Food & Cooking Recipes Dinner Recipes Family Dinner Recipes 15 Hands-Off Dinner Recipes to Make During the Holiday Season By Kelly Vaughan Kelly Vaughan Kelly is a former associate digital food editor for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Published on November 25, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: The Ingalls Leave these family-friendly dinner recipes to cook while you tackle holiday prep like online shopping or gift wrapping. 01 of 15 Justin Walker The holiday season is an undeniably hectic—albeit cheerful—time. From decking the halls for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa to baking cookies, wrapping presents, sending holiday cards, and meeting Santa, you likely have a lengthy holiday to-do list. To help ease your stress, we've rounded up 15 hands-off dinner recipes that your whole family will love. Each recipe here takes longer than we'd usually go for on a weeknight, but the trick is that each dish either roasts, stews, braises, or bakes so the cooking is hands-off. That means you can tackle some of your tasks while dinner is in the oven (or in some cases, a slow-cooker). One of the ultimate hands-off dinner recipes is lasagna, and we have two recipes that will wow. The first is our Lasagna with Meat Sauce, pictured here. It's a total classic with a hearty meat filling of Italian sausage and ground beef, plus a trio of cheeses. You can assemble the entire lasagna in advance and bake it any night of the week. It spends about an hour and a half in the oven, which gives you plenty of time to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. Looking for something lighter that your vegetarian family members can enjoy? Try our Mushroom-Eggplant Lasagna; the two vegetables pair with three kinds of cheese for an irresistible plant-based entrée. Another hands-off dinner recipe that we love anytime of the year—but especially on chilly winter nights—is this Italian Pulled Pork. Instead of the usual super saucy version that's mixed with lots of barbecue sauce, our recipe is accented with a handful of earthy, aromatic spices that lets the flavor of boneless pork shoulder shine. When you're worried about getting everything done in time for the holiday season, remember these hands-off dinner recipes. They're guaranteed to make your week more delicious and more enjoyable. 02 of 15 Light and Bright Beef Stew Con Poulos This twist on classic beef stew is made with white wine and chicken broth instead of the usual red wine and beef broth. Parsnips and sweet potatoes bring their own vibrant hue—let everything simmer together for about 90 minutes while you wrap gifts or send out holiday cards. View Recipe 03 of 15 Sausage-and-Kale Stuffed Shells Justin Walker Looking for a make-ahead wonder that you can have on hand whenever you don't have time to cook? This family-friendly baked pasta dish is packed with hearty winter ingredients and 100 percent delicious. View Recipe 04 of 15 Grandma's Bolognese The Ingalls A trio of flavorful meat—ground pork, ground beef, and pancetta—take this classic Bolognese to the next level. Let it simmer for about an hour while you get ready for the holidays. View Recipe 05 of 15 Instant Pot Carnitas Bryan Gardner The Instant Pot is the ultimate appliance for hands-off dinners. In this recipe, boneless pork shoulder stews with plenty of spices (think: dried oregano, ground cumin, cayenne pepper) plus bright citrus juice. View Recipe 06 of 15 Easy Beef Chili On a cold winter night and after a busy day of shopping, there's nothing like a comforting bowl of chili. While it simmers and the flavors marry, it's the perfect time to tackle your holiday to-do list. View Recipe 07 of 15 Slow-Cooker White-Bean Soup Lennart Weibull Vegans will adore this hearty winter soup that's made with white beans, butternut squash, spinach, and leeks. It's just the type of comforting, nourishing meal that everyone craves during the holidays. View Recipe 08 of 15 Italian Pulled Pork Linda Pugliese Spices including fennel, sage, rosemary, thyme—plus plenty of garlic—accent boneless pork shoulder. Instead of serving it between potato rolls like the usual pulled pork, we serve this dish with ciabatta for even more Italian-inspired flair. View Recipe 09 of 15 Baked Chicken Legs with Chickpeas, Olives, and Greens Johnny Miller While this Mediterranean chicken bakes in the oven, you'll have plenty of time to frost sugar cookies, decorate your tree, or tackle other holiday planning. View Recipe 10 of 15 Instant Pot Turkey Chili Bryan Gardner Using ground turkey instead of the usual ground beef lightens up a fan-favorite—chili. Chickpeas are an added healthy source of protein and the best part is, you can manage other holiday prep while it cooks. View Recipe 11 of 15 Mushroom-Eggplant Lasagna Bryan Gardner This spectacular lasagna recipe is layered with chopped cremini mushrooms and eggplant and a three-cheese blend of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It's a flavorful, vegetarian-friendly version of the classic meat filling. View Recipe 12 of 15 Slow-Cooker Chicken with 20 Cloves of Garlic Stephen Kent Johnson Inspired by the traditional French recipe for chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, this recipe cuts the amount in half but still packs in plenty of savory, earthy flavor. It cooks on low in a slow-cooker for five hours, giving you plenty of time to head out the door and get your shopping done. View Recipe 13 of 15 Roast Chicken with Lemony Harissa Glaze Johnny Miller Roast chicken may sound like a fancy, special-occasion meal but in fact, it's the perfect hands-off weeknight recipe while you're working from home. Let the bird come to room temperature for about an hour, which helps the meat to cook evenly; then it roasts for 45 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy. View Recipe 14 of 15 Massaman Curry Bryan Gardner The warm, comforting power of this beef curry can't be denied. It's all thanks to Massaman curry paste, fish sauce, tamarind concentrate, cardamom pods, cinnamon, and bay leaves. View Recipe 15 of 15 Slow-Cooker Ribollita Stephen Kent Johnson Enjoy a taste of Italy with our take on the delicious Tuscan bread soup. It makes use of green vegetables like Lacinato kale and zucchini plus tomatoes, cranberry beans, and country bread for a savoy scoop of soup. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit