Denver chefs share favorite holiday dishes and traditions, from poblano crema spaghetti to stewed black beans

No winter holiday — from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve — is complete without a proper feast. Below, Denver chefs share some of their favorite dishes to make during the season that remind them of their families, traditions and heritage.

Manny Barella of Riot BBQ, Denver

“In our family, Christmas Eve as a kid meant mom’s poblano crema spaghetti — a dish we would look forward to all year. She would roast poblanos and blend them with onion, garlic, Mexican crema, cream cheese and Knorr [chicken bouillon]. Then, she’d pour the sauce into a pot, add some water and proceed to cook it. This allowed the onion and garlic to cook. She would cook spaghetti and mix it with the sauce, then top it all with queso fresco. It’s a dish I cook every year in her honor, whether we’re together or not!”

Lorena Cantarovici, Maria Empanada

“In Argentina, Christmas is in the summer, so we try to keep the ovens off and we embrace cold dishes that are rich in flavor. One of the most iconic is vitel toné: a creamy, savory dish of thinly sliced beef topped with a luscious tuna and anchovy sauce. It’s a staple at holiday gatherings, often served alongside ensalada rusa (potato salad), matambre (rolled and stuffed cold cuts), and pan dulce (Argentine/Italian panettone).

Vitel toné is our version of the Italian vitello tonnato, a dish from the Piedmont region. Italian immigrants brought it to Argentina, and over time, it evolved to suit local tastes and ingredients.

Vitello tonnato is typically served as a light antipasto with a delicate sauce made from tuna, anchovies, olive oil and egg yolks. Vitel toné is a little more indulgent. Our version leans heavily on mayonnaise and mustard and often includes hard-boiled eggs in the sauce, resulting in a thicker, creamier texture. It’s not just a starter — it’s a centerpiece.

The dish’s cold preparation makes it ideal for our warm December weather. More than that: Vitel toné is almost expected to be on the table at an Argentine family’s Christmas meal.”

Lorena Cantarovici’s simplified vitel toné recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 kg beef eye of round
• 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk (for broth)
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt to taste

For the sauce:

• 2 cans tuna in oil, drained
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 4 anchovy fillets
• 2 hard-boiled egg yolks
• 1 cup of the beef broth (cooled)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Capers for garnish

Instructions:

1. Simmer the beef with onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves and salt for about 1 hour. Let it cool in the broth.
2. Once cooled, slice the beef thinly and arrange on a platter.
3. To make the sauce, blend tuna, mayonnaise, mustard, anchovies, egg yolks and broth until smooth. Adjust seasoning.
4. Pour the sauce generously over the beef slices. Garnish with capers. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Justin Freeman, Somebody People, Denver

“Every year, my family and I make slowly stewed black beans as a tribute to my Ecuadorian heritage. It’s a tradition that honors my mother and grandmother — two incredible Ecuadorian women who first sparked my love for cooking. It usually takes about two days to complete this dish from start to finish. The beans with red wine, sofrito and spices perfume the whole house. The smell is important, because when they are being cooked, we know that there is going to be a feast that follows. The beans are usually the first thing to start cooking and the last thing to finish.”

Jonathan Greschler, Proto’s Pizza and Nearby Bar Denver

East Coast to see family for the holidays. By the time I arrive, the cooking is done, so I take charge of the wine — and the cannoli. The cannoli tradition in my family started with my stepdad, Ron, and his Italian family in Queens, New York. From them, I learned that you simply don’t visit family without bringing something from a bakery.

In our case, an Italian bakery and boxes of cannoli. I’ll always remember the classic white boxes with the red and white string.

Cannoli are best freshly piped, when the shell is still crisp against the filling, so I work with an audience. I treasure that moment of anticipation with family gathered close, sharing the tradition with every generation.”

Jonathan Greschler’s cannoli recipe

Ingredients:

• A 2:1 ratio of ricotta and mascarpone (for example, 16oz ricotta and 8 oz mascarpone)
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tsp for every 24oz of cheese used
• Mini chocolate chips
• Confectioners’ sugar
• Cannoli shells
• Zest of orange (optional)

Instructions:

1. Whisk the ricotta and mascarpone together in a bowl until they combine and have a uniform color and texture.
2. Add sugar and optional zest. Whisk hard until fully whipped.
3. Cover and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
4. Once chilled, transfer the mixture to a pastry bag. Pipe generously into the shells.
5. Dip each end into the mini chocolate chips and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
6. Plate them in a pyramid structure, always. Even if you’re only making three, it’s more fun that way.

Chef’s notes: Buy the shells from a good Italian market rather than trying to make your own — there’s less risk of mishaps and ruining a good holiday. Pipe your cannoli the day of. They are infinitely better the moment after assembly. Don’t let them sit! Lactic acid breaks down the shells, and it’s the contrast in texture that makes great cannoli.

Travis Masar, Pig and Tiger, Denver

“For me, Christmas is a time for food and family. On Christmas Eve, our family would make kolaches: sweet baked breads filled with poppy seeds, prunes, sour cherry — my mom’s favorite — or my personal favorite, apricot.

