20 Holiday Menus That Will Help You Celebrate Everything, From Hanukkah Dinner to Christmas Brunch and Everything in Between
Get inspiration and ideas for your Christmas or Hanukkah gathering from our selection of menus that feature traditional and new dishes for cocktails, buffets, brunches, and dinner parties alike.
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Caroling Party
When Martha hosts a caroling party, the sounds and the flavors of the season meld in perfect harmony. Her festive buffet menu offers lots of small bites and balances the savory and the sweet.
Serves 12
Appetizers
White Crudites with Buttermilk Dip
Potato Pancakes with Pink Applesauce and Creme Fraiche
Smoked Salmon Platter with Fennel Salad
Soup
Creamy Winter Squash Soup with Herbed Crostini
Drink
Dessert
White Cake with Mincemeat Filling and Glaceed Fruit
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Tree-Trimming Buffet
It wouldn't be Christmas without family traditions and decorations. And, at this family celebration in Central Tennessee, oyster pie, country ham, and biscuits are an essential part of the holiday. But these time-honored elements always have room to evolve so the favorite foods are part of a casual open house that allows entertaining in a leisurely way before the Christmas crunch really sets in. It also means plenty of help trimming the tree.
Serves 10 to 12
Drink
Appetizer
Mains
Bread
Salad
Green Bean and Butter Bean Salad
Dessert
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Classic Holiday Cocktail Party
Stock your pantry and make the hors d'oeuvres ahead of time so you can pull off this festive affair in only an hour or two. Our easy-for-the-hostess menu is ideal for an impromptu party with friends. Start with one idea, such as a signature drink, and build on it. Cheese balls are a retro nod; one base recipe and some add-ins later, you have three enticing variations.
We've updated bacon-wrapped dates with tart apricots and salty pistachios and stirred up a beautiful orange punch. Savory lemon-parsley gougères and crisp radishes with salt and olive oil for dipping round out the flavor-texture canvas. Have best-quality breadsticks, olives, and nuts ready to supplement the menu in case your guest list grows at the last minute.
Serves 8 to 10
Drinks
Appetizers
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Standing Rib Roast Menu
Crispy roast potatoes accompany a standing rib roast for what might be the most traditional and most spectacular of Christmas menus. Easy sides, sautéed peas and a crisp winter salad, round out the main course. A chocolate yule log for dessert finishes the meal in grand holiday style.
Serves 8
Main
Rib Roast with Rosemary-Garlic Potatoes
Sides
Frisée Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
Dessert
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Easy and Exquisite Holiday Evening Menu
Neither dinner nor cocktail party, this holiday gathering borrows the best of both, taking the substantial foods of the former and serving them in the bite-size portions and buffet style of the latter.
The menu includes splurges for special ingredients: Baby lamb chops, sliced from a roasted rack, make delicious finger foods, with the bones acting as utensils. Mini crab cakes bring an exotic touch to an otherwise traditional menu. Salted, honey-roasted figs can be eaten with the savory foods or with sweet grapes, working two ways on plate and palate—flexibility is what a buffet is all about. Don't be afraid to mix and match flavors, tableware, and approaches to entertaining for a gathering that truly reflects your style.
Serves 6 to 8
Drink
Appetizers
Dijon Baby Lamb Chops with Red Currant-Mint Dipping Sauce
Dessert
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Make-Ahead Holiday Cocktails and Appetizers Party
Behind every great cocktail party is some savvy planning. So you can spend time with your guests and enjoy the party, the hors d'oeuvres also need to be made in advance and should be easy to serve, rather than requiring last-minute fuss.
Ideally, the accompanying cocktails would not only complement the recipes, but be similarly simple to pull together. The following recipes were conceived to create harmony around nuances of flavor, which means one less thing for you to plan. And because you won't be playing bartender, you can spend the evening juggling conversations, not liquor bottles.
Serves 14 to 16
Drinks
Sparkling Rose with Bay Leaf Syrup
Appetizers
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Classic Holiday Ham Menu
'Tis the season, so spread the joy by serving our classic holiday menu for a feast that's sure to dazzle. We skip the appetizer course and go straight to the main event, the ham, plus celebratory sides. A many-layered chocolate cake, with a rich chocolate-orange filling is the finale.
Serves 8
Main
Sides
Dessert
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Easy Beef Tenderloin Dinner
Indulgent yet easy—that's this beef tenderloin dinner that pairs the meat with crispy but creamy potatoes Anna and a simple side of sautéed Swiss chard. Layers of cream, cake, custard, and raspberries create a stunning trifle that's one of our favorite make-ahead desserts.
Serves 8
Main
Sides
Dessert
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Classic Hanukkah Menu
When there's something to celebrate—be it a family event or a holiday—the Jewish tradition is to feast. Food plays an important role in many Jewish customs, from the weekly Shabbat meal to annual Hanukkah festivities. These dishes are representative of foods offered at different times of year. Each recipe serves at least eight people, but consider making double batches to send home with guests or for leftovers the next day.
Serves 8 to 10
Appetizer
Main
Short Ribs with Root Vegetables
Side
Desserts
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Traditional Hanukkah Menu
A Hanukkah party is a wonderful way to gather together family and friends of all ages. Our homey, hearty meal can be made ahead—that's especially helpful if your party falls on a weeknight. But any of Hanukkah's eight nights offers the opportunity to enjoy the holiday's many traditions, the company of loved ones, and, of course, a memorable dinner.
