes and sprinkle on top of potato layer. Repeat alternating potatoes and ham. Add pieces of one stick butter. Then on top, lay 4 to 5 slices of bacon.

For the sauce:

Fry 5 slices of bacon in pan. Remove cooked bacon and add diced onion, sautéing until lightly brown. Transfer bacon grease to a large saucepan. Add remaining stick of butter and sautéed diced onion. Add half of the flour, stirring into a thick paste. Add half of the half and half, whisking out all the lumps. Add rest of flour, sprinkling lightly to avoid lumps and add rest of half and half. Allow sauce to thicken to the consistency of gravy, stirring constantly. Add enough milk to lighten sauce and season with garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour over potatoes and bake covered at 350°F for about 90 minutes, then uncover and broil the top for 5 minutes, until brown.

By Adeline Michéle of Escort

"This recipe is one of my mom's best dishes. It’s so simple, yet the way she makes it is so unique. It brings a lot of comforting memories. Every time I visit her in Paris, there's always a leek quiche waiting for me in the oven. I don't need to ask for it; it just became our tradition."

1 frozen pie crust

3 to 4 leeks

3 eggs

1 ¼ cup gruyère

1 ¼ cup milk

Nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Slice the leeks and sauté in a pan. Spread sautéed leeks over the crust.

Separately beat together the eggs, milk, and gruyère, and season mixture with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the leeks and crust. Bake for 30 minutes.

Play this: "Petit Garcon" by Graeme Allwright

By Ciara

"These are the best candied yams I’ve ever had. My grandpa used to make them for me all the time. I knew no one could make them quite like him, but we try. And everyone always goes back for seconds."

6 extra large sweet potatoes

3 cups of boiling water

3 cups sugar

3 to 4 Tbsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbsp. lemon flavor

3 sticks butter

Cut and dice sweet potatoes, set aside. In a large pot, boil 3 cups of water. Add potatoes, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon flavor, butter. Simmer until potatoes are to the texture of liking (ideal time 45 minutes)

Serves: 8

By Ingrid Michaelson

"I came across this recipe earlier in the year and fell in love with it! Curl up with a hot mug of Butterbeer and turn on 'Baby It's Cold Outside,' one of my favorite Christmas songs. I love the version from Elf because Zooey D. sings so beautifully on it!"

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

¼ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 cups apple cider

1 cup ginger ale

Whipped cream, for garnish

To make the butterscotch syrup, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, sea salt, and ¼ cup cream. Whisk to combine and bring to a gentle boil. Cook and keep stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.

Stir in vanilla and cider. The heat until very hot and all the butterscotch syrup has dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in the ginger ale. Serve in an oversized mug with whipped cream on top. You can even add a cinnamon stick to spice it up if you like!

Serves: 6-8

Play this: "Baby, It’s Cold Outside" by Zooey Deschanel and Leon Redbone (Elf)

By Kim Talon of Jan

"Holidays can be trying times for vegetarians who crave food camaraderie and um…maybe meat? So I decided to experiment with some classic side dishes to help compete with the turkey this year. I love yams and lavender, so I joined them to create a dish to make you feel like you're celebrating Thanksgiving in Provence."

2 lbs. sweet potatoes

¼ lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

¼ fresh lime juice

½ tsp. crushed lavender

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Grated zest of one lime

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick the sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until very soft. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Scoop the flesh into a bowl; save the skins for another recipe. Use a blender or fork to smash the yams. Stir in butter, lime juice, and lavender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with cilantro and lime zest

Play this: "The Log Driver's Waltz" by Wade Hemsworth

By Kim Schifino of Matt and Kim

"My Aunt Gina used to make this. She handed the recipe down to my dad, who has handed it down to me. It’s great if you’re having people over for the holidays. You can also make it without the alcohol, but in my opinion, it’s better with it."

2 quarts of dry ginger ale

2 pints vanilla sherbet

1 can of grape juice

1 can of pineapple juice

2 cans of chunky fruit

1 can chunky pineapple

1 sliced orange

Couple trays of ice cubes

Gin, port wine, and whiskey (use amounts according to how strong you want the punch! I always say go big!)

Throw everything below into a giant punch bowl. (Don’t drive after having this.)

