Carefree cooking ideas for a stress-free holiday

Making your holiday to-do list? Planning holiday meals your friends and family will love should be an enjoyable and stress-free task. A few time-saving tips will help you make the most out of your time in the kitchen and leave your guests satisfied.

•Updating a holiday menu can be easy with a few touches to family favorites. For a crowd-pleasing dish, put a new twist on mashed potatoes with cheddar and bacon. Keep mashed potato flakes on-hand to thicken soups.

•Stock up on ingredients that can be used in several recipes. Pantry staples, such as peanut butter and jelly, have a variety of uses beyond sandwiches. Use grape jelly as a glaze for meats, or spice up a traditional holiday dessert, such as cannolis with orange marmalade.

•Choose one or two dishes that can be made a day ahead, such as appetizers or snacks and soups. The fresh-roasted taste of peanut butter, added to a simple snack mix, is sure to please both kids and adults. Most soups and sauces can also be made the day before, giving ingredients time to blend flavors.

For more delicious meal ideas and cooking tips, visit www.smuckers.com, www.hungryjack.com and www.jif.com.

Beef Brisket with Mushrooms and Pearl Onions

4 pounds beef brisket

1 (1-ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix

1 (10.25-ounce) jar low-sugar grape jelly

1 (12-ounce) jar seafood cocktail sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1 (6-ounce) package fresh sliced mushrooms

1 (16-ounce) package frozen white pearl onions, thawed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

No-stick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil in shallow roasting pan with foil extending 6 inches beyond pan on either side. Spray with no-stick cooking spray. Place brisket fat-side down in middle of foil.

Combine dry onion soup mix with jelly and cocktail sauce in medium bowl. Pour half of mixture over brisket; turn brisket fat-side up, covering with remaining onion mixture. Bring both sides of foil to middle and fold foil down on itself several times. Repeat with two remaining sides. Bake 3 hours or until fork-tender. Remove from oven. (Brisket can be cooled and held in refrigerator overnight at this point.)

In 10-inch skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter; sauté mushrooms and onions 5 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown.

Remove brisket from pan; pour off juices, skimming fat off top. Remove layer of fat from brisket. Slice meat across grain into thin slices. Return meat to roaster. Top meat with mushroom mixture, meat juices and tarragon. Cover with foil. Return to oven to heat through before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Winter Peanut Snack Mix

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter & honey

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups toasted rice and corn cereal with honey and nuts

1 cup honey roasted peanuts

1 cup pretzels (like midgets or snaps)

1/2 cup sunflower kernels

1 (6-ounce) package dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine butter, peanut butter, vanilla and cinnamon in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100 percent power) 35 to 45 seconds; stir until well blended. Combine cereal, peanuts, pretzels, sunflower kernels and cranberries in large bowl. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture; toss well to coat. Line sheet pan with foil; spread mixture evenly across pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; cool. Store in resealable plastic bag.

Makes about 6 cups

Cheddar & Bacon Smashed Potatoes

2 1/2 cups water

5 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream, half-and-half or milk

1 (4.9-ounce) package cheddar & bacon potatoes

2 cups mashed potato flakes

1/3 cup crumbled crisply cooked bacon (4 slices), if desired

Combine water, butter, salt, heavy cream, sauce mix and potato slices in 3-quart saucepan; stir. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat. Add potato flakes and additional bacon, if desired. Stir just until potato flakes are incorporated.

Makes 5 cups or 10 ( 1/2 cup) servings

Variation: For added zip, stir in 2 tablespoons pure horseradish with potato flakes.

Pumpkin Roll with Crunchy Peanut Butter Cream Cake

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup all purpose or unbleached flour

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup extra crunchy peanut butter

1 teaspoon almond extract

Topping:

Caramel sundae syrup

3 tablespoons cocktail peanuts, chopped

Cake: Preheat oven to 375°F. Sift powdered sugar generously over 12 x 17-inch area of clean kitchen towel. Grease 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan. Line pan with waxed paper. Grease and flour waxed paper. Combine pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and flour in small bowl. Beat eggs in mixing bowl with electric mixer; gradually beat in sugar and pumpkin, scraping bowl between additions. Add flour mixture. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately loosen cake around edges and invert cake onto prepared towel. Carefully remove paper. Roll cake, beginning at narrow end. Cool on wire rack 45 minutes.

Filling: Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and extract in medium bowl until well combined. Unroll cake; spread peanut butter cream evenly to edges of cake. Re-roll cake; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours before serving.

Topping: Drizzle with caramel syrup and chopped peanuts.

Makes 10 servings

Hearty Potato Soup with Caramelized Root Vegetables

4 slices smoked bacon

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped yellow onions

2 leeks, cleaned and sliced (white and pale green parts only)

2 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced

2 parsnips, cleaned and sliced

2 medium carrots, cleaned and sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14-ounce) cans chicken stock

3 cups half-and-half or milk

2 cups mashed potato flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Cook bacon in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove cooked bacon. Cool and crumble. Set aside. Add oil, onions, leeks, celery, parsnips and carrots to bacon drippings in pan. Reduce heat to medium, cooking slowly, about 25 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown lightly. Add garlic; cook 5 minutes more. Add chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; stir in half-and-half, mashed potato flakes, thyme, salt, pepper, parsley and reserved bacon. Warm through and serve.

Makes 8 servings

Citrus Cream Cannoli

1/3 cup orange marmalade

1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese, drained

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon fresh orange zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash cinnamon

14 to 18 purchased cannoli shells

Mini chocolate chips, holiday jimmies or decors, for garnish

Additional powdered sugar

Combine marmalade, ricotta, powdered sugar, orange zest, vanilla and cinnamon in medium bowl. Spoon mixture into pastry bag without tip or resealable bag with one corner cut off. Pipe into shells. Chill at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Garnish with mini chocolate chips, holiday jimmies or decors. Arrange on platter; sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Makes 14 to 18

Note: Cannoli shells are available in your grocer’s cookie aisle or at Italian specialty shops.