60 Christmas Dinner Recipes You Need to Try This Holiday Season

Recipe: Grits Dressing  

Though cornbread dressing might reign supreme at Thanksgiving, we're letting this grits-based version head the holiday table this December.

Recipe: Old-School Green Bean Casserole

This old-school recipe is the definition of "don't mess with a good thing." From the frozen French-cut green beans to the crispy fried onion topping, it's a familiar staple on every Southern table, no matter the occasion.

Recipe: Honey-Glazed Spiced Carrots

During Christmastime, Southerners will cover just about any vegetable with butter, sugar, and a bevy of festive spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. These carrots really hammer the holiday spirit home with their bright and colorful demeanor.

Recipe: Baked Brie Bites

There's no better way to kick off Christmas celebrations than with these melty baked Brie bites. Only five ingredients and 18 minutes of prep, these little stars are topped with a dollop of pepper jelly, flaky sea salt, and a few crunchy toasted pecans for a Southern touch.

Recipe: Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls

If it isn't broken, don't fix it. If you can also make it ahead before the in-laws come into town, don't dare forget it. These yeast rolls made their mark in our November 1995 issue, and are still one of our favorite holiday staples.

Recipe: Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad

There's an occasional need for greens on the holiday spread, and not of the stewed, buttery, ham-hocked variety. Beets add welcome pops of color in this delicate side salad.

Recipe: Balsamic Green Beans with Pearl Onions

Enter your most versatile Christmas side. It goes with any main meat dish you're cooking, but that doesn't mean it has to be plain, thanks to a tangy glaze of balsamic vinegar, garlic, and butter.

Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Warm roasted broccoli makes macaroni and cheese feel a little more wintery. Plus, it elevates the classic pasta bake from ho-hum to standout status on the holiday spread.

Recipe: Herbed Wild Rice Dressing

It's wild, that's for sure. Earthy wild rice is combined with crisp apples and celery, aromatic red onion, toasted walnuts, fresh parsley and sage, and buttery sourdough bread cubes. This innovative dressing dish belongs at Christmas.

Recipe: Our Favorite Buttermilk Biscuit

Trust us, we've tried hundreds of biscuit recipes. This is the hands-down favorite we keep coming back to. Look at them—they're practically begging to be perched on the edge of your dinner plate.

Recipe: Savory Corn Pudding 

Naturally one of our sweeter side dishes, corn pudding is a Southern favorite during the holiday season. In this recipe, fresh thyme adds a savory twist that makes it taste fresh and new.

Recipe: Italian Casserole 

This vintage recipe makes an appearance every year, whether made ahead to be served on busy gift-wrapping nights or added to the Christmas dinner menu when feeding a huge crowd (and kids!).

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites

Is it Christmas in the South without sausage balls? No. No, it's not. Switch things up with this seasonal twist that incorporates spicy, peppery Mexican-style chorizo sausage and mashed sweet potatoes.

Recipe: Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon

When the casseroles are already plentiful, these mustard greens will look so fresh and inviting on the table. The garlicky, lemony platter of veggies will be a quick favorite.

Recipe: Baby Hasselback Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Bacon

Get ready to swoon at the smell of the accordian-like slices of these Hasselback potatoes crisping in the oven. The blue cheese and bacon just really tip the scale over into holiday dinner perfection.

Recipe: Classic Candied Yams

Don't call this classic dish outdated, at least before you've tasted it. Lightly spiced and oh-so-sweet, these candied yams are about to become a mainstay alongside the sweet potato casserole.

Recipe: Chicken-and-Biscuit Cobbler

Cobbler? For dinner? Groundbreaking. What sets this comforting chicken casserole apart is that it's topped with fluffy homemade biscuits (that happen to have chopped bacon in them).

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Free up your oven space, and let these too-easy, too-flavorful collards wow the Christmas crowd. After a simple 15 minutes of prep time, these ham-hocked collard greens finish in your slow cooker.

Recipe: Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese

There's no better case for serving macaroni and cheese at Christmas dinner than this best-ever version. You won't find a creamier, meltier macaroni and cheese rendition in all the land.

