Food and Recipes Holiday and Occasion Food 18 Recipes To Try If You're Over The Holiday Ham By Cameron Beall Cameron Beall Cameron Beall is a writer, marketer, photographer, and creative with over a year of experience with Southern Living in the realm of homes and home building. She was infatuated by home design from a young age, credit to her mother and grandmother. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on October 14, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer We all love a holiday ham. The beloved dish is traditionally served for celebratory meals around Christmas and Easter, but you just might find it on a Thanksgiving sideboard too. Not only are hams easy to prepare and serve, they also make for a great gift for a neighbor or friend at Christmastime. Although glazing a ham seems to go hand in hand with the holidays, sometimes you just need something different. Don't fret—you can switch up your main dish without sacrificing the feeling of serving something special. Try pairing your favorite sides with a Classic Beef Pot Roast, Orange-Rosemary Roast Chicken, or Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin instead. These mains will be equally tasty and stunning on your table, and your guests will enjoy a spin on the expected celebratory menu. If you're looking for an alternative to holiday ham, try one of these just-as-delicious festive recipes for your centerpiece dish. They might even become your new favorite. 01 of 18 Pecan-Coated Pork Loin Roast Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Pecan-Coated Pork Loin Roast Take your pork loin to the next level with a crunchy exterior that is fit for any celebration. This roast is marinated in a brown sugar and herb mix before the pecans are added. 02 of 18 Classic Beef Pot Roast Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Recipe: Classic Beef Pot Roast You can't go wrong with this rich comfort meal that feels especially cozy for a holiday dinner. Just brown the meat, sautéed the veggies, add red wine, then let your Dutch oven do the rest of the work. 03 of 18 Herb-Crusted Prime Rib Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Herb-Crusted Prime Rib If you're not serving a holiday ham, Christmas dinner calls for a dressed up piece of beef. For the best flavors, rub your roast the night before with oil, herbs, salt, and pepper and let it chill in the fridge until cooking. 04 of 18 Herb-Crusted Roasted Leg of Lamb Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Herb-Crusted Roasted Leg of Lamb A leg of lamb definitely isn't a weeknight supper, but it is holiday table worthy. While it looks and sounds mighty impressive to your guests, it's a cinch to make. Cook it low and slow for a tender inside and finish it on high heat for a crispy outside. 05 of 18 Roasted Beef Tenderloin Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling; Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Roasted Beef Tenderloin The best part about this recipe? It will pair well with just about any of your favorite holiday sides—especially with a potato gratin. 06 of 18 Classic Roasted Duck with Orange-Bourbon-Molasses Glaze Photo: Alison Miksch Recipe: Classic Roasted Duck with Orange-Bourbon-Molasses Glaze Don't be intimidated by roasting a whole duck. It's a similar process to roasting a whole chicken—it just sounds fancier, making it the perfect holiday main dish. Plus, the orange-bourbon-molasses glaze gives an especially delicious and festive finish. 07 of 18 Pork Crown Roast Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Pork Crown Roast This roast not only serves as a photo-worthy main dish, but also doubles as a beautiful centerpiece. You can even take some of the work out by asking your butcher to prep and tie the meat for you. 08 of 18 Broiled Lamb Chops Southern Living Recipe: Broiled Lamb Chops From weeknight dinners to special occasions, this no-fuss recipe (with only 10 minutes of hands on time) will complete any meal. The simplicity lets the flavor of the lamb to shine and allows you to easily pair it with your favorite sides. 09 of 18 Spice-Rubbed Turkey Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Spice-Rubbed Turkey Who said turkey is just for Thanksgiving? 10 of 18 Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Burgundy-Mushroom Sauce Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith Recipe: Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Burgundy-Mushroom Sauce Take your beef tenderloin to the next level with this recipe. Stuffed with a creamy spinach, leek, garlic, cheese, and spice mix, it's so good everyone will be asking for seconds. 11 of 18 Orange-Rosemary Roast Chicken Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Orange-Rosemary Roast Chicken Roasted chicken is a foolproof main that is sure to please every guest. Plus, the aromas from the orange and rosemary will fill your home with a holiday essence. 12 of 18 Smoky-Sweet Baked Salmon in Parchment Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Smoky-Sweet Baked Salmon in Parchment Looking for a non-meat alternative? Try our oven-baked salmon that makes cooking for a crowd a breeze. 13 of 18 Cornish Hens Southern Living Recipe: Cornish Hens Though they sound fancy, Cornish Hens are smaller birds in the chicken family and can be treated as such when it comes to preparing them. 14 of 18 Braised Lamb Shanks with Parmesan-Chive Grits Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Braised Lamb Shanks with Parmesan-Chive Grits Didn't think you'd be breaking our your trusty slow cooker for Christmas dinner? It's the secret to making these tender and impressive lamb shanks that are sure to wow even your mother-in-law. 15 of 18 Roasted Chicken with Apples and Herbs Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Roasted Chicken with Apples and Herbs A whole roasted chicken plated with garnishes always looks eloquent no matter the occasion, but with apples and comforting spices, this recipe feels fitting for the holiday table. 16 of 18 Baked Pork Tenderloin Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Baked Pork Tenderloin Pork tenderloin is the perfect base for any spice mix, but we're keeping it simple with this one to let your sides shine. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the tenderloin doesn't get overcooked. 17 of 18 Herb Brined Turkey Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Herb Brined Turkey You won't have anyone complaining about dry turkey with this recipe. The herb brine keeps it moist while it cooks and adds plenty of flavor. 18 of 18 Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Anything bacon wrapped is a crowd-favorite and this recipe doesn't fall short. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit