Celebrate the season with a delicious dose of team spirit! We’ve gathered favorite holiday recipes from our Sound Clinic staff—dishes that bring comfort, joy, and a little sparkle to the table. Whether it’s a nostalgic family classic or a new festive favorite, these recipes are shared from the heart.
Sound Clinic Staff Recipes
Shanea’s Albondigas Soup Recipe
A comforting family favorite perfect for chilly Colorado days!
By Shanea Martinez, Office Manager at Sound Clinic
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
3 zucchinis, chopped large pieces ( I like the mexican squash light green)
Carrots, sliced or bag of baby carrots
5 yellow potatoes, choppe large pieces
1 small can tomato sauce
1 onion, sliced
Fresh cilantro, chopped
chicken bouillon powder ( to taste)
1 can La Costeña sliced jalapeño and carrot mix
Garlic salt (to taste)
cabbage, cut into pieces (about 1.5 cup)
White rice (on side for serving)
Instructions:
Prepare the meatballs:
Roll ground beef into small meatballs and place them in a large pot of boiling water. Boil for about 20 minutes, skimming off any grease that rises to the top.
Add the base ingredients:
Add carrots, potatoes, tomato sauce, garlic salt, and chicken bouillon powder to the pot. Let simmer while you prepare the sautéed vegetables.
Sauté the aromatics:
In a frying pan, sauté chopped cilantro, sliced onion, and cabbage pieces until caramelized and fragrant. Add the mixture into the soup pot.
Simmer:
Let the soup simmer until the vegetables are tender and flavors blend
Prepare the rice:
While the soup cooks, make white rice in a rice cooker.
Serve:
In each bowl, place a scoop of cooked rice at the bottom. Ladle the hot soup over the rice, then add a spoon or two of La Costeña jalapeño juice for extra flavor.
(Optional: If your family enjoys a little spice, add the entire can of La Costeña mix into the soup while it cooks.)
Enjoy!
This recipe came together through bits and pieces of my family’s and friends traditions, reimagined into one cozy dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. It’s especially wonderful during the winter months.
Jaime’s Banana Bread (A family favorite)
Ingredients
– ½ cup butter
– 1 cup white sugar
– 1 ½ cups of flour
– 2 eggs
– ½ teaspoon salt
– 1 tablespoon chia seeds
– 1 teaspoon baking soda in ½ cup buttermilk (mix together)
– 1 cup smashed bananas (I use 3 or 4 bananas—the browner, the better)
– Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts or 1 cup of chocolate chips
Directions
In a bowl, cream sugar and butter (I usually soften the butter in microwave first).
Add eggs, flour and salt – mix.
Then add buttermilk mixture and mix well.
Mix in bananas and nuts/chocolate chips.
Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan(s) – I use the Pam w/ flour one.
Best to use two 7 x 3 x 2 loaf pans, or something close to those measurements.
However, you can use whatever you want!
I use mini loaf pans – I fill each of them about ½ to ¾ full and I can fill about 4 of them with this batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Skylee’s Spaghetti Squash Chicken Carbonara Alfredo
Recipe serves 2, or 2–4 if paired with sides or using a large squash.
“Please keep in mind I usually eyeball everything—even when making my sauce—so these measurements are approximate. Feel free to adjust! Also, if you have a favorite Alfredo sauce in a jar, that works too and you can skip the homemade sauce.”
Ingredients
– 1 spaghetti squash
– 2 chicken breasts
– 2 cups heavy whipping cream
– 1 tablespoon butter
– 2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
– ¼ cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
– 1 tablespoon minced garlic
– 4 large garlic cloves
– Olive oil (or oil of choice)
– Bacon (for topping)
– Broccoli (for topping)
Seasonings
(Used to taste—I eyeball EVERYTHING I season)
– Garlic salt
– Garlic powder
– Onion powder
– Parsley flakes and oregano (or Italian seasoning mix)
– Pepper
– Salt
– Paprika
– Cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
1. Prepare the Squash:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle oil over the squash halves and lightly sprinkle with the seasonings listed above. Place the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet. Place two large garlic cloves under the squash halves on the pan.
2. Bake the Squash:
Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the side rims are lightly golden brown.