Recipe: Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole

If it's topped with fried onions and crispy bacon, is there a Southerner that won't love it? This casserole is a glorious mashup of two of our favorite vegetables to serve during the holidays: green beans and Brussels sprouts.

Recipe: Pumpkin-Buttermilk Biscuits with Crispy Ham and Honey Butter

Surprise everyone with this festive take on buttermilk biscuits. Pumpkin puree gives the biscuits their bright hue and flavorful twist, while the honey butter and salty country ham balance each other perfectly.

Recipe: Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Burgundy-Mushroom Sauce

Find a prettier main dish, we challenge. These tender spirals of beef filled with creamy spinach and leeks always receive perfect scores on taste and style.

Recipe: Kentucky Hot Brown Casserole

Why not gussy up a classic Southern sandwich for the holiday season? If it's from the South, chances are we're going to try to make casserole out of it, and this one is (thankfully) quite incredible.

Recipe: Grits and Greens with Brown Butter Hot Sauce

Grits and greens, greens and grits—we'll take them any way. This creamy side dish combines the two Southern staples with a brown butter hot sauce that'll leave the taste buds reeling.

Recipe: Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Consider this an old-school recipe, perfected. A power trio of tangy buttermilk, creamy butter, and velvety rich crème fraîche make these mashed potatoes the best-ever rendition.

Recipe: Italian-Style Grits and Greens with Pulled Pork and Mushrooms

This is definitely the I've-got-company-coming platter. The mouthwatering piled-up presentation was made for this combination of slow-cooker Parmesan grits, pulled pork, and garlicky sautéed mushrooms.

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Green Beans

Crave the taste of your grandmother's green beans? This slow-cooker recipe gets you there, with a little extra bacon. We'll swear up and down that this side dish makes every festive dinner just a little bit better.

Recipe: The Ultimate Make-Ahead Gravy

Get out your best gravy boat—because this gravy deserves a nice home. Though this recipe takes only one pot and 30 minutes, you can still make it ahead to mark something off your to-do list.

Recipe: Classic Cranberry Salad

We know you're already stocking up on those cans of congealed cranberry, but this fresh cranberry salad can fit on the table, too. Filled with pears, pineapple, celery, and pecans, this recipe offers a fresh, crunchy take on the nostalgic dish.

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie  

There's always room for pot pie. If hosting a large crowd or a potluck-style Christmas meal, look no further than this old-school chicken casserole with a golden, crispy crust.

Recipe: Herbed Potato Stacks

These stacks make the short list for most adorable side dish and feature a short ingredient list to boot. Baked in a muffin pan, the tiny potato towers get deliciously crispy on the outside, yet creamy and tender on the inside.

Recipe: Skillet Squash Blossom

At first glance, we're intrigued. At first bite, we're sold. Bacon, thyme, and a little maple syrup help make up the squash blossom's success.

Recipe: French Onion Soup Casserole

Like we said, we'll make anything a casserole. Transform your comforting bowl of onion soup into this cheesy, caramelized layered masterpiece.

Recipe: Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust

Want to bring major flavor without spending too much time in the kitchen? The rosemary aromatics of this cheesy two-potato gratin will put you in the holiday spirit.

Recipe: Smashed Baby Red Potatoes

Smashed, not mashed. You'll find something inherently satisfying about smashing these baby red potatoes. Coated in a heavenly garlic-herb butter sauce, these will be an instant hit.

Recipe: Cheesy Broccoli-and-Rice Casserole

If broccoli-and-cheese casserole is wrong, then we don't want to be right. (We'd wager that just about every Southerner feels the same.) Make the classic dish a little extra special by using this recipe that skips the canned cream of mushroom and frozen broccoli.

Recipe: Oyster Casserole

You might know it as oyster dressing, oyster pie, or even scalloped oysters. Oyster casserole is part of many Southerners' Christmas traditions, and this recipe is our Test Kitchen's favorite rendition.

Recipe: Gnocchi Gratin with Ham and Peas

The perk of using gnocchi instead of traditional pasta in your gratin? It takes so much less time to cook. This ham-and-pea gratin shakes things up.