Play this: "Sleigh Ride" by Ferrante/Teicher & Les Baxter

By Alex Lilly of Touché

"Christmas is all about the anticipation: seeing presents under the tree for weeks, shaking them; the mystery is almost better than the actual thing. This recipe requires patience because you have to leave the dough in the fridge overnight. But you will be greatly rewarded when you get to eat these scrumptious cookies the next day!"

5 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/8 cup white sugar

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature

1 cup Crisco vegetable shortening

3 large eggs, well beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter, shortening, and both sugars together. Mix in well-beaten eggs, vanilla, and walnuts. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Mix wet and dry mixtures together.

Shape mixture into two loaves about 2 inches in diameter and cover in wax paper. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat over to 350°F. Slice loaves about a ¼-inch thick and bake on ungreased cookie sheets for about 10 minutes or a little longer if you liked them browner.

Play this: "Christmas Wrapping" by The Waitresses

By Ziggy Marley

"This is the perfect dish to serve anyone who thinks they don’t like tofu. It’s scrumptious!"

1 lb. tofu, extra-firm

½ cup Thai sweet chili sauce

1 tsp. dried garlic granules

3 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce

½ cup sesame seeds

¼ cup Hemp Rules Shelled Hempseeds

1 Tbsp. dry cornmeal

2 Tbsp. rice flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)

4 Tbsp. Coco’Mon Original coconut oil

Cut the tofu into eight slabs. Press the tofu between paper towels to remove excess moisture. Remove the tofu from the paper towels, and cut into triangles that about 2 inches in size.

Place the pieces in a single layer on a plate. Sprinkle evenly with the garlic granules and tamari.

Place the sesame seeds, hempseeds, cornmeal, and flour in a large plastic bag and shake well to combine. In a large skillet or wok, heat the Coco’Mon oil over medium heat (do not heat above 350°F). Place several of the tofu triangles in the bag and gently shake to thoroughly coat the tofu with the breading. When the oil in the pan becomes hot, add the tofu in a single layer. When the tofu pieces are golden brown and crisp on the bottom, turn them over. When both sides are golden and crisped, remove and drain on paper towels.

Repeat all of the tofu has been used up. Serve immediately, drizzled with the sweet chili sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Adapted by Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius from Smitten Kitchen

"We love dishes with complimentary ingredients, so we make a delicious strawberry rhubarb pie—not the healthy kind, the all-butter crust kind—because we all need a little extra dough to keep us warm throughout the winter months."

Dough:

2 ½ cups flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. table salt

2 sticks of very cold unsalted butter

Filling:

3 ½ cups rhubarb, in ½-inch thick slices

3 ½ cups strawberries, halved

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup light brown sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. almond extract

¼ tsp. cinnamon (we prefer Saigon!)

¼ cup quick-cooking tapioca

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp. water (for glazing the top crust)

Start with the crust. Set 1 cup of ice water aside, and in a large bowl mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, and salt). Dice two sticks of very cold unsalted butter into ½-inch pieces.

Make your mix: Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix (if you have a food processor/pastry blender, feel free to use). When all of the butter pieces are the size of peas, stop. Then start adding the ice water (without the cubes, if there are any left) over the mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Using a spatula, gather the dough together. Once you’re pulling large clumps with the spatula, take it out and use your hands to form a mound. Then knead gently.

Divide the dough in half and wrap in saran wrap in the shape of a ball. Let the dough chill in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours (the longer the better), then roll it out.

On to the filling: Preheat your oven to 400°F. On a well-floured counter, roll half of the pie dough into a 12-inch circle and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.

Stir together the rhubarb, strawberries, sugars, lemon, cinnamon, almond extract, salt, and tapioca in a large bowl. Mound filling inside of the bottom piecrust and dot with bits of unsalted butter. Roll second half of pie dough into an 11-inch circle and cut slits in it (feel free to be decorative). Place on top of the pie filling and crimp the top and bottom crusts together.

Transfer pie to a baking sheet and brush egg yolk mixture over the dough. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the pie is golden and the juices bubble visibly (the juices will gel when the pie is fully cooled).

Favorite holiday song: "Let It Snow" by Boyz II Men