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Sysco Cookbook
Exciting holiday entrées provide new perspectives
on traditional tastes.
The time-honored flavors of the season
are as bold and rich as ever, but these
recipes offer a fresh twist on the old
favorites. Celebratory center-of-plate
dishes, intriguing salads, and creative
desserts seamlessly blend the familiar
tastes of holiday comfort foods with
unprecedented depth and vigor. Even
starters add a hint of festive flair for an
unforgettable menu. Who wants the
same-old, same-old anyway?

Grilled Vegetable Quesadilla

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Pistachio Wisconsin Peppercorn Feta Crostini

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Festive American Lamb

Crown Roast
with Oven-Roasted Vegetables

American Lamb Board

Yield: 6–8 servings

2 heads garlic
2 T. olive oil, divided
2 T. butter
1 c. Panko bread crumbs
3 T. herbs (rosemary, basil and thyme), chopped
1 American Lamb crown roast, cap removed
from ribs
Salt and coarse-ground pepper Trade Tips
Oven-roasted vegetables A crown roast of American Lamb is a special-
Cut half an inch off the tops of the garlic heads. Place occasion roast, created when two frenched
them in a small metal pan and drizzle with one racks of lamb are curved and tied together in a
tablespoon of oil. Roast in the oven at 350°F for one circle. The crown roast’s hollow center section is
hour. Cool and squeeze the soft garlic cloves into a perfect for holding traditional bread stuffing or
small bowl. Mash with the remaining one tablespoon roasted vegetables.
of oil. Set aside.
In a small skillet, melt two tablespoons butter and
add bread crumbs. Stir and cook until browned.
Pour mixture into a bowl. Mix in the chopped herbs.
Place the American Lamb crown roast into a roasting
pan. Rub the garlic mixture over the outside of the
roast. Generously season with salt and pepper.
Pat on the bread-crumb mixture. Roast at 375°F
for about 45 minutes or until desired degree of
doneness. Remove the roast from the oven, pour
roasted vegetables into the center, cover, and let
stand for 10 minutes. Carve and serve 2 to 3 chops
per serving.

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Pistachio Wisconsin
Peppercorn Feta Crostini

Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

Yield: 24 servings

1 c. Wisconsin feta cheese with peppercorns,

crumbled (or 1 c. feta cheese, crumbled and
mixed with 1 t. cracked peppercorns)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. pistachio nuts, chopped
1 loaf French bread (12" long), cut in 1/2" slices
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
Small Bites Combine cheeses and nuts. Mix well, then set aside.
Brush both sides of each bread slice with olive oil.
Crostini originated in Italy. Sometimes referred
Preheat broiler, and place oven rack at least four inches
to as bruschetta, these “little toasts” make perfect
below the heating element. Broil the bread slices until
appetizers but are versatile enough for other uses.
lightly browned on both sides, turning them once.
They can garnish soups and accompany steak
Spread each slice with the cheese mixture.
tartare. Many cooks prefer to bake their own
loaves to toast or grill into crostini, but French
loaf and ciabatta bread work well. As a general
rule, each crostini should fit easily in your hand,
and can even be cut into bite-sized snacks.

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Grilled Calypso
Shrimp Skewers

Cattlemen’s®
Yield: 12 servings

36 wooden skewers, soaked in water

72 pieces shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
Salt and pepper, as needed
3 c. Grilling Glaze (see sidebar)
Coconut, toasted and flaked, as needed
3 c. Dipping Sauce (see sidebar)

Thread two shrimp per skewer and refrigerate Grilling Glaze

until needed.
2-1/2 c. Cattlemen’s Sweet Barbecue Sauce
For each serving, season three skewers with salt and
1/4 c. Frank’s® RedHot®
pepper. Grill the skewers until the shrimp are opaque,
1/2 c. lime juice
basting with 1/4 cup grilling glaze (see sidebar) and
2 T. curry powder
taking care not to burn the glaze. Remove the skewers
1 T. cumin, dried
from the grill. Roll each skewer in coconut and serve
with 1/4 cup dipping sauce (see sidebar). Whisk together all ingredients.
For a dramatic presentation, stand the skewers Reserve until needed.
upright in a pineapple plank. Dipping Sauce

2 c. Major Grey’s Chutney

1 c. mango, finely diced
1/4 c. scallions, chopped
1/4 c. horseradish, squeezed dry
Whisk together all ingredients.
Refrigerate until needed.