Recipe: Pancetta-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Whipped Horseradish Cream

Wrap the tenderloin in pancetta and cook until it's nice and crispy.

Recipe: Arugula Salad with Bacony Croutons and Sherry Vinaigrette

Arugula, blue cheese, Honeycrisp apple, toasted pecans, and bacon fat croutons make up this indulgent salad.

Recipe: Buttery Toasted Pecans

This quick and easy recipe will get you into the holiday spirit.

Recipe: Peppercorn-Crusted Standing Rib Roast with Roasted Vegetables

Slather the roast in herb butter and let it sit overnight for a flavorful and impressive main dish.

Recipe: Collard Greens Gratin

What better way to get your greens in than with a gratin?

Recipe: Classic Lasagna

Lasagna can be served any time of year, but we love to serve it on Christmas for a bit of comfort food.

Recipe: Spice-Rubbed Tenderloin with Mustard-Cream Sauce

When it comes to the tenderest of tenderloins, your spice cabinet has you covered for Christmas. The tangy mustard-cream sauce is just the kick of flavor on top.

Recipe: Fennel-and-Potato Gratin

A casserole dish of cheesy potato gratin pleases every palate, in our experience. This recipe gets a festive touch from fennel and nutmeg.

Recipe: Cider-Braised Pork Shoulder

Even a humble pork shoulder roast likes to dress up for the occasion. Between the apple cider, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar, this main dish hits the trifecta of flavor.

Recipe: Skillet Cornbread

Three words: Hot. Bacon. Drippings. Say hello to the secret weapon behind this perfect skillet recipe for Southern cornbread.

Recipe: Perfect Beef Tenderloin 

It's all in the technique. If you're a less-is-more, quality-first type of person, this perfectly cooked beef tenderloin will soon become a Christmas staple. (Hint: It also makes for great leftovers, placed inside a biscuit.)

Recipe: Christmas Salad

It's earned its name. Packed with bacon, beets, feta cheese, and toasted pumpkin seeds, this salad is a reader-favorite starter for formal Christmas menus.

Recipe: Classic Roasted Duck with Orange-Bourbon-Molasses Glaze

Feel instantly fancy when serving this perfectly crispy roasted duck. The secret is in the sauce: a glaze of orange marmalade, bourbon, molasses, lemon juice, and ginger.

Recipe: Classic Fresh Field Peas

If there's a recipe that couldn't benefit from the addition of ham hocks or bacon drippings, we've yet to find it. Luckily, this recipe for fresh field peas covers its bases, using both.

Recipe: Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

If there was ever an occasion to take your mashed potatoes over the top, Christmas seems like the time. In this recipe we made mashed potatoes with heavy cream and butter, but added plain goat cheese for an extra dose of flavor and silkiness. 

Recipe: Hot Cheesy Crab Dip

Jumbo lump crab meat makes this cheesy dip worthy of a holiday spread. It will only take a few bites for your guests to start requesting the recipe. 

Recipe: Baked Ham with Brown Sugar-Citrus Glaze

Give your go-to ham glaze the holiday season off and swap in this bright, fresh version made with orange juice, marmalade, and brown sugar. 

Recipe: Christmas Snow Salad

No Southern holiday is complete without at least one jiggly gelatin masterpiece. Like a delightfully retro Christmas tree ornament, this colorful salad will stand out on your dining room sideboard. 

Recipe: Mamau's Cheese Straws

This take on a Southern classic was inspired by our editor in chief's grandmother, Mamau. She never broke the tradition of serving this same little snack on Christmas Eve. 

Recipe: Pork Crown Roast

We'll let you in on a little secret: You don't need a laundry list of ingredients to make an impressive Christmas entrée. With a little help from your butcher, even your mother-in-law will request the recipe for this pork crown roast.

Recipe: Southern Cornbread Dressing

Thought cornbread dressing was just for Thanksgiving? You'll be pleasantly surprised when you taste how well this buttery side dish pairs with beef tenderloin, duck, and ham. 

Recipe: Cornmeal Popovers

You'll be reaching into the breadbasket more than once for this light and fluffy dinner-roll alternative.