3 local chefs share the traditional holiday recipes they make at home

The holiday season is often defined by the dishes that make their way to the family table; recipes steeped in tradition, memory and meaning.

For three Minneapolis chefs, cooking at home during the winter holidays is as much about honoring their roots as it is about feeding loved ones. Each has shared a recipe that holds a special place in their family celebrations, offering a glimpse into the flavors and stories that shape their holiday kitchens.

For Ann Ahmed, chef and owner of Khâluna, Gai Noi and Lat14, laab is inseparable from the ideas of family and togetherness. A dish of grilled meat, herbs and toasted rice powder, laab is a staple in Lao cuisine and a fixture at Ahmed’s holiday table.

“Growing up, anytime my family had something to honor, whether big or small, laab was on the table,” she said. “It symbolizes abundance, good fortune and the hope for prosperity in the coming year.”

During the holidays, with a house full of relatives and the accompanying noise and laughter, someone was always slicing herbs, toasting rice powder or mixing the dressing for the laab.

“For me, this dish tastes like togetherness,” Ahmed said. “It tastes like the moments when everyone finally slows down, sits close and shares food that feels meaningful.”

Laab is more than a recipe for the chef; it is a ritual of connection, a reminder that food is best when shared.

His caramelized sweet potatoes with crispy exteriors and pillowy soft insides served atop a cumin-infused yogurt sauce were first introduced to him during his time working at 112 Eatery for acclaimed chef Isaac Becker. Leaf-Smith has since adapted the recipe for his family, where it has become a holiday tradition.

“I make this recipe each Christmas because my 8-year-old daughter Harper absolutely loves it,” he said. “It is a surefire crowd-pleaser that easily scales up to feed as many people as necessary.”

The dish, with its balance of sweet, savory and tangy flavors, reflects Leaf-Smith’s vibrant style of cooking, while making it easy enough for a weeknight meal or the holiday table.

For Amalia Obermeier-Smith, the executive chef of American Swedish Institute’s restaurant Fika, dessert is where memory and creativity meet.

Her spiced pumpkin cheesecake dates back to her first restaurant job at Turtle Bread Co. in Linden Hills, where she worked as a teenager.

The cheesecake, rich with warm spices and a gingerbread crust, has since become a centerpiece of her family’s celebrations, a dessert that bridges her professional beginnings with her personal traditions.

Together, these recipes tell a story of Minneapolis chefs who, despite their busy restaurants, find just as much meaning in the dishes they prepare at home. Whether it is laab shared among relatives, sweet potatoes made for a daughter or cheesecake inspired by youthful ambition, each plate carries the flavors of family, tradition and the enduring joy of holiday cooking.

Serves 4 to 6.

From chef Ann Ahmed. Light and fresh, this grilled beef salad, served in lettuce cups, will bring a bright note to your holiday get-together. Note: Most of these ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. Red pepper flakes can be substituted for Thai chili flakes, if necessary. You can find MSG in the spice aisle near the salt and pepper of your local grocery store where it is often sold under the brand name Ac’cent.

For serving:

To make the laab: In a dry skillet, toast the rice over medium heat, stirring constantly until golden brown and nutty, about 5–7 minutes. Let cool, then grind into a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.

In a small bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, MSG and lime juice. Taste and add salt to adjust the balance — it should be salty, citrusy and deeply savory.

Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium-high. Season the flank steak lightly with salt. Grill for about 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, or until cooked to your liking. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then thinly slice against the grain.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sliced beef, red onion, toasted rice powder, chili flakes and fresh herbs. Drizzle with the dressing and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.

To serve: Pile the laab high in a serving bowl and serve with lettuce cups, and cucumber and radish slices. Let everyone build their own bites and enjoy!

Hot, crispy sweet potato slices take a Mediterranean turn with a cumin-infused Greek yogurt sauce. Note: Aleppo pepper flakes are mildly spicy and brick-red and ground from chiles grown in Aleppo, Syria. You can substitute with sweet paprika combined with a pinch of cayenne. Adapted from a recipe by chef Denny Leaf-Smith.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sweet potatoes on baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until just tender (they shouldn’t be mushy). Let set until cool enough to handle. Peel and cut into ½-inch slices.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, cilantro, honey, lime zest, lime juice, cumin, pepper flakes and salt. Set aside.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Arrange half of the sweet potato slices in a single layer in the skillet and cook, without disturbing, until nicely browned, about 5 to 8 minutes a side. Repeat with remaining butter, oil and sweet potato slices. You may need to do this in 3 batches, using more butter and oil, to cook the sweet potato slices in a single layer.

Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 12 to 16.

Richly spiced, this gingerbread-crusted cheesecake is sure to win over your friends and family. Adapted from a recipe by chef Amalia Obermeier-Smith. She pipes a sweetened whipped cream onto the top of her pumpkin cheesecake, which is both decorative and delicious. If preferred, you can serve your whipped cream in a dollop on the side.

For the crust:

For the filling:

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, ¼ cup brown sugar, melted butter and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Spread crumbs into prepared springform pan into an even layer. Using flat-bottomed ramekin or measuring cup, press crumbs evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake until fragrant and browned about the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling.

Bring about 4 quarts water to simmer in stockpot. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1⅓ cups of brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves and salt.

In standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape beater and bottom and sides of bowl well with rubber spatula. Add the sugar and spice mixture and orange zest and mix again for 1 minute. Add pumpkin and vanilla and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Add sour cream and beat at low speed until combined, about 45 seconds. Using rubber spatula, scrape bottom and sides of bowl and give it a final stir by hand.

Set springform pan with cooled crust on an 18-inch square of a double layer of heavy duty foil and wrap bottom and sides with foil. Set wrapped springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour filling into the springform pan and set the roasting pan on the oven rack. Pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan. Bake until center of cake is slightly wobbly when pan is shaken, and center of cake registers 145 to 150 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 1½ hours (begin checking temperature at 1¼ hours).

Remove roasting pan from oven and set on wire rack. Use a paring knife to loosen cake from sides of pan. Cool in the pan in the water for 45 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath, discard foil, and set on wire rack; continue to cool until barely warm, about 3 hours. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 3 days. When ready to serve, if desired pipe sweetened whipped cream on top of the cheesecake or serve with a dollop on the side.