December 2018 Recipe Index
Find all the healthy recipes from Cooking Light's December 2018 issue.
KEY
F Fast
G Gluten Free
M Make Ahead
V Vegetarian
Check out all of our staff faves in Italic
Struggling to cook healthy? We'll help you prep.
Appetizers
Save time the day of the party by preparing the crab mixture one day ahead. Cut and store the sliced bread in an airtight container until ready to assemble, and then broil as the recipe instructs shortly before party time.
Cheesy Crab Artichoke Toasts FM
Chickpea Salad Boats FGMV
Saucy Mini Meatballs M
Smoky Red Lentil Hummus GMV
Beverages
Pomegranate Spritzer FGV
Vegan Eggnog GMV
Condiments & Sauces
Bacon-Shallot Gravy FM
Port-Cherry Sauce FGV
Desserts
For these easy linzer cookies, we like the more updated look of off-center cutouts—but you can go more traditional by keeping the cutouts centered.
Almond-Currant Linzer Cookies MV
Chocolate-and-Cream Layer Cake MV
Chocolate-Peppermint Thumbprints MV
Decorated Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies MV
Dulce de Leche Bread Puddings V
Five-Spice Cookies MV
Gingerbread Loaf MV
Pine Nut–Meyer Lemon Snowballs MV
Raspberry-Rosemary Jam Bars MV
Salted Chocolate Topped Shortbread MV
Main Dishes
Beef & Lamb
As simple as this dish is to make, it looks, feels, and tastes like a special-occasion meal. Ask your butcher for the Chateaubriand cut, which is an evenly sized portion taken from the heart of the tenderloin. Serve it with our recipe for a simple Roasted Broccolini, pictured above.
Beef Tenderloin with Madeira-Dijon Sauce G
Filet Mignon with Apple-Fennel Slaw FG
Fish & Shellfish
Small touches like the charred lemon vinaigrette and tart pomegranate arils elevate this speedy salad into a showstopping main dish. Preheat your sheet pan to get a jump-start on cooking the squash and onions.
Crispy Salmon Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash FG
Shrimp and Grits F
Poultry
If you’d like to make this comforting classic baked pasta dish ahead of time, you can freeze the unbaked casserole up to three months. Let it thaw completely; top with Parmesan and panko, then bake at 350°F until browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
Chicken Tetrazzini FM
Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Lemon-Butter Carrots F
Mini Chicken Potpies
Sausage Baguette Pizzas
Vegetarian
This overnight casserole saves you the trouble of standing over a griddle flipping individual slices of French toast. If using a fresh baguette, cut it up the day before, and let it sit in the bag overnight to become slightly stale—that'll help prevent sogginess when the casserole is baked.
Berry-and-Walnut French Toast Casserole MV
Mushroom Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust GV
Potato Pancakes with Apple Butter FGV
Winter Greens Pesto Pizza FV
Pasta
Pasta night perfection. Four cheeses team up with gluten-free pasta to deliver a wholesome indulgence.
Creamy Four-Cheese Pasta with Spinach FGV
Pasta with Italian Sunday Sauce M
Sides
We’ve given the classic casserole an upgrade by swapping sodium-heavy canned soup for a rich and chunky homemade mushroom sauce. For bean blanching instructions, see the note on the recipe at left.
Green Bean Casserole F
Green Beans with Mustard-Tarragon Sauce FGV
Lemon-Feta Green Beans FGV
Red Wine and Parmesan Farrotto
Roasted Acorn Squash with Thyme GMV
Roasted Broccolini GV
Roasted Potatoes with Smoked Trout FG
Smoky Brussels Sprouts FGV
Soups & Stews
Feast of the Seven Fishes Stew GM
French-Style Beef Stew GM
Soup a Sundale M
Spiced Winter Squash Soup FGMV