Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Recipes 50 Christmas Buffet Recipes the Whole Family Will Love By Southern Living Editors Updated on April 15, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall 'Tis the season to spend time with your loved ones and dig into delicious food. To cater to our ever-growing families, Southern Christmas dinners often end up bearing more resemblance to a buffet line than a traditional sit-down meal. And let's be honest—an assembly line is the most effective way to get a taste of each dish in a timely manner. Christmas buffets allow for a range of offerings, which is ideal for the picky eaters of the group. Christmas buffets have all the classic dishes from Savory Sweet Potato Casserole to Twice-Baked Potatoes, but with a couple Southern additions such as Spiced Pumpkin Grits or Macaroni Pie. Whether you're celebrating on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, these are crowd favorite recipes that are simply irresistible. Calories don't count on Christmas, so spend the holiday with great food and even better company. 01 of 50 Savory Sweet Potato Casserole Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Savory Sweet Potato Casserole Savory and sweet—how can that be? If we had our guess, it would be from the perfect medley of marshmallows and parmesan herb topping. 02 of 50 Christmas Salad Alison Miksch Recipe: Christmas Salad Hearty and filling, this festive winter salad is just what your Christmas spread needs. 03 of 50 Skillet-Roasted Carrots Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley Recipe: Skillet-Roasted Carrots Get your veggie fill in with these well-seasoned, roasted carrots. 04 of 50 Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole Atonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Creamy Whipped Potato Casserole Two types of potatoes come together to create one creamy casserole. 05 of 50 Spice-Rubbed Tenderloin with Mustard-Cream Sauce Alison Miksch Recipe: Spice-Rubbed Tenderloin with Mustard-Cream Sauce This tenderloin is the perfect buffet addition. Just grab a slice and dress it with its creamy sauce. 06 of 50 Melting Sweet Potatoes Atonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Melting Sweet Potatoes Let sweet potatoes shine by roasting them and serving them up on a platter covered with a syrup drizzle. 07 of 50 Christmas Crab Cakes Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Christmas Crab Cakes For a slightly more laid-back main dish, but just as delicious, serve up crab cakes on the buffet this year, 08 of 50 Old Fashioned Gingerbread Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Old Fashioned Gingerbread Nothing fills your home with the scents of the season quite like a batch of fresh-baked gingerbread. 09 of 50 Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland Recipe: Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs Both kids and adults will love these slow-cooker meatballs. You can serve them as an appetizer or as a part of the main meal. 10 of 50 Red Velvet Cake Crinkle Cookies Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Red Velvet Cake Crinkle Cookies These Red Velvet cookies are easier to serve than cake but still deliver the same flavor. 11 of 50 Ham Delights Photographer: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Ham Delights Welcome at any gathering, this classic party dish never last long. 12 of 50 Cranberry Baked Brie Bites Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Cranberry Baked Brie Bites A mix of cranberries and fresh herbs add the colors of Christmas to these Brie bites. 13 of 50 Glazed Ham with Pineapple Chutney Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Glazed Ham with Pineapple Chutney Instead of using a glaze from a restaurant or grocery store, wow your guests with this homemade pineapple version. 14 of 50 Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus Jennifer Causey Recipe: Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus These bundles of asparagus stems are the perfect mixture of smoky and savory. 15 of 50 Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Whether served alongside the ham or stuffed with ham, we bet these savory biscuits will be one of the first things to disappear from the buffet table. 16 of 50 Best Deviled Eggs Southern Living Recipe: Best Deviled Eggs It's not a true Southern meal without deviled eggs. 17 of 50 Classic Candied Yams Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Candied Yams Holidays can be hectic, which is why we like to lean on make-ahead recipes. These yams can be assembled up to three days in advance. 18 of 50 Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel Iain Bagwell Recipe: Cornbread Dressing with Sausage and Fennel Recipe Just like Mama makes it, this cornbread will melt in your mouth. 19 of 50 Macaroni Pie Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Macaroni Pie This dish is something everyone will love, especially the kids! 20 of 50 Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust Jennifer Davick Recipe: Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust Easy as pie, this potato-filled dish is our new favorite holiday recipe. 21 of 50 Gingerbread Roulade and Eggnog Cream Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Gingerbread Roulade and Eggnog Cream This gingerbread cake roll is decadently rich and oh-so festive. 22 of 50 Broccoli-Cheese Casserole Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Casserole Broccoli is a fan-favorite vegetable, but when it's mixed with cheese it becomes the ultimate dish. 23 of 50 Pork Crown Roast Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Pork Crown Roast This pork roast will be the star of the Christmas buffet. 24 of 50 Old-School Squash Casserole Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Old-School Squash Casserole Holiday guests will crave this cheesy and crunchy casserole. 25 of 50 Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks Linda Puglies; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks This holiday staple is elevated with crispy leeks as a topping. 26 of 50 Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder Photo: Alison Miksch Recipe: Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder Everyone will be begging for this tangy and savory pork recipe. 27 of 50 Pecan Pie Brownies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Pecan Pie Brownies This dessert combines our two favorite things: pecans and brownies. 28 of 50 Sweet Potato Biscuits Micah A. Leal Recipe: Sweet Potato Biscuits We'll take our biscuits with butter and honey please. 29 of 50 Okra and Rice Casserole Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Okra and Rice Casserole Okra belongs at every Southern meal, no matter the season. 30 of 50 Molded Cranberry Salad Hector M Sanchez Recipe: Molded Cranberry Salad Cool down with this cranberryberry-filled congealed salad. 31 of 50 Crispy Potatoes Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Katelyn Hardwick Recipe: Crispy Potatoes All-purpose potato, like russet, Yukon gold, red, or fingerling, are all good choices for this crowd-favorite potato dish. 32 of 50 Beer-Braised Pot Roast Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Beer-Braised Pot Roast This deliciously savory pot roast is packed with flavor from the dark stout beer and beef stock. 33 of 50 Twice-Baked Potatoes Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Twice-Baked Potatoes Filled with all the good stuff—these baked potatoes are stuffed with cheese, bacon, and green onions. 34 of 50 Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Pecans, and Cornflakes Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Pecans, and Cornflakes You'll certainly get your sweet tooth filled with this loaded sweet potato casserole. 35 of 50 Christmas Snow Salad Jennifer Causey Recipe: Christmas Snow Salad It wouldn't be a holiday spread without a colorful congealed salad or two. 36 of 50 Easy Skillet Apple Pie Luca Trovato Recipe: Easy Skillet Apple Pie Apple pie is a quintessentially Southern treat, and a trusty cast-iron skillet takes the timeless dessert to the next level. 37 of 50 Apple Pie Cookies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Apple Pie Cookies These sugary cookies are almost better than an actual apple pie. 38 of 50 Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Nothing warms us up quite like a classic pot pie. 39 of 50 Butter Pecan Cheesecake Photo: Alison Miksch, prop styling: Prissy Lee, food styling: Erin Merhar Recipe: Butter Pecan Cheesecake This tangy cheesecake is oh-so rich. 40 of 50 Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots A vegetable side so delicious that it will convert even the pickiest eaters. 41 of 50 Chocolate-Peppermint Swirl Sandwich Cookies Victori Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chocolate-Peppermint Swirl Sandwich Cookies These holiday cookies are so irresistible, you won't want to share. Good thing each one has two sides. 42 of 50 Corn Pudding Casserole Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Corn Pudding Casserole This creamy corn dish can be made with fresh or frozen corn. 43 of 50 Mini Pumpkin Pies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Mini Pumpkin Pies Top off these bite-sized pies with some whipped cream. 44 of 50 Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole Switch up the usual sweet potato casserole by using thinly sliced potatoes for a crispier texture. 45 of 50 Cornmeal Popovers Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Cornmeal Popovers Meet our Southern take on classic popovers. 46 of 50 Cranberry Sauce Iain Bagwell Recipe: Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce It's not a Christmas feast without a side of cranberry sauce. 47 of 50 Overnight Yeast Rolls Southern Living Recipe: Overnight Yeast Rolls The claimed favorite at the Christmas table are these fluffy rolls. 48 of 50 Cornflake Wreath Christmas Cookies Southern Living Recipe: Cornflake Wreath Christmas Cookies Wreaths aren't just meant for hanging on your front door. 49 of 50 Praline Mini Cakes Southern Living Recipe: Praline Mini Cakes These mini cakes are the perfect bite-sized treat after your Christmas meal. 50 of 50 Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes Southern Living Recipe: Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes It's simply not a holiday meal without classic mashed potatoes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit