Those holiday flavors are great to break out once a year to bring back the memories of holidays past. The feeling of holiday nostalgia from smells and flavors can be the real cornerstone to an enjoyable holiday, whether from your favorite entrée, or snack or even a holiday drink. What people sometimes forget, though, is that most of these ingredients are available year-round, and if you’ve got a hankering for some holiday spices, or just need a pick-me-up of some comfort food, you can make a lot of these just about any time of the year.
Gingerbread
Gingerbread dates back to Greece in 2400 BC, so if that’s not an argument for having it whenever you want, we don’t know what is. Queen Elizabeth I is rumored to the person who popularized decorating gingerbread, and back then gingerbread was a year-round treat, before it became something of a symbol of the holidays. So get yourself a premade kit or whip up the ingredients yourself, and cut yourself out a gingerbread man or woman whenever you want.
Cranberry Sauce
This holiday staple keeps a long time, and it’s filled with sugar, so even though cranberries are typically harvested in the fall, if you stock up, you can have cranberry sauce year-round. Of course, depending on where you’re shopping, you might be able to buy it year-round, as well. You just have to decide if you’re getting the whole-cranberry variety, or the classic can-shaped variety. Do you spoon it from the cylinder, or cut it into slices? This could be the time to experiment and find out who you really are.
Green Bean Casserole
Green bean casserole, as well as other creamed vegetables, have been around since at least the 1800s in the US. Cream of mushroom sauce became the secret ingredient of so many holiday dishes at that point, replacing what was known as white sauce. Of course, a delicious green bean casserole is possible just about any time of the year, especially if you’re using canned green beans, but it doesn’t hurt to remember that comfort food is comfort food, and everyone likes a surprise. If you’re the type to do half birthdays, maybe you can try out half holidays, so you’ll have all the excuses in the world to make a delicious casserole.
Stuffing / Dressing
Meat being stuffed with other food items goes back at last to a series of ancient Roman recipes. From there, it eventually found its way around the world, and… well, let’s be honest. You don’t need to stuff anything with it. It’s a great afternoon or midnight snack, and easy to slap together. You don’t need an excuse to eat some delicious stuffing.
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie was first created by indigenous North and Central American cultures 9000 years ago, when it was often made with honey and spices. Now, it’s a holiday tradition in North America, and you can get canned pumpkin just about whenever you want. Just make sure you’ve got the right ratio of spices, and you’re on your way.