Here's everything you need to cook, eat, and drink from now until the end of the year.
Every holiday is basically just an excuse to eat incredible food like there's no tomorrow. And Christmas time is no exception. So whether you're hosting a crowd or doing something more intimate this year, these festive yet deceptively simple recipes won't disappoint.
Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com
3. Mini Chicken Parmesan Lasagna Roll-Ups
Homemade Interest / Via homemadeinterest.com
This five-ingredient party appetizer features breaded chicken (grab a bag in the frozen aisle) topped with cheese and tomato sauce, then wrapped in lasagna noodles. Bake in the oven until golden brown and melty.
Recipe Girl / Via recipegirl.com
It's cute as heck, it's festive, and there's zero cooking required. Just slice mozzarella and ripe tomatoes, assemble on a serving platter, drizzle it all with olive oil or balsamic, and serve with sliced bread on the side.
Recipe: Candy Cane Caprese Board
Little Spice Jar / Via littlespicejar.com
These shareable appetizers begin with store-bought puff pastry dough. The dough is cut into little squares; topped with sweet caramelized onions, buttery mushrooms, and Gruyère cheese; and then baked in the oven.
6. Mushroom Bruschetta With Garlic and Rosemary
Our Salty Kitchen / Via oursaltykitchen.com
Impress your guests by passing around a plate of this umami-packed bruschetta. Slice a grocery store baguette and top it with creamy ricotta and sautéed garlic-butter mushrooms.
7. Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls
Simple Home Cooked / Via simplyhomecooked.com
Smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumbers, and dill are the only ingredients you'll need for these sophisticated roll-ups. Serve them plain or on crackers or sliced bread.
Recipe: Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls
Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net
Serve these as a party app or pair them with mashed potatoes for a crowd-pleasing main.
Recipe: Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
9. Baked Cranberry Brie Bread Bowl
Fox and Briar / Via foxandbriar.com
As if baked Brie weren't decadent enough, try baking it inside a warm and crusty bread bowl. All you need is a round loaf of bread, a wheel of Brie or Camembert, cranberry sauce or fruit preserves, olive oil, and thyme.
Recipe: Baked Cranberry Brie Bread Bowl
The Cookie Rookie / Via thecookierookie.com
Grab a box of Bisquick baking mix, some ground sausage, and cheddar cheese and you're halfway to this simple, yet tasty finger food.
Recipe: Bisquick Sausage Balls
11. Cranberry Pistachio Cheese Log
Carlsbad Cravings / Via carlsbadcravings.com
How do you make a log of goat cheese unique and worthy of your holiday table? Mix it with cream cheese, cinnamon, ginger, and honey, then coat it in a thin layer of crushed cranberries and pistachios.
Recipe: Cranberry Pistachio Cheese Log
Taste and See / Via tasteandsee.com
For this true drop-and-go recipe, just toss all the ingredients — frozen spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, scallions, shredded cheese — into your Instant Pot and wait for this creamy party dip to cook itself.
13. Cheesy Potato Casserole with Buttery Ritz Crackers.
Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com
Pro tip: You can actually make this potato casserole in your pressure cooker to save even more time and effort.
Melinda Strauss / Via melindastrauss.com
Instead of grating potatoes by hand, take the lazy (yet delicious) route and start with frozen tater tots to make these crispy potato pancakes.
Recipe: Shortcut Tater Tot Latkes
15. Crock-Pot Ham
Spend With Pennies / Via spendwithpennies.com
Pick up a fully cooked spiral-cut ham from your local market. This recipe is all about the glaze, which is made with brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and ginger. Brush the glaze onto the ham and into the slow cooker it goes.
Recipe: Crock-Pot Ham
16. Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
The Girl on Bloor / Via thegirlonbloor.com
You may associate grilled cheese with childhood comfort food, but this gooey sandwich can be totally sophisticated. For example: these mini grilled cheese sliders on baguettes, topped with arugula, sun dried tomato, and sautéed mushrooms.
Recipe: Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
40 Aprons / Via 40aprons.com
This creamy and tangy chicken recipe comes together in a single baking dish. Chicken thighs are baked in a cranberry marinade made with fresh cranberries, olive oil, maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, white wine, and rosemary.
