Spice Up These 5 Holiday Dishes With a Dash of Hot Sauce

The holidays are known for relying on classic recipes that we all love, but even the best traditions can use shaking up once in a while. Updating your favorite holiday dishes with a bit of Revved Up Hot Sauce is a great way to take tradition in a new direction and make an old family recipe all your own. Bonus, it’s a great bonding activity – the holidays are all about togetherness, and who doesn’t love trying new flavors and testing their taste buds with their loved ones?

1. Turkey or ham (the main event)

While you could add hot sauce to your spice rub before popping a turkey into the oven, it’s important to know your crowd. A lot of families have varied levels of spice tolerance and desire, so leaving it as an option on the table might be a safer route. Either way, I recommend placing a few options on the table. Invite people to experiment and make an activity of it.

Best for: Pineapple Bomb (particularly paired with ham), Jalapeno

2. Dinner rolls

Adding hot sauce to dinner rolls might sound outlandish, but hear me out. While your rolls bake, melt a few tablespoons of butter and mix in a few dashes (not too much!) of hot sauce. Right when you pull your rolls out of the oven, spread the mixture over the rolls with a basting brush. You’ll get the buttery taste you love with a little kick of the unexpected.

Best for: Southern Style

3. Pimento cheese dip

The classic version of this recipe uses pimiento, a sweet pepper that brings flavor, but not a lot of heat, and just a touch of cayenne. Paired with the high fat content of the cheese, it’s not a particularly spicy dish. Try experimenting by adding hot sauce. This is a great opportunity to throw it directly into the cheese mixture for seasoning during preparation, but a dab atop each cracker is great too (and allows for mixing and matching with multiple flavors instead of committing to just one). Personally, I’d do both. Check out https://www.bonappetit.com/ for other great recipes. 

Best for: Southern Style, Spicy Cayenne (if you go this route, omit the cayenne in your original recipe)

4. Roasted potatoes

Roasted potatoes are a mainstay for holiday dinners, and with good reason – who doesn’t love potatoes? But let’s face it, though delightful, they don’t always bring a lot of flavor to the table. Riff on the familiar by dipping each bite in a bit of hot sauce. You get the starchy crunch of your classic roasted potato with a bit of zip.

Best for: Serrano, Peri-Peri Ghost

5. Deviled eggs

Deviled eggs are a classic party food rife with possibilities for innovation. Instead of garnishing with a sprinkle of mild paprika, which adds color and smokiness, but not heat, use hot sauce. It will add the color your guests expect and rev up the flavor to add your own twist.

Best for: Southern Style, Spicy Cayenne, Peri-Peri Ghost

Of course, these are only a few ideas; the possibilities are endless. Try hot sauce on all your holiday foods this year, and be sure to tell us how it went!

 Check out https://www.bonappetit.com/ for other great recipes. 

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