Christmas
1676 recipes found
Skillet Sprinkle Sugar Cookie
You don’t need any special equipment to make this superfun, supersize sugar cookie; just a bowl, a whisk, a spatula and a skillet. Not only is making one huge cookie instead of two easier than baking several batches, there is something extraspecial about a giant dessert that is meant to be shared. Eat it warm from the pan with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top; or let it cool and slice it up as you would a pie. Swap out the rainbow sprinkles for holiday-themed sprinkles or whatever colors delight you.
Gnocchi Gratin
This speedy take on potato gratin uses store-bought potato gnocchi instead of sliced potatoes. Not only does the switch cut down on prep time, but the gnocchi get soft and luxurious as they warm in the heavy cream. A sprinkle of nutty Gruyere and salty Parmesan melts into the creamy sauce, which is also scented with garlic, sage and nutmeg — that is, except the layer of cheese on top, which browns and crisps. Serve this as a side to roasted cabbage, asparagus, chicken or another protein.
Orange-Ginger Brussels Sprouts
Bring sunshine to your vegetable routine with a sharp dressing of turmeric, ginger, citrus and lots of black pepper. The combination is reminiscent of nose-clearing tonics and the spices in sabzis which can brighten roasted brussels sprouts as well as cooked beets, squash, carrots, cabbage or other hardy vegetables. Juicy orange chunks, chopped peanuts and cilantro (including crunchy stems) add pops of texture and freshness. This side would glow on a dinner party spread, or make it a weeknight meal by stirring in chickpeas or eating it with grains and yogurt.
Rumbledethumps (Potato Mash With Cabbage and Cheddar)
A traditional Scottish potato-cabbage mash, rumbledethumps is named for the sound a spoon makes as it rattles along the sides of the pot as you mash all of the ingredients together. This version is adapted from Ali Stoner (or “Roving Haggis” as she is known on Instagram and YouTube), who updates traditional Scottish recipes for the modern palate. She takes a few liberties, replacing cabbage with brussels sprouts and boosting flavor and texture with caramelized onions, fresh chives, punchy mustard and a crunchy panko topping. This humble mash invites variation, whether you prefer it chunky, creamy or topped with extra cheese and cream. It is complex enough to stand alone, with a sharp green salad, but it also pairs well with beef tenderloin, a simple roast chicken or a good pot of beans.
Sheet-Pan Eggs With Croissant Bread Crumbs
For an effortless way to prepare a full breakfast for a crowd, turn croissants into golden, crispy crumbs to serve as a bed for oven-baked eggs, fresh spinach and tangy feta. The crumbs toast as the eggs cook and the spinach wilts. If you prefer your eggs over easy, bake them for only 9 minutes, just until the whites have set. Scale the recipe up or down depending on the number of guests, or vary the toppings to suit your preferences.
Pão de Queijo (Chewy Cheese Buns)
Brazil's pão de queijo stands out among Latin American cheese breads for its simplicity and irresistible chewiness. The secret lies in tapioca starch, extracted from cassava root (also known as manioc or yuca) native to Brazil, which gives these buns their distinctive texture. Pão de queijo is traditionally made with queijo minas, a cow’s milk cheese with a mild flavor, plus sweet or sour tapioca starch (or both), but this adapted version uses more readily available cheeses and omits the sour tapioca starch without compromising that addictive chewy texture. The straightforward nature of this recipe is a great way to highlight your favorite cheese's flavor. While pão de queijo is traditionally enjoyed on its own, the optional tangy, sweet-heat guava dipping sauce pairs perfectly with it, offering a Caribbean twist on that classic guava and cheese pairing. You can freeze the buns for future meals and bake them off as needed, as they are best eaten the same day they are baked.
Vegetarian Miso-Mushroom Sausage Rolls
The art of a delicious vegetarian sausage roll is in creating a filling that is just as moist and juicy as the original. This recipe turns to mushrooms to achieve that feat. Naturally packed with water, mushrooms keep the filling moist while imparting an immense savoriness that is reinforced by miso paste. Using two different types of mushrooms — a combination of cremini or button mushrooms and shiitake, oyster or other wild mushrooms — adds more flavor and texture, but feel free to experiment with other varieties. These bite-size mini rolls are perfect for sharing and can be made ahead of time and frozen (see Tip), so are well suited to potlucks, picnics or any holiday table. A tip: The mushroom mixture doubles as a great vegetarian burger; simply shape into patties and pan-fry until golden.
Brussels Sprouts Gratin With Blue Cheese
Brussels sprouts are shredded and baked in a rich Gorgonzola cream topped with crushed, crispy fried onions in this lush casserole; its silky sauce is built in a blender to prevent clumps. To “shred” the brussel sprouts, discard any wilted or dark outer leaves, and using a sharp knife, trim off the ends, then thinly slice the sprouts across the core. But you can also slice them in a food processor equipped with a slicer blade or buy them pre-shredded.
One-Bowl Lemon and Olive Oil Cake
This standalone lemon cake needs no adornment; no glaze or drizzle, no syrupy soak (just a light dusting of powdered sugar if you want it to be beauty contest-ready) – yet it practically oozes with glowing citrus flavor, thanks to the fruity olive oil, tangy yogurt and a dash of piney nutmeg that highlight the various facets of lemon’s character. White chocolate and almond flour add hints of the nutty richness and velvety crumb of an almond torte to what looks like a simple yellow cake. Always seek out organic lemons for zesting, as conventional lemons can be coated with a wax you shouldn’t eat.
Lobster Mac and Cheese
This lobster mac and cheese harnesses the deep lobster flavor found in the head and shells to infuse the milk used to make the cheese sauce. As a result, a delightful undercurrent of intense lobster flavor runs throughout the dish, instead of just in random morsels. The lobster is very lightly cooked, ensuring that it doesn’t turn rubbery while it bakes in the cheese sauce. Though many lobster-studded mac and cheese recipes bake for an extended period of time, in this recipe, the cooked pasta, cream sauce and lobster are tossed together, topped with a seasoned panko mixture then briefly broiled just before serving. Perfect for company, this dish can easily be made ahead of time as part of a larger holiday spread; just ensure that the cheese sauce, pasta and lobster meat are cool before combining.
Pineapple Chow Chow
This piquant pickled relish is widely believed to be descendent from English piccalilli. In Trinidad and Tobago, chow chow is a staple during the holiday season, and is often served with baked ham and hops bread on Christmas morning. Typically Trinidadian chow chow is made by soaking a bevy of fruits and vegetables like Chinese long beans and green papaya overnight in a salty-sweet brine. This quicker stovetop adaptation nixes the need for a night-long soak, and incorporates canned pineapple to add both sweetness and heft to its bright and assertive mustard base.
Holiday Gingerbread Cake With Molasses Whipped Cream
This recipe for hot-water gingerbread — using an old but reliable technique for a moist, tender cake that starts with a base of molasses and boiled water — comes from the cookbook author and culinary historian Dr. Jessica B. Harris, who included it in “A Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook” (Scribner), updated in 2024 after its first 1995 edition. Here, the dessert is part of a six-course menu celebrating Nia, or purpose, the fifth principle of the holiday, though Dr. Harris bakes the simple cake throughout the season. The gingerbread, as well as the barely sweetened cream you should dollop generously on top, are both simple to make, and rich with the smoky, complex flavor of molasses.
Gingerbread Icebox Cake
Gingerbread housing is challenging work, with the cookie baking, precise cutting and delicate building — and that’s before you even get to the most important part, the decorating. Icebox cakes are much easier to assemble and much tastier than a gingerbread house could ever be. This icebox cake is disguised as gingerbread with its spiced whipped cream and gingersnap cookie base. Simply dressed with crumbled cookies, this cake is a blast of a blank canvas for decorating (see Tip), especially with little ones. But don’t deny yourself this holiday treat if you aren’t into decorating; it’s also a showstopper of a dessert.
Cheese Danish Bread Pudding
A whimsical hybrid of two beloved breakfast pastries – the flaky, sweet cheese Danish and buttery croissants, this recipe is the perfect, elegant but also warming centerpiece for any brunch or dessert table. Butter croissants are chopped and soaked in a flavorful brown-sugar custard and topped with a lemon cream-cheese filling, then baked in a loaf pan for easy slicing, and finished with a drizzle of icing. To freeze ahead of time, slice the loaf and place in a freezer-safe bag, separating each slice with wax or parchment paper, and tuck into the freezer. When ready to serve, reheat in the microwave.
Bacon, Egg and Cheese Strata
The classic bacon, egg and cheese sandwich is turned into a crowd-pleasing breakfast strata. Chunks of sandwich rolls are soaked in a chive and egg mix, then topped with thick slabs of bacon and grated Cheddar, then baked in the oven until soft and fluffy inside and melty and crispy on top. Halfway into baking, whole eggs are nestled into the top of the strata then baked until perfectly set, for a runny yolk that, for some, is crucial to any good B.E.C. Fresh chives are sprinkled on the strata before serving, plus a splash of hot sauce, if that's your thing. The strata can be prepared and refrigerated a day in advance, then baked right before serving.
Cheese Puff
Cheese puff is a scene-stealing side dish in which gooey grilled cheese meets cloudlike soufflé, defining itself as the ultimate comfort food. White bread, salted butter and cheese get bound together by a simple egg-and-milk mixture that coalesces these humble ingredients into a savory bread pudding. Stale bread works best for this recipe, as it absorbs the milk mixture better, but if you’re using fresh sandwich bread, simply dry it out in a low oven for about 10 minutes until stale to the touch (but not browned). Don’t be alarmed if your cheese puff deflates when you take it from the oven, as it’s normal and makes for a more custardy bite. While sharp Cheddar is a key component, any mix of firm, well-melting cheese, such as Gruyère, Gouda or provolone, will work nicely.
