Christmas Holiday Recipes Recommendations

It's time to finalize your food plans for the holiday gatherings. Remember, it is a family holiday, not a "food" holiday like Thanksgiving. You need to spend time with your family and friends.

college image of Christmas Recipe roundup

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Breakfast Recipes
Main Dish Recipes
Side Dish Recipes
Dessert Recipes
Holiday Candy

While everybody has different traditions, let's look at some of my favorite recipes for the big day. We try to keep Christmas simple food-wise. Thanksgiving is all about food, but we want time with each other at Christmas.

So, while most of the recipes on this site are "Christmas friendly," here are some that you will enjoy with your family.

Don't forget about food safety. For some quick reminders, check Holiday Food Safety.

Breakfast Recipes

A great breakfast is a beautiful way to start the holiday morning, but you don't want to be stuck at the stove away from the family. Let's do something special with very little work or that can be made ahead.

Small Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cinnamon Roll Cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. All the wonderful taste of gooey Cinnabon rolls and topped with a drizzle of vanilla icing. This easy smaller recipe is ideal for a small household or quickly doubled to full size.

Cinnamon Roll Cake from 101 Cooking For Two

How to Cook Bacon in the Oven—Quick and Easy

Oven baked bacon is the easiest way to cook bacon with no mess and no splatter while you do something else—perfect crispy bacon every time from your convection oven on an aluminum foil covered tray.

How To Cook Sausage in the Oven

Cooking sausage in the oven is the best and easiest way to cook any sausage, like breakfast sausage patties or links, smoked sausage, Kielbasa, Italian sausage, or even brats—perfectly moist and tender results.

Smaller French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole is a classic breakfast/brunch dish for family gatherings or holidays. Now you can easily make an amount that fits smaller households.

Image of French Toast Casserole on orange plate

Main Dish Recipes

What fun is a holiday if you are stuck in the kitchen? Here are some worthy holiday recommendations that will be something special you want without too much work.

Roasted Turkey Breast—The Easy Way

Don't be intimidated by cooking a turkey breast. This simple Roasted Turkey Breast recipe has crispy skin with moist, tender meat. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Sunday dinner.

turkey slice with gravy on orange plate.

Small Ribeye Roast

Ribeye roast is a classic main entree for special meals. A ribeye roast is Prime Rib without the bone, making it easier to cook and scale to the right size at home.

Small Crock Pot Honey Glazed Ham

Small Crock Pot Honey Glazed Ham will enhance a small boneless ham with pineapple, honey, and spices to make a great holiday main dish—perfect for a small household.

slices of ham with pineapple on white plater

Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak

Quick and easy, this New York Strip Steak Recipe uses the tried and true sear and oven bake method to get the best steaks every time. Your steaks will be moist, tender, and flavorful.

Pan Seared Filet Mignon

The perfect Filet Mignon Recipe uses the tried and true sear and oven bake method to get the best filet mignon every time—moist, tender, and flavorful.

seared filet on a white plate with potatoes

Side Dish Recipes

A holiday meal is not complete without some tasty side dishes. Here are some excellent choices that will round out the holiday feast.

Cheesy Potatoes with Real Potatoes

Cheesy potatoes with real potatoes from scratch, like grandma would make With no soup and no frozen potatoes, it is loaded with tasty creamy real potatoes.

close up image of cheesy potato casserole on a white plate

Broccoli Slaw Salad

Broccoli slaw salad is a healthy side dish with veggies, crunchy almonds, sunflower seeds, rice noodles, and topped with a wonderful homemade dressing.

Baked Green Beans with Bacon

Baked Green Beans with Bacon are the perfect side dish with any meal—an easy green bean recipe with brown sugar, garlic, bacon, and tender green beans.

green beans with bacon on an orange plate

Old Fashion Scalloped Potatoes

Old Fashion Scalloped Potatoes, like grandma made, Creamy cheese sauce, and layers of potato, all topped with more cheese and a classic sprinkle of paprika.

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

This caramelized Parmesan roasted cauliflower recipe will become your favorite way to cook cauliflower. Using fresh or frozen, it makes a great hot baked side dish.

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole with a pecan topping (or a marshmallow topping) has become a traditional holiday classic. This sweet family favorite can be made ahead with the easy-to-follow step-by-step photo instructions.

Dessert Recipes

Let's get a sweet ending to the family feast. You want a memorable dessert to top off the day. All of these recipes are guaranteed to satisfy.

Philadelphia Cheesecake Recipe—Vanilla or Chocolate Chip

Philadelphia Cheesecake Recipe is a creamy, decadent dessert but is an easy recipe to make as classic vanilla or with mini chocolate chips—it will become your signature dessert.

slice of chocolate chip Philadelphia cheesecake

Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

It's easy to make this classic, eloquent dessert by following simple step-by-step instructions. Finish with a chocolate ganache glaze, and you have the perfect decadent ending to any special dinner.

Closeup image of Flourless Chocolate Cake on a spatula

Easy Crock Pot Apple Crisp

Celebrate fall and apples with this easy classic dessert with juicy cinnamon apple filling with a sweet buttery and crispy oat crust. Great for the smaller households but easy to double for larger families. You need 10 minutes of prep time, a few ingredients, and your slow cooker.

apple crisp with ice cream on an orange plate

Easy Cheesecake Bars

These Easy Cheesecake Bars are creamy and delicious with a Graham cracker crust and lemon—the quick small-batch recipe you need with great tasting cheesecake bars.

Holiday Candy

Homemade candy is great to have around the house for the holidays and makes wonderful house gifts.

The easy fudge recipe includes instructions for a fudge wreath. How is that for the Christmas spirit? And the Crock Pot Fudge is designed to let the kids help.

The peanut clusters are made by most of our friends as gifts. It is so easy to make a large amount of great candy.

Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters

Chocolate peanut clusters are the best candy treat and are super easy to make at home in your crock pot. Lightly salted peanuts covered with sweet chocolate coating make the perfect gift, or keep them all for yourself—you can always make more with this smaller recipe.Only a few ingredients.

red plate full of chocolate peanut clusters

Crock Pot Fudge

Let's make some great fudge with this super-easy recipe using the gentle heat of your crock pot and only 4 ingredients. Have fun making fudge with your child or just by yourself. This chocolate fudge recipe is just what you need for the holidays.

pieces of fudge with nuts on a red plate

Crock Pot White Chocolate Almond Clusters

Super easy and delicious white chocolate almond clusters are the perfect gift for the holidays or for any special occasion. Simple with these step by step photo instruction for the perfect white chocolate candy.

white chocolate almond clusters on a white plate

Don't forget the dog treats, also.

Low-Fat Homemade Dog Treats—Healthy & Delicious

Low Fat Homemade Dog Treats are the perfect low-calorie treat for your dog. With only five ingredients, your dog will love the peanut butter and pumpkin taste. Much healthier than commercial treats—any veterinarian would approve.

Pile of homemade dog treats on a wire rack

Have a great holiday.

Molly, Lilly, Wifo, and DrDan

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Editor's Note: Originally Published December 20, 2017. It is one of my recurring posts that will be updated and republished about this time yearly