18. Slow Cooker Prime Rib
Oh Sweet Basil / Via ohsweetbasil.com
There's only a tiny bit of hands-on cooking involved with this one. You'll have to sear each side of the prime rib so it gets browned, then transfer it to a slow cooker and wait.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Prime Rib
Chew Out Loud / Via chewoutloud.com
Pork tenderloin is marinated in a mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, and spices, then roasted on a sheet pan with veggies until cooked through. The recipe calls for potatoes and carrots, but you can use just about any vegetable you like best.
Erhardts Aat / Via erhardtseat.com, Erhardts Eat / Via erhardtseat.com
This baked pasta dish is made with any tubular pasta, onion, garlic, and a mixture of Italian sausage and ground beef. Top it all with marinara sauce and a duo of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Recipe: Classic Baked Mostaccioli
Hob and Larder / Via hobandlarder.com
This baked pasta is sort of like mac 'n' cheese, except, thanks to tangy, creamy goat cheese and sweet caramelized onions, it's been upgraded for a special occasion.
22. Sheet Pan Herb Roasted Turkey and Cranberry Pecan Stuffing
Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net
Prepare your main dish and your side all in a single pan. Making the stuffing is simple: Just mix toasted bread crumbs with butter, broth, cranberries, and herbs. Bake it on a sheet pan or in a baking dish with the turkey breast.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Roasted Turkey and Cranberry Pecan Stuffing
Adventures of Mel / Via adventuresofmel.com
These three-ingredient cookies are made by sandwiching peanut butter between two Ritz crackers and dipping the whole thing into melted chocolate.
Baker by Nature / Via bakerbynature.com
These homemade peppermint patties taste worlds better than the store-bought kind, and you only need five ingredients to make them. Form little patties out of condensed milk, confectioners' sugar, salt, and peppermint extract; dip them in melted chocolate; and let them sit until the chocolate sets.
Recipe: 5-Ingredient Peppermint Patties
25. Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
Dear Crissy / Via dearcrissy.com
The secret to these melt-in-your-mouth cookies is boxed cake mix. Beaten together with cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and eggs, they taste entirely baked from scratch.
Recipe: Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies
Megan Porta Photography
This festive winter dessert begins with store-bought gingerbread cake mix. It's topped with a sweet and tangy frosting made with cream cheese, crushed gingerbread cookies, vanilla, butter, and powdered sugar.
Recipe: Gingerbread Poke Cake
27. No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
Cravings of a Lunatic / Via cravingsofalunatic.com
Intimidated by the idea of baking? These no-bake coconut macaroons are going to be your new favorite dessert recipe. Just mix the ingredients in a bowl, scoop the batter into little balls, and let them rest on parchment paper.
My Baking Addiction / Via mybakingaddiction.com
These cranberry cheesecakes can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the fridge. And just wait until you've tried this gingersnap crust...
Recipe: No-Bake Cranberry Cheesecakes
29. Christmas Graham Cracker Bars
Tastes Better From Scratch / Via tastesbetterfromscratch.com
Introducing one of the easiest holiday desserts ever. All you need are five ingredients:Graham crackers, chocolate, butter, brown sugar, and pecans.
30. Peppermint Bark Pretzel Bites
Together as Family / Via togetherasfamily.com
Dessert doesn't get much easier than this. It's as simple as melting peppermint Hershey's Kisses on top of pretzel bites. Don't forget the M&M's on top!
Recipe: Peppermint Bark Pretzel Bites
31. Three-Ingredient Hot Chocolate Dip
Yellow Bliss Road / Via yellowblissroad.com
Serve these with anything from Nilla Wafers or Graham crackers to pretzel sticks if you prefer a savory-sweet flavor combination.
Fox and Briar / Via foxandbriar.com
Dessert tastes better when it's boozy, and these bubbly raspberry sorbet mimosa floats are no exception.
Recipe: Rosé Raspberry Sorbet Mimosas
33. Easy Bourbon Eggnog
My Kitchen Love / Via mykitchenlove.com
The name of this co*cktail doesn't lie: All you need is store-bought eggnog and your favorite kind of Bourbon or whiskey. One sip and it'll put you in the holiday spirit.
Recipe: Easy Bourbon Eggnog
34. 3-Ingredient Cranberry Bourbon co*cktails
The Beauty Blotter / Via thebeautyblotter.com
You don't even need a co*cktail shaker to whip up this seasonal drink. Just mix together equal parts Bourbon, cranberry juice, and ginger ale. Serve over ice with cranberries or a sprig of rosemary if you're feeling ambitious.