5-Ingredients or Less: December 2011

Guests will be surprised to learn that walnuts and raisins give this dip its unique flavor. Serve with toasted pita wedges or sourdough baguette slices.

Spice up the duck with New Mexican chili powder and brush the chicken with a honey-cider glaze for tantalizing flavor.

Better than plain mashed potatoes, this side dish features mahed Yukon golds and cabbage and is flavored with truffle oil.

Flounder, a close cousin to sole, is a good substitute in this classic yet simple preparation.

Start with refrigerated cookie dough to make these chocolate-filled holiday cookies.

Go retro for your holiday dessert party and offer a sweet fondue with apple slices and pound cake.

Toasted pecans add a nice crunch to the olive and cream cheese spread for these tasty party sandwiches.

Prep this entrée up to a day ahead, then just pop it in the oven. It'll be ready in only 35 minutes.

This simple soup really lets the squash's flavor shine through.

Serve this piquant sauce with roast chicken, pork, or lamb for a delicious main dish, or pair it with Neufchâtel or goat cheese and crackers for an appetizer.

This classic recipe will be well received at all of your holiday gatherings; try it with any flavor of fruit preserves you enjoy.

This colorful salad featuring arugula and intensely-colored beets is a great choice to go with holiday main dishes. Kefalotyri is a hard, salty Greek cheese, but you can substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Kick up the flavor of basic carrots with butter, honey and ground cumin.

Turn to this savory and sweet 3-ingredient appetizer when you have last-minute guests.

Add dried apple and raisins to a muffin mix and make magic happen for breakfast.

Stir together a colorful fruit salsa to serve as an appetizer or as a topping for holiday ham or pork.

Add a little "fancy" to scrambled eggs for a special breakfast or a midnight supper.

Fill frozen mini phyllo sheets with a savory mixture of goat cheese and olive tapenade for a super-quick, sophisticated appetizer.

Port wine and Dijon mustard team up for a sweet-and-sharp sauce to top this 10-minute steak.

Slender haricots verts need little embellishment. Here they're tossed with a good dose of browned garlic.

Nutty caramel coats delicate baked custard in this rich dessert,The custards chill overnight, so they're a great make-ahead option for a dinner party.

Yukon gold potatoes give this easy, cheesy gratin extra buttery flavor and color.

Start with refrigerated sugar cookie dough to make these adorable reindeer cookies.

Celebrate the holiday with an easy and festive sparkling beverage.

Use a loaf of banana bread from the bakery to make this tasty treat that you can serve as an appetizer or a brunch dish.

Combine hazelnuts, dried cherries, crystallized ginger and dark chocolate for a last-minute sweet treat.

This easy seafood dish is guaranteed to impress guests. With only 5 ingredients and taking less than 20 minutes to prepare, you'll have a 5-star meal in no time.

You don't have to add much to your appetizer dish when you use smoked salmon and caviar or capers.

Jarred bruschetta topping and pastry shells are the shortcut ingredients for these tasty appetizers.

This 4-ingredient cookie recipe will come to the rescue when you need a last-minute dessert. If you've got flour, butter, cream cheese, and strawberry jam, you're good to go.