Celebrating the holidays with friends and families is as good as it gets, but you need great food. Here’s a roundup of some of our favorite Christmas recipes for you and your family this holiday season.
There’s nothing quite like Christmas dinner. You get your friends and your family together, you talk, smile, and laugh, and you exchange presents. And maybe the best part? You have a whole bunch of fantastic food and drinks along the way.
Christmas recipes are some of my favorite foods. They’re fun, festive, and celebratory. Christmas recipes are meant to be a little indulgent, and shared with the people you love most. They’re a special thing.
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Tips for Hosting Christmas Dinner
Before getting into a roundup of our favorite Christmas recipes, here are some tricks and tips for hosting a dynamite Christmas dinner this holiday season.
- Plan ahead. The single biggest thing that you can do when preparing food for a Christmas party is plan ahead. A lot of recipes can be made a day or two ahead of time, and stored in the fridge or freezer until the big day. Even recipes that need to be made fresh often have a sauce that can be made in advance. The more food that you have prepared before Christmas dinner, the easier it will be to make your holiday cooking go smoothly.
- Don’t be overly ambitious. One problem a lot of people have at the holidays is making too much food. We all get worried that we’re not going to make enough food, and we overcompensate. It’s certainly better to have too much food at Christmas than too little, and holiday leftovers are a wonderful thing. But even so, there are ways to not be overly ambitious when hosting a Christmas dinner. The biggest thing you can do is keep the menu small. It’s a lot easier to cook large amounts of five dishes than small amounts of ten dishes! You don’t need to have four or five sides … a good amount of one or two sides will do the trick.
- Strike a good balance. One key to a smooth Christmas dinner is to have a good mix of appetizers, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. That helps the dinner flow, and also helps people pace themselves as they eat.
- Pair with some good drinks. Finally, don’t forget the drinks! I probably don’t need to remind you not to forget the drinks at Christmas, but it’s a great idea to serve a signature cocktail! Think about the food you’re making, and what drinks might go with it. I love to have beer, wine, and one large batch cocktail to go with my Christmas menu.
Beef Wellington
Tender beef filet wrapped in flaky puff pastry and a moist and flavorful mushroom duxelle come together to make Beef Wellington a classic holiday dinner that just can’t be beat. The perfectly cooked tenderloin’s savory flavor pairs so well with the creamy duxelle and the crisp outer pastry layer.
Individual Beef Wellington
This Individual Beef Wellington recipe is made with ground beef instead of filet! A less expensive way to serve a fancy meal so you can have it more often!
Garlic Herb Roast Beef
This simple, delicious roast beef recipe is easy enough to make on weeknights and fancy enough to serve for holidays and Sunday dinners! Leftover roast beef is also amazing for sandwiches!
Grandma’s Pot Roast Recipe
This tender beef pot roast recipe is perfect for Sunday dinners and leftovers for the week!
Simple Roast Turkey Recipe
Our Simple Roast Turkey Recipe will have you cooking like a pro! This easy roasted turkey recipe is a must have for Thanksgiving or any holiday!
Juicy Roast Turkey Breast
This Juicy Roast Turkey Breast recipe is so simple and so delicious! Moist and tender turkey breast meat with that coveted, crispy skin!
Roasted Cornish Hen Recipe
These Roasted Cornish Hens are glazed in a sweet bourbon glaze that coats every bite. An elegant but easy recipe to make for Sunday dinners and holiday meals!
Easy Baked Ham Recipe
This butter glazed Baked Ham is one of the easiest and most delicious ham recipes ever! Juicy and moist with a caramelized brown butter exterior!
Bourbon Glazed Ham
This sweet & savory Bourbon Glazed Ham will look stunning on your holiday table! We love serving this ham recipe for family parties and Sunday dinners too!
Slow Cooker Captain and Coke Glazed Ham
This crock pot ham recipe is going to be a hit at your next party! A sweet, boozy glaze tops this sliced ham with such a unique flavor, everyone will be asking for the recipe!
Classic Beef Lasagna
This mouth-watering beef lasagna will become your new go-to lasagna recipe! Not too saucy, not too dry, it comes out perfect every time!
Pumpkin Lasagna
This Pumpkin Lasagna has the most delicious, creamy sauce! A little help from the store gets this cozy turkey lasagna on the table faster than you might think!
Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese is the definition of comfort food. Tender noodles smothered in creamy, cheesy sauce that will have you savoring every bite.
Linguine with Clam Sauce
Linguine with Clam Sauce is so easy to make at home! We love this version that has a creamy, lemony sauce with tons of chopped clams!
Baked Shrimp Scampi
This classic shrimp recipe is made even better by adding a crispy breadcrumb topping!
Garlic Butter Shrimp
This shrimp is served in the most addicting garlicky butter sauce that’s made for dipping!
Twice Baked Potatoes
Make these Twice Baked Potatoes with your dinner tonight! Perfect as a side dish for steak or chicken but also a great holiday side with your turkey or roast!
