Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Recipes 40 Vintage Christmas Recipes That Deserve a Comeback By Kaitlyn Yarborough Kaitlyn Yarborough Part of the Southern Living team since 2017, Kaitlyn Yarborough is a Georgia native living in Austin, Texas, who covers a wide variety of topics for both the magazine and website, focusing on culture and lifestyle content, as well as travel in the South. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 31, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer In the South, Christmas season revolves around family, time-honored traditions, and the kitchen. We can't think about our childhood Christmas memories without landing on our favorite holiday meals and treats that make appearances year after year—and are passed down generation to generation. From mouthwatering roasts to perfect pound cakes, our Christmas recipes are too good to forget. At Southern Living, we've featured some of the very best holiday recipes that deserve to be spotlighted yet again.These throwback recipes go back decades and feature the old-school holiday dishes we have loved the most. Several were developed in our test kitchen, but many were submitted by our talented readers over the years. Spice up your holiday menu this year by giving these vintage Christmas recipes another look—you might just be reminded of that family classic that needs to be introduced to a new generation. 01 of 40 Christmas Snow Salad Jennifer Causey Recipe: Christmas Snow Salad Originally from our November 1982 issue, this bright retro salad still deserves a spot on your Christmas buffet today. It's not only pretty, but it's a refreshing option to heavy holiday sides. 02 of 40 Honey-Glazed Spiced Carrots Iain Bagwell Recipe: Honey-Glazed Spiced Carrots Once a classic side for Christmas Eve, glazed carrots offer the sweetness that sweet potato casserole does on Thanksgiving. Carrots, meet your special-occasion makeover. 03 of 40 Apple-Bourbon Pie Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Apple-Bourbon Pie Apple pie might be a traditional Christmas dessert, but this creative version submitted by Eugenia W. Bell of Lexington, Kentucky is anything but ordinary. It gets a spiced twist from bourbon-infused raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, apricot preserves, and toasted pecans or walnuts. 04 of 40 Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland Recipe: Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs The not-so-secret ingredient to the best meatballs is grape jelly. Make sure to have a crock of these slow-cooker meatballs ready for hungry guests when they arrive—they'll go fast. 05 of 40 Baked Ham with Brown Sugar-Citrus Glaze Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Baked Ham with Brown Sugar-Citrus Glaze With a glistening ham residing at the head of the holiday table, you're already off to a good start. It pairs well with any side Mama wants to serve. Bonus—all you have to do is glaze and heat. 06 of 40 Homemade Eggnog Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis Recipe: Homemade Eggnog You'll never go back to store-bought once you try this rich and sweet version. Omit the bourbon if you'd like—the vanilla and nutmeg provide all the flavor you need. 07 of 40 Buche de Noel Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Recipe: Buche de Noel The name of this festive Christmas cake is literally translated as "yule log." Trust us—everyone gets excited when they see this dessert. 08 of 40 Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls We might be serving hearty roasts and casserole-happy sideboards, but there's always room for rolls at Christmas, and they make your home smell incredible. 09 of 40 Japanese Fruitcake with Lemon-Coconut Frosting Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Japanese Fruitcake with Lemon-Coconut Frosting "It was the signal that Christmas really was coming when this heavenly smell filled the kitchen," said Susan Houston of Tucker, Georgia. She submitted this family recipe with hopes it would spread that same Christmas joy to others. 10 of 40 Pecan-Coated Pork Loin Roast Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Pecan-Coated Pork Loin Roast Southerners love pork loin, and this recipe dresses it up nicely for the holiday. 11 of 40 Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese Southern grandmothers have been gracing our table with the classic appetizer duo of pepper jelly and cream cheese for as long as we can remember. Here, it's upgraded into a holiday-worthy dish with the addition of seasoned shrimp. 12 of 40 Classic Roasted Duck with Orange-Bourbon-Molasses Glaze Southern Living Recipe: Classic Roasted Duck with Orange-Bourbon-Molasses Glaze Feel instantly fancy and old-fashioned when serving this perfectly crispy roasted duck. (Break out both the vintage china and Mama's old apron.) The secret is in the sauce: a glaze of orange marmalade, bourbon, molasses, lemon juice, and ginger. 13 of 40 Retro Rum Punch Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Retro Rum Punch Greet your guests with a glass of nostalgic cheer. The seasonal fruit makes this the perfect festive sip. 14 of 40 Classic Cornbread Dressing Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Classic Cornbread Dressing Southerners know that any classic dressing recipe starts with skillet cornbread. As far as we're concerned, it goes with any Christmas main. 15 of 40 Molded Cranberry Salad Hector M Sanchez Recipe: Molded Cranberry Salad This pretty vintage jewel of a dish just wants to be on the Christmas sideboard. And this cranberry rendition tastes great! The congealed salads of the 1960s deserve some love, and they sure are conversation-starters. 16 of 40 Bacon Bow Tie Crackers Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman Recipe: Bacon Bow Tie Crackers Everyone from the kids to the grandparents will be grabbing for these simple, but oh-so-yummy nibbles. 17 of 40 Chocolate Trifle Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Chocolate Trifle High on style, low on effort. This chocolate trifle looks decadent and fancy enough for the holiday spread but takes only five store-bought ingredients. (They never have to know.) 18 of 40 Old-School Green Bean Casserole Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Old-School Green Bean Casserole Is there a world where this doesn't belong on the list? From the frozen French-cut green beans to the crispy fried onion topping, it's a familiar staple on every Southern holiday table. 