The Ultimate Holiday Dinner Party Isn’t Complete Without Blue Diamond Almonds

Food is always the focal point of holiday celebrations. So Yummy knows you have your staples that you cook for every potluck and get-together. We took our go-to holiday dishes and spiced them up with one of our favorite brands, Blue Diamond Almonds.

You’ve had sweet potato casserole more times than you can remember, but have you ever had it with a decadent, honey-roasted almond streusel on top? Chicken Cordon Bleu is a hearty entrée great for the holidays. Swap out breadcrumbs for an extra flavorful and crunchy breading made from cheddar Blue Diamond Nut-Thins®. We go crazy for these crackers because they are gluten-free and made with original Blue Diamond Almonds.

You can toss the classic snack almonds into a harvest salad or serve them up with cheese and crackers as an appetizer. Blue Diamond Almonds elevate every holiday dish with their craveable flavors and satisfying crunch. Don’t skip out when you’re putting together your shopping list — trust us!

Blue Diamond Almond Nut-Thins® Chocolate Almond Toffee

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 sticks of butter
• Salt
• 2 boxes Blue Diamond Almond Nut-Thins®, hint of sea salt
• 1 small bag semisweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup chopped Blue Diamond Almonds, honey roasted

Directions:

1. In a pot, melt the butter and brown sugar together until it makes a caramel sauce. Mix the Nut-Thins® in the caramel until completely covered.
2. Layer the caramelly Nut-Thins® into a greased and aluminum foil lined 9×9 baking dish. Bake the layered Nut-Thins® at 400ºF for 10 minutes. Take them out of the oven and place the chocolate chips on top. Let the chocolate chips soften and then spread over the Nut-Thins®. Sprinkle chopped almonds over the top.
3. Refrigerate until solid (about 1 hour), slice and serve.

Harvest Squash Salad

Ingredients: 

• 2 medium sized acorn squashes
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup almond butter
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small baguette or sourdough loaf, cubed
• Oil-based cooking spray
• 1 bunch kale, massaged
• 1 pomegranate (or 1 container of pomegranate seeds)
• ¼ cup soft goat cheese
• 1 cup Blue Diamond Almonds, honey roasted

Directions: 

1. Slice your acorn squash into rings and remove the pulp and seeds. Place the squash rings onto a greased and foil lined baking sheet. Whisk together the mustard, honey, almond butter, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper until completely emulsified. Brush the mixture onto the squash.
2. Place a foldable cooling rack onto the baking sheet and then place the cubed bread on top of the cooling rack. Spritz with baking spray and sprinkle salt and pepper on top. Roast the squash and the bread cubes at 375º F for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.
3. While the squash and croutons cook, build up the rest of your salad. Start with the kale then dollop the goat cheese and sprinkle the pomegranate seeds. Then add the coolled squash and croutons.
4. Finish the salad by topping it with the Blue Diamond Almonds, honey roasted, and a drizzle of your salad dressing of choice.

Pinecone Cheeseball

Ingredients: 

Cheeseball

• 4 blocks of cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 4 chopped jalapenos
• 2 chopped scallions
• 6 strips bacon, crispy and fully cooked, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chili salt, like Tajin

Garnish

• 2 containers Blue Diamond Almonds, honey roasted
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions:

1. Combine all of the cheeseball ingredients in a bowl or food processor.
2. Scoop onto a serving dish and shape with a pallet knife into a triangle/cone shape. Add on the Blue Diamond Almonds in a row until the cheeseball is completely covered.
3. Strip half of the needles off of a sprig of rosemary and add to the top of the cheeseball.
4. Serve with Blue Diamond Nut-Thins®, cheddar.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients: 

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ½ pound sliced ham
• ½ pound sliced swiss cheese
• Flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 box Blue Diamond Nut-Thins®, cheddar
• Canola oil, for frying

Directions:

1. Season your chicken breasts at least 30 minutes before preparation. We used a mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
2. Pound out your chicken breasts until they are ½ an inch thick. Place the pounded chicken on a sheet of plastic wrap. Layer the ham and cheese onto the chicken and roll up tightly. Then wrap the chicken roll very very tightly with the plastic wrap.
3. Once you have rolled up all the chickens, place into a dish or plate and refrigerate for at least an hour.
4. While the chicken chills, pulse the Blue Diamond Nut-Thins®, cheddar, in a food processor until completely crumbled. Place the crumbs into a bowl, and then fill one other bowl with flour and another one with the whisked eggs.
5. Fill a pot or a large skillet with about 2 inches of oil. Begin preheating the oil to 325 ºF before dredging the chicken.
6. Dredge the chicken in the flour, then eggs, then Nut-Thins® crumbs and fry for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden brown. If the chicken registers below 165ºF internally, place it into a low (200ºF) oven until it is completely cooked.
7. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley.

Crispy Cranberry Popovers

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups milk
• 6 eggs
• ½ stick butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup Blue Diamond Almonds, honey roasted
• Vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and butter. Then sift in the flour and salt and continue whisking until completely smooth. Cover the batter with plastic wrap and rest for at least 30 minutes.
2. While the batter rests chop the cranberries and almonds, then preheat the oven to 450 ºF.
3. Take a muffin tin and pour a tablespoon of vegetable oil into each cup and place into the oven for at least 10 minutes. While the pan preheats, mix the cranberries and almonds into the batter.
4. Carefully remove the muffin tin from the oven and fill each cup ¾ of the way with batter. Immediately place the muffin tin back into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, reduce the temperature to 325 ºF and bake for another 15 minutes. Do not open the oven at all during the baking process.
6. Place the popovers into a cooling rack for 5 minutes and serve.

Honey Blue Diamond Almond Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients: 

The Casserole

• 6 sweet potatoes, peeled and cooked
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt

The Streusel Crumble 

• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 container chopped Blue Diamond Almonds, honey roasted

Directions:

1. Mash the sweet potatoes with the butter, milk, cinnamon, and salt until completely smooth.
2. Make the crumble in a separate bowl. Mix together the butter, brown sugar, and flour, then once crumbly mix in the chopped almonds.
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a casserole dish and cover with the crumble. Add a couple whole almonds on top and then bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 ºF or until hot and golden brown.