3. Cook the Chicken:
Season the chicken breasts and sauté them in a pan drizzled with oil. To keep the chicken moist, avoid flipping it too often. Cook each side over medium heat for about 6–7 minutes, then check for doneness (adjusting time based on thickness). Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
4. Make the Alfredo Sauce:
Using the same pan the chicken was cooked in, melt the butter and add the minced garlic and above seasonings. Stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is lightly sautéed.
5. Pour in the Cream & Add Cheese:
Pour in the heavy whipping cream and stir. Allow the cream to come to a very light boil. Slowly begin adding the freshly shredded cheeses, stirring continuously to melt the cheese and prevent the sauce from curdling.
6. Adjust Sauce Consistency:
The sauce will begin to thicken. If it becomes too thick, add a little more heavy cream or milk. Taste the sauce as you go and adjust seasonings as needed.
7. Prepare Toppings:
Steam the broccoli and cook and chop the bacon pieces.
8. Assemble the Squash:
Once the squash is done, flip it face up. Take the two baked garlic cloves, which should be very tender, and add them to the center of the squash. Shred the garlic cloves with the spaghetti squash as you fluff and shred the squash strands (you can skip the garlic here if you prefer).
9. Build the Dish:
Add some Alfredo sauce into the shredded squash and toss/mix until the squash strands are fully coated. Top with sliced chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and bacon pieces. Add more Alfredo sauce on top, then cover everything with a layer of cheese.
10. Melt & Broil:
Place the dish back into the oven to melt the cheese. Once the cheese is melting, switch to the broiler for a couple of minutes. Watch carefully during this process and remove when the cheese is melted to your liking.
Drizzle with more Alfredo on top
Enjoy!
Amber’s Caramel Corn
Ingredients
– Fresh popcorn (pop 2 batches)
– 1 cup butter
– 2 cups packed brown sugar
– 1 tsp salt
– ½ cup light corn syrup
– 1 tsp baking soda
Instructions
– Pop 2 batches of fresh popcorn.
– In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, salt, and corn syrup. Boil for 5 minutes.
– Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Mix well.
– Pour over popcorn and stir to coat evenly.
– Bake in a large roaster pan at 200°F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
– Spread on wax paper to cool and dry.
Sweet, crunchy, and totally addictive!
Enjoy!
Reanna’s Italian Spinach Salad
My Favorite Salad in the whole world!
Ingredients
– Good Seasons Italian Dressing & Recipe Seasoning Mix (0.7 oz)
Glass bottle included + seasoning packet
– Red wine vinegar (this is the most important part!)
– Extra virgin olive oil
– Spinach or Spring Mix salad blend
– Carrots
– Sweet mini peppers (multi-colored)
– Cherry tomatoes
– Cucumber
– Red onion
– Feta cheese
– Salami (thin slices)
Dressing Instructions
Follow the instructions on the Good Seasons packet, but with one key twist:
– In the glass dressing bottle that comes with the kit:
– Add red wine vinegar to the V line (instead of regular vinegar)
— Add water to the W line
– Add olive oil to the O line
– Add the seasoning mix
– Shake well
Prep the Veggies & Toppings
Chop and prep the following:
– Carrots – thin circles
– Sweet mini peppers – thin circles
– Cherry tomatoes – halved
– Cucumber – bite-sized pieces
– Red onion – thin moon-shaped slices
– Feta cheese – crumbled
– Salami – slice circles into quarters
Assemble & Serve
– Add all chopped ingredients to the spinach or spring mix in a large bowl.
– Toss gently or leave undressed until serving.
– Add dressing to individual bowls when serving.
Enjoy!
Amber’s Grilled Green Beans
Ingredients
– 1–2 lbs fresh green beans
– Olive oil
– Salt
– Pepper
– Onion powder
– Garlic powder
– Cumin
– Smoked paprika
– 1 pack of bacon, cut up
– 1 pack of French fried onions
Instructions
– Fry bacon bits and drain on a paper towel.
– Snap ends off green beans, rinse, and dry.
– Add beans to a pan and drizzle with olive oil.
– Add spices (I just eyeball them!) and mix everything together with your hands.
– Grill on a vegetable grill pan for 10–15 minutes, until tender.
– Top with bacon bits and French fried onions.
Enjoy!