Our Best Recipes For an Unforgettable Christmas Eve Dinner

Casual: Classic Lasagna

Recipe: Classic Lasagna

Our test kitchen’s favorite lasagna checks all the boxes on our holiday meal wish list: feeds a crowd (of all ages), can be made in advance, and can be served in one dish. Our recipe is made with a meat sauce, which you can freeze, then assemble the lasagna the day you serve it. Our test kitchen made the entire lasagna and froze it, then thawed it in the refrigerator overnight. Both ways work great.

Recipe: Honey-Bourbon Glazed Ham

Glazed ham isn’t just for Easter. Make this bourbon-glazed, clove-studded showstopper the center of your Christmas Eve table this year.

Recipe: Pancetta-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Whipped Horseradish Cream

Pancetta (otherwise known as “Italian bacon”) adds an extra layer of richness and a deliciously crisp texture to beef tenderloin. Slice the beef into rounds and serve with Whipped Horseradish Cream.

Casual: Christmas Salad

Recipe: Christmas Salad

Pancetta (otherwise known as “Italian bacon”) adds an extra layer of richness and a deliciously crisp texture to beef tenderloin. Slice the beef into rounds and serve with Whipped Horseradish Cream.

Recipe: Easy Butter Rolls

A basket of warm, scratch-made rolls makes the most laid-back holiday meal feel special. This recipe, a favorite among our readers, turns out beautifully every time.

Recipe: Perfect Mashed Potatoes

No one can resist an extra helping of these buttery, silky smooth mashed potatoes.

Recipe: Green Beans with Garlic

This simple side dish of blanched, then sautéed green beans comes together in minutes and will pair perfectly with any dish on your menu. Not a fan of garlic? Omit it and top the green beans with toasted slivered almonds.

Recipe: Roasted Garlic Duchess Potatoes

Enjoy the comfort of mashed potatoes in a pretty little bite with these oven-baked Duchess Potatoes. All you need is a piping bag with a star tip to create the rosette shape.

Recipe: Orange-Ginger-Chile-Glazed Carrots

Roast multicolored whole baby carrots in a hot oven, then toss them in a spicy-sweet glaze for a side dish that looks and tastes more impressive than the sum of its parts.

Casual: Cherry-Spice Cake Trifle

Recipe: Cherry-Spice Cake Trifle

Everyone will be eager to dig into this incredible trifle, made with layers of spice cake, cherry-orange filling, and spiced custard. We love the rich flavors of the homemade spiced custard and Holiday Spice Cake, but to save time, you can use vanilla custard mix and use a boxed spice cake mix. Either way, prepare the trifle the night before the meal so it has time to sit.

Recipe: Gingerbread Cake with Buttermilk Frosting

We gave an old-fashioned Christmas dessert—gingerbread cake—a Southern twist with a tangy Buttermilk Frosting and Spiced Glazed Pecans.

Recipe: White Chocolate-Cranberry Crème Brûlée

Grab your prettiest ramekins and use them to make these single-serving crème brulees, which have golden, crackled tops, silky custard, and a layer of tart cranberries.