These kolaches were always abundant at any Masar family Christmas, much like crawfish are at a crawfish boil. Grandma Masar would make about five dozen and they would often be gone before dinner was even served. As the years went on, Grandma continued to make them for everyone. But my special ‘going home’ gift from her would always be two dozen of my own poppy seed and apricot kolaches. No one else ever received this, which made it incredibly special to me.

After my dad and grandma passed away, my mom continued on the tradition of making Grandma’s kolaches, always striving to capture that special taste we all know and love. To this day, we still use Great Grandma Pytlik’s recipe — though Grandma also developed her own over the years.”

Harrison Porter, BearLeek, Denver

“Every holiday season, it’s highly requested that I bring a green bean casserole with me to every gathering. I love green bean casserole because it’s such a humble, comforting dish that always brings people together. I make mine entirely from scratch by grilling the green beans, making my own cream of mushroom with maitake or oyster mushrooms and making my own crispy onions by tossing shallots in corn starch and lightly baking them. Grilling the green beans gives this dish the perfect bite. The green bean casserole naysayers typically dislike this dish because of the soggy green beans, but my homemade version usually converts people.

Another casserole dish is my mother’s green chile casserole, inspired by my upbringing here in Denver. My mother makes this casserole with homemade green chile, egg and sausage every Christmas Day. It’s a tradition we cherish in our family.”

Aiden Tibbetts, Wildflower, Denver

“Thanksgiving dinner has always been a family affair for as long as I can remember. My dad brings and roasts the turkeys, diligently basting them throughout the day. My grandma used to make her potato dumplings and my brother and I would roll them into balls to be poached in a large pot. I still remember the excitement I felt the first year I didn’t need a step stool anymore to help make the dumplings. She also made the [red-cabbage dish] rotkohl.

This year will be our first without her after she passed away from cancer. I can’t imagine we’ll change our Thanksgiving dinner traditions, though — it’s time for someone else to carry the red-cabbage-and-dumpling torch.

My mom always makes the cranberry nut mold straight from a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, but tweaked with less sugar and more red wine. How much? Whatever feels right for the season. I’m not really sure how it became a Thanksgiving staple for us, but it provides such a nice contrast to the rich foods that it’s definitely a must on our table.

My only duty is making the gravy: browning and deglazing, simmering and straining and reducing, then thickening and seasoning with whatever herbs from the garden we feel like adding. Maybe we add a little anchovy paste or fish sauce for more umami one year, maybe balsamic and sage the next. These tiny tweaks give everyone something to talk about around the table — what they liked most this year, or what they’d change for next time.

The day is filled with gratitude for our German culture and joy in spending time making a meal together. It’s been a journey of improvement in so many ways over all the years we’ve done this. We used to have dry turkey with dumplings and cranberry sauce from a can. Now it’s a meal that would put most restaurants to shame, made by the people closest to me.”

The Better Homes and Gardens cranberry nut mold recipe (provided by Aiden Tibbetts)

Ingredients:

• 1 15- or 16-oz package fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1 6-oz package lemon-flavored gelatin
• 1 1/2 cups diced celery
• 3/4 cup California walnuts, chopped

For the dressing:

• 1 8-oz container sour cream (1 cup)
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• orange peel for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a 3-quart saucepan combine cranberries, sugar, wine and 1/2 cup water; lightly sprinkle unflavored gelatin over cranberry mixture.
2. Over medium heat, heat mixture to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in lemon-flavored gelatin until gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 1 cup cold water.
4. Refrigerate until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon, about 2 hours.
5. Gently fold celery and walnuts into gelatin mixture; pour into an 8-cup mold. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 3 1/2 hours.
6. Meanwhile, prepare dressing: In a small bowl, stir sour cream and mayonnaise until blended; cover and refrigerate.
7. To serve: Unmold gelatin onto a chilled platter. With kitchen shears, cut orange peel into flower petals to garnish top of gelatin. Serve cranberry nut mold with sour cream dressing.

Spencer White, Redeemer Pizza, Dio Mio

“My mom and I make beef Wellington together every Christmas, but we keep it simple and fun by using store-bought puff pastry and chicken liver mousse from Marczyk [Fine Foods]. On my rare day off, I prefer spending quality time with my mom over making everything from scratch. It’s become our special holiday ritual that’s all about enjoying each other’s company while creating something delicious.

My brother and I used to compete fiercely over my mom’s incredible oyster crackers, which would disappear almost as soon as they came out of the oven. Now we’ve both mastered the family recipe and make our own batches at home. What started as sibling rivalry has turned into a beloved tradition that connects our whole family across different kitchens.”

Spencer White’s mom’s famous oyster crackers recipe

Ingredients:

• 16 oz oyster crackers
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 to 1 cup vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 250°F
2. In a large bowl, combine oil and ranch dressing mix. Add lemon pepper, dill weed and garlic powder, mixing well.
3. Add oyster crackers and stir thoroughly to coat all crackers evenly.
4. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
5. Let cool completely before serving or storing.

Chef’s note: Makes about 4 cups of seasoned crackers.

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