Recipe Makeover: Holiday Classics

The classic favorite gets a nutrition makeover.

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole

This casserole exemplifies the power of moderation. A holiday treat, sweet potatoes are also high in fiber and Vitamin A. The pecans on top provide a healthy amount of monounsaturated fat.

View Recipe: Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole

Photo: Randy Mayor

Carrot Soufflé

The original version of this delicious holiday favorite was weighed down by a stick of butter and a cup of sugar. Our lightened version eliminates 8.5g fat and 102 calories by accenting the natural sweetness of carrots, and adding a punch with the addition of sour cream.

View Recipe: Carrot Soufflé

Randy Mayor

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

A holiday table would be incomplete without mashed potatoes. This garlicky version boasts all of the savory richness of traditional recipes without adding extra fat and calories. The secret? Yukon Gold potatoes, which need little adornment thanks to their buttery flavor and creamy texture.

View Recipe: Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Pumpkin Pie Cake

To lighten this stunning dessert, we cut out three-quarters of a cup of oil and combined whole eggs and egg substitute. The result: 11 fewer grams of fat. We used light cream cheese for the frosting, reducing fat by an additional 7 grams. Now with only 223 calories per slice, this centerpiece is a nutritional masterpiece.

View Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cake

Photo: Randy Mayor

Zesty Broccoli Casserole

This favorite casserole was revamped to include the same creamy tang of the original recipe, but with 26 fewer grams of fat. The water chestnuts add a surprising crunch, and the substitution of sharp Cheddar cheese for the milder Colby variety provides additional zing.

View Recipe: Zesty Broccoli Casserole

Randy Mayor

Orange Rolls

These yeasty, gooey orange rolls earned our Test Kitchens’ highest rating, and they have become a staple on many holiday menus. Switching from regular to reduced-fat sour cream was an easy fix for this recipe, shaving off 120 calories and 19 grams of fat.

View Recipe: Orange Rolls

Beau Gustafson

Steamed Pudding with Lemon Sauce

This recipe, more than a century old, was begging for an update. Filled with raisins and covered with a rich, lemony sauce, this pudding is a Christmas Eve highlight. Simply switching to two percent reduced-fat milk from whole and decreasing the amount of butter lowered the fat content by 62%, transforming this dessert into an indulgence you'll crave more than once a year.

View Recipe: Steamed Pudding with Lemon Sauce

Randy Mayor

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake with Cognac Cream

The tart cranberries and crunchy pecans serve as an effective contrast to the sweetness of this cake, rendering it a true holiday star. A significant reduction of butter cut 14 grams of fat from the original recipe, and substituting fat-free whipped topping for the original whipping cream shaved off another 19.6 grams of fat―per slice.

View Recipe: Cranberry Upside-Down Cake with Cognac Cream