Do you clip coupons out of the Sunday paper every week? Ever notice the recipes?

As a copywriter, absolutely I can tell you that those recipes they include--and the coupons (obviously) are a way advertisers get you to build a desire to go out and buy their product.

But still--why mess with a good thing? The fact that these coupons and recipes are out there to stimulate the economy shouldn't be a reason not to enjoy them, while saving money, too! Included here are a collection of holiday recipes culled from the coupon pages that are traditional holiday recipe classics.

Some may even have grown up with parents or grandparents serving a few of these for the holidays.

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

They were advertising it as an alternative to turkey and ham, and why not? The dish has an elegant presentation to it and would be fun to serve on a holiday table--or any other time.

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic; minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 (6.5 oz) cans Snow's minced or chopped clams, drained, reserving clam liquid
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp black pepper, finely ground

In a medium saucepan, saute garlic in oil and butter over medium heat. Add reserved clam liquid, wine, parsley, basil and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add clams and simmer 5 minutes. Serve over hot cooked pasta with grated parmesan cheese. Steamed clams, as in above photo, optional.

Classic Green Bean Casserole

Everybody remembers this one. At least one aunt, or maybe your own mother would bring this to the family get-to-gether, especially, probably, if you were brought up in the Midwest. So what? Everyone likes it, and the green bean dish is one of the healthiest holiday recipes out there.

Ingredients:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
ground black pepper
1 bag Birds Eye C&W Petite Whole Beans (14 oz.), thawed and drained
1 1/3 cups crispy French-fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an oven safe casserole dish, mix soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, green beans and 2/3 cup onions until well combined. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle remaining onions on top and bake an additional 5 minutes until crispy.

Sweet Potatoes with Apples & Cranberries

A tasty sounding alternative to the usual cranberry sauce or mashed potatoes. This one sounds so good, I may try it!

Combine the following in a large Ziploc Zip'n Steam Bag:

2 medium to large sweet potatoes (about 1 to 1 3/4 lbs total), peeled and cut into bite-soze pieces
1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored and diced into small (3/4 to 1 inch) pieces
2 tbsp dried cranberries
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Seal bag and shake gently to combine ingredients. Pat ingredients into single layer. Place bag in microwave. Cook on full power for 8 to 9 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender. If needed, continue microwaving at 30-second intervals until sweet potatoes are tender. Allow bag to stand for 1 minute before handling. Shake gently to distribute ingredients. Carefully open bag and serve.

Mexican Cheese & Yogurt Dip

This one sounds perfect if you don't particularly like salsa, but still are looking for a tasty dip to serve with corn chips for a party.

Ingredients:
3 cups Dannon all Natural Plain Yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 medium red sweet pepper, diced
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons canned diced green chilies
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
Tortilla or corn chips or crackers

Line a small colander with 3 layers of cotton cheese cloth or a clean paper coffee filter.  Suspend colander over a bowl and spoon in yogurt.  cover with plastic wrap and will overnight to create yogurt cheese.  Remove yogurt cheese from strainer, discard liquid.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Stir in garlic, cumin, and salt.  Fold in sweet pepper, corn, black beans, tomato, green chilies, 11/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend and 2 tablespoons cilantro.  Spoon into crock or spread on a platter.  Top with remaining Mexican cheese blend and cilantro.  Serve with chips or crackers.