Chocolate Torte (Torta Caprese)
Torta caprese is a dark, rich almond and chocolate cake lifted only with whipped eggs. Originally from the Italian island of Capri, they’re usually made with raw almonds or almond flour. This version uses toasted, salted almonds to add a bit more savory, roasted almond flavor. The almonds must be ground in a food processor before folding into the batter, but if you don’t have one, feel free to substitute 6 ounces almond flour plus 1/2 teaspoon more salt. Adding some of the sugar to the egg whites while beating makes it much easier to achieve medium-stiff peaks without over-beating them. It also makes them smoother and easier to incorporate into the chocolate mixture and helps create a light flaky top.
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
One of nature’s miracles is that mushroom caps make a perfect vessel for stuffing. They are most commonly stuffed with a simple mix of bread crumbs, butter and herbs. Beyond that, there are many ways to sweeten the pot, like these crab-stuffed mushrooms. They are easy to make using canned crab meat (though you can use leftover crab or lump crab meat if you like), garlic, fresh herbs, Parmesan, panko and just enough cream cheese to bring everything together and add tang. The flavor of the crab is the star of the show and it nicely compliments the juicy, earthy flavor of the mushrooms. Feel free to swap in crushed butter crackers for panko or use hot sauce instead of Worcestershire for some heat. Whatever you do, don’t skip the squeeze of lemon juice for a perfect hit of brightness before eating.
Ponche Crème
A twist on eggnog, Trinidad’s ponche crème uses sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk instead of whole milk, cream and sugar. The name of this libation is a combination of Spanish and French, harkening to the island’s history of colonization: Ponche is Spanish for “punch” and crème means “cream” in French. (Despite different variations on the name, including poncha creme and poncha de crème, ponche crème is most common in spoken vernacular.) The condensed and evaporated milks create a thick, aromatic drink with a warm, spicy flavor provided by rum and Angostura bitters. Native to South America, tonka bean imparts a unique Caribbean flavor that is warm and spicy, with notes of vanilla, but it should be used sparingly, since it is a natural source of coumarin, a blood-thinner. If you don’t want to use tonka, mixed essence approximates its flavor. Normally added raw, the eggs in this adaptation are cooked into a light custard with food safety in mind. Ponche crème lasts, refrigerated, for up to three days.
Eggnog Pudding
When it comes to luxurious holiday beverages, eggnog really takes the cake. Or in this case, the pudding. It’s no surprise that thick, creamy eggnog makes an equally thick and creamy pudding with hardly any effort. Store-bought eggnog is mixed with whole milk to balance out its richness and nutmeg is added for an extra hit of nostalgic spice. Rum or rum extract can be added at the very end to lift spirits even higher. This is a perfect recipe to place on your holiday dessert table for guests, or to use up any lingering eggnog in the fridge after the party has ended. It can be topped with any accessories you desire, such as crushed gingersnaps, cinnamon whipped cream or simply an extra dash of nutmeg.
Caviar Pie
This retro dish looks spectacular and stretches a few ounces of caviar or other fish roe so you can feed a crowd (plus, it goes great with icy martinis and chilled champagne). It's not literally a pie but rather a layered stack of all the best things to eat with caviar: minced hard-boiled egg held together with melted butter, diced peppery shallots, and cream cheese blended with sour cream and chives. With so much going on, you can opt for an inexpensive caviar, paddlefish roe, trout roe or even tobiko. For the cleanest look, set the components in a ring mold. However, you can also layer everything in a shallow bowl or freeform onto a plate. Have fun and serve it with anything crunchy, like potato chips, flavored tortilla chips, radishes and endive.
Rum Cake
An old-fashioned family favorite, this buttery, moist rum cake is made even richer with a soak of butter, sugar and rum. Orange zest in that glaze then gives it an additional burst of flavor, making it extra special – the kind of cake that breaks out of the holiday mold and gets served at every gathering to come.
Miso-Marinated Pork Roast
This pork roast tastes and smells like the holidays, savory with the scent of rosemary, cozy with a caramelized crust and warming with black pepper. Even though the marinade has only four ingredients, the finished roast has the wow factor of a restaurant dish. The best part about this centerpiece? You can’t mess it up. And though the accompanying cranberry sauce is optional, it brings a welcome fruity tang and pop of red to the table. The sauce can be made up to a week ahead of time and the pork can be marinated the morning you plan to roast it.
Kettle Corn
Crunchy, sweet and salty kettle corn is a nostalgic childhood reminder of fairs, farmers markets and snack shacks. A feel-good anytime snack that is hard to walk away from, homemade kettle corn can be prepared easily with a handful of ingredients. Use a large (6-quart), tall and wide pot so the kernels have plenty of room to pop and the sugar doesn’t burn. A lighter-weight pot is also helpful to minimize the workout your arms will be getting with all the shaking. A glass lid is useful to better keep an eye on the kernels as they pop. You’ll be tempted to keep popping every last kernel, but it’s best to lose a few kernels than risk scorching the kettle corn and ruining the whole batch. Err on the side of caution, and remove the pot from the heat sooner than later. Kettle corn is best served right away but will keep, covered, for up to 5 days.