19 of 40 Old-Fashioned Trifle Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Old-Fashioned Trifle It's the holidays, so why not go for a showstopper dessert? Whiskey-soaked pound cake and orange custard give this trifle warm holiday flavors. 20 of 40 Chicken Liver Mousse Crostini with Pepper Jelly Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Chicken Liver Mousse Crostini with Pepper Jelly If Aunt Barb said she loved this smooth, velvety mousse topped with spicy-sweet pepper jelly once, she said it a million times. This retro holiday snack is a favorite among the Southern crowd. 21 of 40 Cassandra's "Light" Fruitcake Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl; Food Styling: Anna Hampton Recipe: Cassandra's "Light" Fruitcake "Every time your mama wasn't looking, I'd sneak into the closet and pour more whiskey over those cakes," said author and Southern Living contributor Cassandra King's father. This family recipe was a childhood tradition that lived on through King after her mother passed, but it didn't taste exactly right until her daddy let her in on the secret she was missing. 22 of 40 Angel Biscuits Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Angel Biscuits Were they sent from heaven? Perhaps. Do they capture the holiday spirit with both the fluffiness of a biscuit and the yeasty flavor of a dinner roll? Definitely. 23 of 40 Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Emily Laurae / Southern Living Recipe: Old-Fashioned Gingerbread This is what Christmas smells like. Top with softly-whipped cream, and enjoy this elegantly classic holiday dessert. 24 of 40 Spicy Sausage-and-Cheddar Kolaches Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Spicy Sausage-and-Cheddar Kolaches A beloved Texas tradition, this classic Czech pastry gets a spicy Southern kick from a combo of smoky Conecuh sausage and sharp Cheddar cheese. 25 of 40 Oyster Casserole Greg DuPree Recipe: Oyster Casserole You'll know it when you see that familiar topping of Saltines. Whether you call it oyster dressing, oyster pie, or even scalloped oysters, oyster casserole is right at home on any Southerner's Christmas table. 26 of 40 Grits Dressing Laurey W. Glenn Recipe: Grits Dressing Change up traditional cornbread dressing with this equally-Southern side dish, or here's an even better idea—serve both. 27 of 40 Rum Balls Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Rum Balls Rum balls, rum balls, how we love thee. It's not a Christmas party in the South without some form of tipsy treat. Originally from our December 1993 issue, this boozy confection is also a perfect gift. 28 of 40 Hot Cheesy Crab Dip Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Hot Cheesy Crab Dip Put this bubbling-hot throwback dip out for a Christmas appetizer, and watch everyone swoop in. 29 of 40 Hot Cranberry Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Hot Cranberry Bake If you've never used your Christmas cranberries for this simple, crisp-like dessert, you haven't lived. We can thank Sue-Sue Harstern of Louisville, Kentucky for this reader recipe submitted over 25 years ago. 30 of 40 Buttermilk Spoon Bread Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Buttermilk Spoon Bread Can there ever be enough cozy, old-fashioned sides at holiday dinners? We say no. This creamy dish pairs well with green bean casserole and any main dish. 31 of 40 Green Tomato Mincemeat Pie Alison Miksch Recipe: Green Tomato Mincemeat Pie There's no Christmas pie more traditional (or divisive) than classic mincemeat pie. It's time to bring back this flavor-filled, holiday-spiced classic. 32 of 40 Turkey-Noodle-Poppyseed Casserole Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Turkey-Noodle-Poppyseed Casserole Enter: the original day-after-a-holiday turkey casserole. It's hands-down the tastiest, most family-friendly use of leftover turkey. So much so, that even after almost 30 years, it's still our favorite. 33 of 40 Orange Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Orange Cake This retro recipe makes a beautiful centerpiece for any holiday buffet, and the citrus-flavored cake offers a bright finish to Christmas brunch. 34 of 40 Oysters Rockefeller Southern Living Recipe: Oysters Rockefeller Because if there's ever a time to go retro-fancy, it's at Christmas. 35 of 40 Ambrosia Pudding Pie Alison Miksch Recipe: Ambrosia Pudding Pie Following British tradition, the earliest custard pies were recorded as puddings in antebellum cookbooks. We added a festive ambrosial note with orange marmalade, crushed pineapple, and coconut custard. 36 of 40 Molasses Crinkles Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Molasses Crinkles Sprinkles might get more attention, but nothing tastes as much like Christmas as these irresistible cookies. Make everyone happy and bring these classic holiday crinkles to your cookie swap. 37 of 40 Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Some things are better when kept the absolute same, like this old-fashioned pot pie recipe. How do you know it's vintage? It uses hard-boiled eggs in the filling. 38 of 40 Toasted Oatmeal Cookies Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Toasted Oatmeal Cookies Consider these Christmas cookie jar-approved. What makes these stand out from basic oatmeal cookies: the toasted oats. 39 of 40 Chicken Alouette Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Chicken Alouette Before the name scares you, know that Alouette is just cheese. Gloriously creamy, garlicky, herby spreadable cheese. This retro-fancy recipe belongs on your holiday table, because who doesn't love a pastry-wrapped main dish? 40 of 40 Pork Crown Roast Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Pork Crown Roast Nothing centers a Christmas table quite as stunningly as a crown pork roast. If you want to go really retro, get the frilly paper bone-covers, called manchettes, like Grandma used to use. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit