By Emileé Edwards | Photographer

The holidays are a fun time for cooking there are so many fun recipes to choose from. Cooking with family and friends is a great way to spend quality time together. Here are some of my favorites for the season.

Six cheese mac and cheese:

Ingredients:

1 package of macaroni noodles of your choice

18 oz mozzarella

6 oz cream cheese

8 oz Velveeta, cubed

8 oz sharp cheddar

8 oz mild cheddar

8 oz Colby-Jack cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup half and half

2 eggs

1/2 stick of butter

1 pinch salt

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp mustard powder

Instructions

1. Boil a pot of water, salt the water. Once the water has come to a boil, add an entire box of macaroni noodles.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add all the cheese, saving some Colby Jack and sharp cheddar for later.

3. Add the heavy whipping cream and half and half to the bowl.

4. Add all the seasonings. Taste the mixture, then add more seasoning to taste.

5. Add eggs. Mix.

6. Cook the pasta to almost al dente.

7. Once the pasta is cooked, add the pasta to the mixture in the mixing bowl and mix until it is evenly saturated.

8. Add noodles and cheese mixture to a 9×12 dish and sprinkle remaining cheese to the top as well as cubed butter.

9. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden on top.

Green bean casserole

Ingredients:

1 can Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp soy sauce

a pinch of pepper

4 cups cooked green beans (fresh preferred)

Cooked bacon

1 cup fried onions

instructions:

1. Add the cream, soy sauce, pepper and green beans to a casserole dish and mix it together.

2. Add bacon to the mixture and half a cup of fried onions.

3. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling, stir the mixture again.

4. Add the remaining fried onions to the top and bake until the onions are crispy.

Sweet potato casserole:

Ingredients

1/2 stick of butter

4 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed

1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

topping ingredients

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

1. Add sweet potatoes to a pot of salted water and boil over high heat. Take them out once they are soft, mash the potatoes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°, and butter a casserole dish.

3. Mix together the sweet potatoes, cream, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, eggs in a large bowl and add to the casserole dish.

4. Mix the flour, brown sugar and butter until the mixture sticks together. Mix in the pecans. Add the mixture it to the casserole dish as a topping.

5. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the topping is golden and the middle is firm.