From Nana's Famous Egg Dish to Spiced Sangria and Bourbon Pecan Pie, these are our favorite holiday recipes that we enjoy every Christmas!
Hello friends!! 'Tis the season for festive food and drink. The closer we get to Christmas, the more I look forward to making our favorite holiday recipes and enjoying the holidays with the family.
While most of the time I aim to eat nutritious recipes with vegetables, proteins, and fresh, healthy ingredients (like these spa kitchen recipes), I like to live by the 80/20 perspective and leave plenty of room for special treats. I'm also a big fan of enjoying the holidays, special foods, and time together without worrying too much about what I eat.
Year after year, we make it a point to include several traditional recipes in our meal offerings. For example, it is traditional to eat Alton Brown's Overnight Cinnamon Rolls while opening presents on Christmas morning. Preparing these comforting and delicious holiday recipes is one of the most popular ways to make breakfast, lunch or dinner extra special. With that in mind, I thought I'd share with you our favorite recipes for the holidays, from brunch casseroles to spiced sangria to Ina's rib roast. Let's dive in!
Our favorite holiday recipes
Nana's famous egg dish
This egg casserole is perfect for any brunch or holiday celebration. It freezes beautifully and tastes great with pico de gallo salsa.
Madre's Famous Grammie Recipe
Oh, you have to try Madre's famous Grammie recipe! It's the perfect Christmas dessert – a delicious cookie bar that will satisfy even the sweetest of teeth. Trust me, after one bite you will be begging for the recipe.
Green beans with goat cheese, almonds and cranberries
These green beans are bright and fresh, with creamy goat cheese, orange zest, crunchy slivered almonds, and sweet cranberries. The recipe is gluten-free and only takes 15 minutes from start to finish.
The ultimate fall and winter salad
This salad is an autumn dream come true. It's made with butternut squash, spicy arugula, a tangy vinaigrette, chicken, pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese. It's perfect for holiday gatherings or parties and is a vegetarian side dish. My vegetarian friends can simply leave out the chicken and it tastes good without it.
The best raw chocolate cake
This raw chocolate cake made with cashews, cocoa, and an almond coconut crust is a decadent gluten-free dessert that requires no cooking!
Holiday Spice Sangria
Christmas Spice Sangria! It is prepared before every holiday soiree and the taste only gets better over the course of a few days. It's perfect to take to parties as it's a fun change from the usual bottle of vino.
Mulled wine from Ina Garten
Warm up with a pot of mulled wine recipe from Ina Garten, a blend of apple cider and red wine with cinnamon, cloves and orange.
Ina's Sunday rib roast
Ina's Sunday Rib Roast with Mustard Horseradish is often our centerpiece at a Christmas party. It's a crowd pleaser.
Ina's Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Cake
Another favorite of Ina’s. Chocolate, bourbon and pecans – what’s not to love? I've already made it twice this year and plan to do it again on Saturday. I just use the gluten-free frozen crust from Whole Foods.
Our Christmas weekend menu
This is what our menu will look like this year:
Christmas Eve
Dinner at my father's house is always a feast full of delicious foods and treats. We usually enjoy a Mexican buffet with tamales, enchiladas, beans and rice, and a selection of desserts. My aunt usually makes eggnog and it is SO good.
Christmas Day is here at home. We host breakfast and open presents, then everyone goes home to relax/nap, and then they come back for dinner, desserts, and cocktails.
Here is our usual menu:
Christmas brunch:
- Grandma's egg casserole
- Alton Brown's Cinnamon Rolls
- Bacon or ham (I haven't decided yet)
- Tamales and beans (from Madre!)
- Coffee and mimosas
Christmas Day Dinner:
- Cheese board and artichoke dip with crackers
- Mediterranean chopped salad
- Smoked turkey on the Traeger
- Stuffing and sauce
- Beef fillet with horseradish sauce
- Cheese potatoes (Madre)
- Fresh sourdough
- Bourbon pecan pie + dessert plate (lots of different cookies and candies)
- Mulled wine, eggnog and champagne
It should be a very good and very tasty festival 😉
I would love to hear what you have on your holiday menu this year!! Brussels sprouts, cheese balls, fun appetizers, Christmas log? Please share your vacation favorites in the comments below!
xo
Gina
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