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Sweet Potato
Cran-Apple Crisp

Bright Harvest
Created by Chef Richard Blythe Jr.
SYSCO Food Services of Central Pennsylvania
Yield: 1-1/4 quarts

1-1/2 lbs. SYSCO Classic Cut Frozen

Sweet Potatoes
3 lbs. SYSCO Classic Apple Pie Filling
1 T. cinnamon sugar
2 T. lemon juice
Crisp Topping 1 T. balsamic glaze
1 t. fresh mint, chopped
1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt and pepper
1/2 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. cranberries, dried
1/2 t. kosher salt
Crisp Topping (see sidebar)
1/2 c. candied walnuts
Pan-spray a casserole dish. Combine the ingredients
1/2 t. cinnamon
(except the crisp topping) well. Place them into the
1/2 c. butter
pan and top with the crisp mixture. Bake at 325°F
Combine ingredients and mix until butter is for 45 minutes to an hour.
approximately pea-sized.

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Harvest Stuffed
Loin of Pork
with Dried Fruit and Pomegranate Au Jus

Created by Corporate Chef Matthew C. Lucchetti

SYSCO Food Services of Connecticut
Yield: 8–12 servings

6 lbs. White Marble Farms Pork Loin, center-cut

®
1/2 c. infused blueberries
1/2 c. Craisins®
1/2 c. dried apricots, julienned
1/2 c. Simplot flame-roasted apples
1 c. pecans, chopped
Pomegranate Au Jus
6 fresh sage leaves
2 t. Imperial/McCormick Cinnamon Pan drippings
®
2 oz. port wine
3 T. Imperial/McCormick Montreal Steak®
® 16 oz. chicken stock
Seasoning
2 T. rosemary 2 oz. pomegranate puree
2 T. melted butter 2 oz. butter
2 T. maple syrup 2 T. fresh sage, diced

1 c. chicken stock Deglaze roasting pan with port wine. Whisk in

chicken stock and pomegranate puree. Reduce by
Butterfly the pork loin so it lays flat on a cutting
half. Finish with butter and chopped sage.
board. Combine blueberries, Craisins, apricots, apples,
pecans, cinnamon, butter, maple syrup and chicken
stock together in a large bowl. Place the stuffing on top
of the pork loin, then layer the sage leaves. Roll up the
roast in a spiral, then tie with butcher’s twine. Season
the top of the roast with Montreal Steak Seasoning
and rosemary.
Sear the pork on all sides, then transfer to a sheet
pan. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven until the
internal temperature reaches 160°F, approximately
30 to 40 minutes.
Let stand for 10 minutes before carving.

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Black Bean Corn Salsa
2 c. canned black beans, rinsed
1-1/2 c. frozen corn, reheated and cooled
1/2 c. red bell peppers, diced
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. cilantro, chopped
2–4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients together and season to taste
with salt and pepper.
Lime Sour Cream
2 c. sour cream
2 T. lime juice, or to taste
Pinch of salt, or to taste
Mix all ingredients together and season to
taste with salt. For a variation, add two table-
spoons chopped cilantro to make Cilantro Lime
Sour Cream.
Fall 2007
Grilled Vegetable and
Onion Strip Quesadilla
McCain Foods
Yield: 8 servings
8 flour tortillas (8")
8 T. vegetable oil
16 T. sour cream
8 T. prepared salsa
2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 c. mixed grilled vegetables
8–16 oz. SYSCO Imperial Battered Onion Strips
(SUPC 9272790)
4 c. Black Bean Corn Salsa (see sidebar)
16 oz. Lime Sour Cream (see sidebar)
Brush each 8-inch flour tortilla with one tablespoon
of vegetable oil. Place the tortilla on the work surface
with the oiled side down. Spread two tablespoons of
sour cream onto the un-oiled side with the back of a
spoon. Spread one tablespoon of prepared salsa onto
the sour cream, then sprinkle on 1/4 cup Monterey
Jack cheese. Fill with 1/2 cup grilled vegetables and
transfer, open-faced, onto the grill.
Grill over medium heat until the tortilla is slightly
crispy and the cheese starts to melt, then remove from
heat. Add onion strips and fold over.
Serve with 1/2 cup Black Bean Corn Salsa and
2 ounces Lime Sour Cream (see sidebar).
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Blue Field Salad

Schreiber Foods
Yield: 4 servings

8 oz. mixed salad greens

3/4 c. walnuts, chopped
8 oz. SYSCO Imperial Blue Cheese, crumbled
2 tart green apples, cored and thinly sliced
8 oz. raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing
In a large bowl, combine salad greens, walnuts,
apples and blue cheese. Pour into a serving bowl
Did You Know?
and drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
Serve chilled. People have been enjoying apples in hundreds
of ways for thousands of years. The apple tree
probably originated in southeastern Europe, but
it wasn’t introduced to America until the 1600s,
when European settlers brought apple seeds with
them across the Atlantic. Today the United States
produces more apples than any other country
except China.

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