The Festive Feast’s Fresh Family Recipes

The holidays are for gathering with family and friends. Invariably, this involves lots and lots of food.

Local chef Patric Bennet, of Cast Iron BBQ & Beer Co., has an impressive CV. He was Tim Love’s sous chef at Lonesome Dove, he opened Eddie V’s, and he helped man the pit at Billy’s Oak Acres BBQ, and he paired food with wine at Winslow’s Wine Cafe. He offers three delicious (and easy!) recipes that will make your holidays merry and bright and keep you out of the kitchen!

Steak au Poivre

This classic of French gastronomy is easy and elegant. While this recipe serves two, it easily scales up for more, but I think it’s perfect for a romantic evening with your honey on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve.

 Ingredients

2 boneless NY strip steaks, 8 to 10 ounces each
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 small shallots, finely diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup brandy or cognac
½ cup heavy cream
Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200°.

Pat each steak completely dry and season with kosher salt. Place the peppercorns into a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin (or crush them in a mortar with a pestal). Pour the crushed peppercorn on a plate and press each steak into them to evenly cover.

Heat your skillet over medium heat until it is HOT. [Editor’s note: DO NOT use a nonstick skillet for this.] Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Sear the steaks on both sides for 3 minutes, which should leave them medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to an oven safe platter and place them in the oven to keep warm while finishing the sauce.

With the skillet on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of butter, let it melt, then add the shallots. Cook until the shallots are browned, constantly stirring and scraping up any tidbits of the steak. Next, pour in the brandy or cognac and swirl it around. Using a long handled lighter, CAREFULLY ignite the mixture. The flame will die once the alcohol has cooked off. Continue to heat the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the cream and any juice from the platter the steaks are on. Reduce heat to a bare simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes to slightly reduce the sauce. Stir in the final tablespoon of butter and place the steaks on serving plates. Pour or spoon the sauce over each steak and garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig.

Granny’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Who doesn’t love pineapple upside down cake? Patric’s grandmother’s recipe is oh so easy and oh so delicious. He taught my kids to make it, and it’s become a staple in our house.

Ingredients

½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 20-ounce can pineapple slices
Reserved juice from the canned pineapple and enough water to make 1 ¼ cups total
8 maraschino cherries (plus a couple for snacking)
1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. [Editor’s note: This really does need to be made in a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, a heavy Dutch oven will suffice.] Sprinkle the brown sugar to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Next, place pineapple slices on the brown sugar. There should be enough room for 7 to 8 slices. Put one cherry in the hole of each pineapple slice.

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix with the eggs and pineapple juice and water. Mix thoroughly and pour over the pineapple rings and cherries. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Once cooked, CAREFULLY invert the skillet onto a serving platter. Remove the skillet and replace any pineapple rings that might have stuck. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. There won’t be any leftovers!

traditional cornbread in a cast iron skillet, created with generative ai

Easy Cast Iron Cornbread

Cornbread is a staple of our holiday tables, be it in the dressing or served alongside a ham. This is a great recipe for classic cornbread with lovely, crispy edges. You can’t get those beautiful edges without cast iron, but if you wish, you can use a 9-inch square Pyrex baking dish for this recipe.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon bacon grease, lard, shortening, or butter
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups self-rising cornmeal mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar (Optional – there are few things more polarizing in culinary circles than sugar in cornbread. Patric uses it; I do not.)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°.

Place your choice of fat into an 8-inch cast iron skillet and place in the oven to preheat the skillet. If using Pyrex, melt your fat in the microwave and pour into the baking dish to coat the bottom and sides.

Mix the remaining ingredients until you have a smooth and slightly thick batter. It should be pourable, so if it seems too thick, just add a bit of additional milk. CAREFULLY remove the skillet from the oven and pour the cornmeal mixture into the skillet. It might sizzle a little, but that’s normal. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the cornbread out onto a cooling rack and enjoy with butter and honey. If using in dressing, cook it a couple of days before to allow it to dry out a bit.