Potatoes Romanoff
Potatoes Romanoff are a super fluffy, cheesy potato side dish! We make this potato casserole for our steak dinners at home, or for a make ahead side dish on the holidays!
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
This loaded potato casserole is the ultimate side dish recipe! You can make this potato casserole ahead of time and bake when ready!
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
These Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes are so buttery and creamy, topped with crunchy bacon and salty parmesan cheese. A delicious and unique the fall side dish!
Duchess Potatoes
Duchess Potatoes totally belong on your holiday table! These crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside potatoes are the perfect potato side dish to any meal!
Apple Rum Sweet Potatoes
These Apple Rum Sweet Potatoes have a little something special in them…dark rum and tart green apples! Not only are these sweet potatoes going to be perfect for your holiday table, there easy enough to make for every day dinners!
Cheesy Crockpot Potatoes
These Cheesy Crockpot Potatoes are the perfect side dish for BBQ’s, holidays and just every day dinners! So easy to make, just dump and go!
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
This Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes recipe is one of our favorite side dishes! Thinly sliced potatoes covered in a cheesy sauce makes this classic casserole a perfect side.
Perfectly Smooth Mashed Potatoes
This super creamy, super fluffy mashed potato recipe is the only way we make our mashed potatoes!
Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar and Walnuts
With a smooth, buttery texture and a golden crust of caramelization, Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar and Walnuts is a simple and flavorful holiday side dish. The nutty filling adds even more flavor, bringing this classic Thanksgiving fruit to a whole new level.
Honey Glazed Carrots
Honey Glazed Carrots are such an easy side dish, they only take about 10 minutes start to finish! Everyone loves these tender, sweet carrots, especially the kids!
Garlic Roasted Broccoli
Delicious, roasted broccoli never tasted so good! This simple technique for cooking broccoli gives the outside a caramelized coating that really is so addictive! This broccoli is the prefect side to steak, chicken, fish, turkey or pork!
Peas and Bacon
Peas and Bacon is an easy side dish recipe that we serve for parties, holidays and every day dinners!
Creamed Spinach
Creamed Spinach is a classic steak house side dish that can easily be made at home! We love serving this spinach recipe on holidays with our turkey or ham, too!
Steamed Artichokes with Garlic Aioli
Steamed Artichokes with Garlic Aioli are an easy, delicious vegetable side dish for everyday meals of holiday dinners!
Green Beans Almondine
This delicious green bean side dish is perfect for your holiday meals and easy enough for everyday dinners! A buttery, crunchy almond topping makes these green beans super addictive!
The BEST Roasted Carrots
This simple roasted carrot recipe is on our constant dinner rotation- and also our holiday menus!
Green Bean Casserole
This Green Bean Casserole is a holiday dinner favorite! We kicked up the classic green bean casserole with fresh flavors and sauce from scratch!
The Best Brussels Sprouts Casserole
This cheesy, bacony, creamy brussels sprouts casserole is going to be your family favorite too! A tasty side dish that works with a holiday meal or everyday dinner!
Carrot Souffle
Carrot Souffle is fluffy and sweet and definitely a special side dish for holidays. Serve alongside your ham, turkey of beef main course!
Balsamic Roasted Asparagus
This delicious Balsamic Roasted Asparagus is a super easy side dish for parties, holidays and of course, every day dinners!
Creamy Bacon Mushrooms
This mouth watering mushroom recipe works for both a side dish or a topping for steak or chicken!
Grandma’s Stuffed Artichokes
This delicious stuffed artichoke recipe is a beautiful holiday side dish or a tasty addition to almost any dinner. These sausage stuffed artichokes are so hearty they can even be a meal!
Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
This Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole is a favorite Thanksgiving side dish! Buttery mashed sweet potatoes sweetened with brown sugar and a splash of bourbon! It’s a fancy – but easy! – twist on the classic sweet potatoes with marshmallows side dish.
Rice Pilaf with Almonds and Cranberries
This delicious Rice Pilaf with Cranberries and Almonds is going to be perfect on your holiday table! This rice recipe goes with both turkey and ham!
Sweet Cornbread Recipe
Sweet Cornbread is so moist and addicting. This sweet cornbread recipe is a perfect side dish for chili, pulled pork or a holiday ham dinner!
Homemade Bourbon Applesauce
This homemade applesauce recipe is kicked up with a splash of apple bourbon! A perfect side dish for holidays, BBQ’s or every day dinners!
Bacon Corn Spoon Bread
This cheesy corn spoon bread recipe can be serve with your holiday meals or every day dinners! Easy to make, just mix the ingredients together and bake!
Creamy Caesar Dressing
The BEST Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing ever. A secret ingredient makes our dressing stand out from the rest, you’ll never need another recipe.
Creamy Mushroom Farro
This Slow Cooker Creamy Mushroom Farro recipe is one of our new favorites! A make ahead holiday side dish that goes with turkey, beef or ham!
