Lately it seems when the holidays come around, more and more people are developing new traditions and scaling back the celebrations, so sometimes it’s nice to see that not all is lost, and that younger generations are picking up the threads to weave a little nostalgia back into the season. We turned to NAIT’s Culinary Arts students to discover recipes for entertaining, and they definitely understood the assignment! These recipes here all combine traditional elements of the

Sweet Potato Cupcake “I created this Sweet Potato Cupcake to honour my grandmother, whom I’ve baked and cooked with ever since I was a little girl," says NAIT Culinary student Miranda McElwain. It’s a combination of her grandmother’s sweet potato pie, and a garnish of shortbread, Miranda’s favourite holiday treat.

Milk Bread Pot Pie Buns Large gatherings with lots of food are the hallmarks of the holidays for NAIT Culinairy Student Michelle Huynh and her family. But with lots of food comes leftovers: “Who wants to eat the same set up of food the next day?” So, she developed a recipe for milk bread pot pie buns. Be sure to use a scale for measurements and “cook with good intention and add a little love, as my mom would say, so your dishes turn out well.”

Quiche Lorraine “In Germany, we traditionally celebrate Christmas on the evening of December 24th,” says NAIT Culinary student Janik Hettinger. “However, the 24th is not a full holiday and my parents would work on that day. Therefore Quiche Lorraine was made at home as a “quick snack” for lunch before the traditional Christmas dinner in the evening.”

Turkey Dinner Pie NAIT Culinary student Dylan Reimer's recipe for Turkey Dinner Pie stems from a childhood habit of mixing all the components of a holiday meal together on the plate to create something bursting with different textures and flavours in every morsel. “I decided to replicate the experience in a pie, capturing the essence of a holiday meal in every bite.”