Christmas 2024: Recipes, Menus, Gift Ideas, More!

Put a little yee-haw in your holiday cookie tin.

A festive twist on a classic cocktail.

It's tropical and coconut-y.

The classic cocktail is so easy to stir up at home.

Did we mention the herb butter?

Get set for your cookie party.

It's so irresistibly creamy, you'll be coming back for more.

Every bite is a sweet surprise.

You might know it as Yorkshire pudding, you might have had it as a popover — whatever you choose to call it, the impressive cloud-like creation that emerges from the oven is always as delicious as it smells and looks. The crispy shell gives way to a tender, eggy interior, and the best way to eat one is to just tear it apart with your fingers. Whether you choose to make one big one or individual ones, here’s how to do it using everyday pans that you already have.

I suspect that a great many of us regard the gingerbread contingent of the holiday cookie tray with a healthy amount of suspicion. Will it taste like cardboard? Will that icing crack my teeth? Will the spices make me sneeze? Can I trust this cookie? I’m here today to share a recipe for gingerbread cut-out cookies that you can trust. This is the gingerbread we’re all hoping we get when we reach toward the cookie tray. This is the one that will make you smile.

They’re soft, pillowy, and perfect.

It’s the perfect after-dinner holiday drink.

Unwrapping one is the perfect treat.

No matter how much thought goes into planning your Christmas dinner, the day can have a way of feeling hurried as you you take part in gift-giving, a brisk walk in the snow, and then getting into the kitchen to cook. One strategy that makes it feel easier and more manageable is sticking with options for a make-ahead Christmas dinner. Maybe it’s getting a head start with the main course or side dish, or perhaps you prefer to get the bulk of the meal done ahead of time.

I love brunch, you love brunch — I think we’re all on board for a good weekend brunch, yes? The one problem with brunch, however, is figuring out how to make it without having to get up at the crack of dawn to start cooking. That’s why we’re bringing you a roundup of all our favorite make-ahead brunch recipes for whatever plans you may have come the weekend.

Guaranteed to be gone in minutes.

Beef tenderloin is an annual tradition on my family’s holiday menu. Covering the beef tenderloin in a salt crust makes roasting it easy and fast, which leaves me with plenty of time to make delicious side dishes. Our table almost always includes bread and rolls for soaking up roast juices, but it also needs a potato side dish (or two or three) and a few vegetables too. Here are 45 of my favorite side dishes to serve with beef tenderloin.

Christmas Chex Mix is one of my favorite holiday treats that offers a welcome change from all the cookies and candy canes fighting for attention. This crispy, salty-sweet mixture even looks like Christmas — everything is coated in white chocolate, and red and green M&Ms peek through! My favorite Christmas Chex Mix blend is pretty simple — cereal, pretzels, and candy — but the sprinkle of flaky salt at the end is what takes it over the top.

When I think of Italian American bakeries, I envision piles of biscotti, rainbow cookies, cannolis, and trays and trays of an array of cookies decorated with colorful sprinkles —including ricotta cookies. Super-soft and cakey, thanks to the ricotta cheese, these cute little cookies remind me a bit of Lofthouse sugar cookies (which are often made with sour cream or yogurt). Want proof of their deliciousness?

No one has to know how easy it is to make.

Planning on making a classic glazed baked ham for your Christmas dinner this year? Great choice — it’s one of our top picks for a holiday meal, too. And even if your holiday celebration happens to be smaller this year, those leftover ham recipes are a dream. This large, savory cut of meat is easy to make, whether you opt for the oven or your slow cooker (just don’t forget the glaze!).

You only need five ingredients.

Inspired by the cookies I grew up eating.

Linzer cookies might look like another pretty sandwich cookie, but these sweet-tart cookies have a rich, tender crumb, thanks to a nearly invisible ingredient. Almonds turned into almond flour make an everyday sugar cookie dough a tender, melt-in-your-mouth treat, fragrant with the warm notes of toasted nuts. Two cookies serve as the bookends to the sweet and sticky jam of your choice to transform into a holiday cookie made for customization. Here’s how to make them.

The stakes have a way of getting a little higher when you’re cooking a holiday dinner — especially when it comes to sides. No matter what else you’re serving, the sides are inevitably the star of the table. When narrowing down the options, you want dishes that pair well with the main course and are a little more special than what you’d make for a weeknight meal, without being so complicated they dominate your day. Luckily that’s what we’re good at.

It’s flawless.

I guarantee it's even better than your Grandma's.

Struffoli is not only a fun word to say. The classic Italian dessert, also known as Italian Honey Balls, is a festive that’s traditionally served during Christmas time, just like panettone, pizzelle, and pignoli. Tiny balls of dough are fried until golden-brown. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, they’re then tossed in a sticky-sweet honey syrup and decorated with rainbow sprinkles.

Regardless of what time everyone rolls out of bed on holiday mornings, you know there will be stomachs growling. It’s a holiday for you too, though, so no need to wake up at the crack of dawn to get going in the kitchen. Our favorite solution: a make-ahead breakfast casserole.

Now that winter has arrived, it’s nearly impossible to open Instagram or TikTok without being greeted by an exploding hot chocolate bomb. The tasty trend is popular for a reason: When these chocolate spheres are dropped into warm milk, they crack open in the most mesmerizing way, releasing a flurry of hot cocoa mix and marshmallows creating an decadent cup of hot cocoa.

Is anyone else in disbelief that it’s almost Christmas already? I say let this be the year that you mix up the menu a bit with some new side dishes, or trade in your roast beef tenderloin and baked ham for something different, like white lasagna or French onion pot roast. I like the idea of this year’s meal having a festive start with Christmas appetizers (I’m looking at you, bacon-wrapped dates!) and finishing off with an indulgent Christmas dessert.

There’s nothing better than freshly baked cookies on Christmas. Who doesn’t love a platter of spiced gingerbread, classic snowball cookies, or peppermint candy cane cookies to share with loved ones?But do you need an occasion to bake cookies? A lazy Saturday, a winter snow day, or a rainy weeknight is absolutely reason enough, too.

It's deceptively easy to make.

Look to the people who survive winters with only a few hours of sunlight each day for the coziest and most heart-warming holiday drinks. The answer, according to Germans, Swedes, Norwegians, Finns, and Danes? Mulled wine. Here is a basic recipe that will make glühwein like you would get at a German Christmas market. In fact, many commercial Christmas markets simply reheat a pre-sweetened and pre-spiced mix, so this will likely taste even better. It’s the perfect cozy drink for winter.

You can have the roast turkey. Set aside the glazed ham and prime rib. In my house, leg of lamb is the celebratory roast; I love its tenderness and flavor. Though roast leg of lamb sounds intimidating, the sweet little secret is that leg of lamb is actually one of the easiest, most foolproof cuts of meat to cook. Here’s our remarkably simple, fuss-free leg of lamb recipe. It will turn out perfectly every time. It’s surprisingly easy to make.

Prime rib roast’s promises cannot be understated. Standing tall on a serving platter ready to be carved, its dark, crisp exterior promises a tender, rosy interior full of intense beefy flavor. Partner this special-occasion cut of beef with good wine, a swipe of homemade horseradish cream, and a platter of golden roasted potatoes and you’re on your way to a classic holiday meal. Here, we use the easiest cooking method: oven-searing.

Pommes aligot is more than just a cheesy twist on mashed potatoes. This incredibly magical blend of creamy potatoes and cheese was born in the French region of Midi-Pyrénées, and it is a celebration of regional cheese, served on special occasions alongside sausage or roasted meat.

My mother-in-law isn’t a baker, but she has a serious sweet tooth. When she pulled out a chocolate-smudged cookbook on our first shared Thanksgiving holiday, she turned straight to the chapter on pies — and specifically, a recipe for whipped cream-topped chocolate pie. Ever since, I’ve accepted chocolate pie as a welcome addition to any holiday spread.The version I’m sharing here is one I know she’d be proud of.

These creamy, caramelized coins are almost too good to be true.

Dinner party plans stressing you out? Puff pastry cheese straws are here for you. These crispy, flaky, cheesy twists require just two ingredients and a few minutes of your time, and yet they deliver big — real big — out on the buffet table. Make puff pastry cheese straws for your next holiday party or serve them with cocktails for happy hour at home.These cheese straws are really an equal-opportunity appetizer. They go just as well with a glass of wine or a pint of beer.

Yes, you can skip the whole bird.

They're not the same as gratin.

Is there nothing more comforting and delicious than mashed potatoes? This warm, creamy, dairy-laden starch might be more of an indulgence than everyday fare these days, but even if you only have them once a year (Thanksgiving!), I say go all out and do it right. Read on for our method for classic mashed potatoes, with recommendations for potato type, dairy additions, and mashing methods. Potatoes: The best potatoes for mashed potatoes are Russets and Yukon Golds.

Just wait until you taste that jus.

Pumpkin cheesecake has become a fall and winter dessert classic for good reason. The lively, familiar spices of classic pumpkin pie are balanced by the cool and creamy goodness of a New York-style cheesecake. The combination makes each bite memorably delicious and worthy of any celebration — especially Thanksgiving. Even if you have never made a cheesecake or pumpkin pie before, this is a dessert that is within your reach.

If you’re buying a big bone-in ham for the holidays this year, consider this your friendly reminder that you’ll be left with a tasty ingredient after all the meat’s been picked off: The ham bone. So, whatever you do, don’t toss it in the compost bin or trash. Ham bones are packed with so much rich, smoky flavor. Don’t have time to put the ham bone to use right away? No problem, just freeze the bone, as you would any other meat bones and food scraps.

One is never enough.