Serves 8
Appetizers
Main
Sides
Barley Pilaf with Pearl Onions
Dessert
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Modern Hanukkah Menu
If we're meant to spend the holidays with family, then why do so many seasonal recipes leave us stranded in the kitchen? Enter this menu of modern twists on classic Hanukkah fare. The dishes here offer all the beloved ingredients—crisp potatoes, braised beef, sweet doughnuts—but can be prepared in a fraction of the time. Lay the food out buffet-style so even serving is a snap.
Serves 8 to 10
Appetizers
Main
Side
Sauteed Spinach with Toasted Pine Nuts
Dessert
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Sophisticated Christmas Eve Dinner
This Christmas Eve dinner combines time-honored traditions and a procession of desserts that will inspire you to create your own memorable holiday celebrations. It's the menu that Martha's longtime friend and colleague Gael Towey and her husband, Stephen Doyle, serve in their townhouse in in the West Village of New York City, surrounded by family and friends.
Serves 12
Appetizers
Beef Tenderloin Crostini with Sultana-Port Relish
Main
Side
Red Lettuce, Asian Pear, and Mint Salad
Desserts
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Festive Christmas Brunch
This festive Christmas brunch menu is sure to please. It's centered on a maple-bacon quiche. Extras like spiced apple cider, butternut squash soup, and turtle brownies round out the warm, tasty meal.
We recommend serving this brunch menu with sharp cheddar cheese and brown bread for added appeal.
Serves 8
Drinks
Pear and Sparkling Cider Cocktails
Salad
Red-and-Green Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
Soup
Mains
Desserts
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Mountain Christmas Menu
Around the holidays, some families honor their Swiss heritage with a traditional dinner. The menu begins with a classic cheese fondue, followed by baked ham, sides of potato rosti and spaetzle, and a dessert selection including apple pie, cookies, and candy.
Serves 10
Appetizer
Salad
Main
Sides
Desserts
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Roast Poussin Menu
A poussin is a very young chicken and makes a perfect, different-but-not-unfamiliar entrée for a holiday meal. Each poussin is halved and serves two guests. The main course is rounded out with buttered carrots, rice pilaf, and caramelized onion tartlets, And for dessert, there's a trio of festive options—and for an added holiday bonus, sip a cup of eggnog.
Serves 6
Drinks
Appetizer
Main
Roast Poussin with Prunes and Thyme
Sides
Rice Pilaf with Almonds and Dried Pears
Desserts
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Feast of Flavors Menu
A celebration of holiday favorites, this dinner menu really pulls out all the stops. There's honeyed ham and prime rib, served with a simple, refreshing salad of crunchy greens and citrus. We cut back on sides and appetizers to save room for dessert, lots of dessert, including the quintessential holiday flavors of gingerbread, peppermint, and eggnog.
Serves 8 to 10
Appetizer
Mains
Honeyed Ham with Pears and Cranberries
Prime Rib and Oven-Roasted Potatoes with Bay Leaves and Sage
Salad
Citrus Salad with Endive and Fennel
Desserts
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Grand Holiday Buffet
Enrich your family's holiday feast with two key ingredients: elegance and ease. During this season of giving, putting together a buffet is a suitably generous way to entertain. Because guests serve themselves, it's also the most practical, fuss-free way to welcome a crowd.
Our stand-out buffet features a satisfying selection of savories, including an update on roast stuffed turkey and plenty of accompaniments. For a very sweet ending, serve our hazelnut torte and a grand pavlova, both will tempt any sugarplum fairy.
Serves 10 to 12
Mains
Beef Tenderloin with Mushrooms and Thyme
Sides
Farro, Orange, and Pine-Nut Dressing
Leek and Gruyere Bread Pudding
Brown-Sugar-Spiced Red Cabbage
Braised Apples with Saffron and Cider
Salad
Chicory Salad with Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash
Drink
Desserts
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Christmas Beef Dinner
A boneless prime rib-eye roast is the centerpiece of this Christmas dinner menu. Our streamlined approach pairs the favorite entrée with a special holiday mashed potato side and a crisp seasonal salad. And for a spectacular finish, a tall chocolate layer cake frosted with snowy white buttercream and topped with crushed peppermints.
Serves 8 to 12
Main
Roast Beef with Caramelized Shallots
Side
Salad
Salad with Cranberries and Almonds
Dessert
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A Simple and Spectacular Holiday Pork Dinner
A seasonal meal can be effortlessly festive: Try pork stuffed with fruit, plus impressively tasteful accents. An easy trifle made with layers of sweetened cranberries, buttery pound cake, and fluffy whipped cream, makes for a merry ending to a dazzling meal.
Serves 8
Main
Pork Loin with Dried-Fruit and Chestnut Stuffing
Side
Lemony Shredded Brussels Sprouts
Dessert
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Italian-Style Christmas Family Feast
The owners of the beloved Manhattan Italian restaurant Sfoglia, Ron Suhanosky and Colleen Marnell-Suhanosky, share their Italian-style Christmas feast. It is indeed a feast with multiple options for each of the four courses. The menu reflects the couple's backgrounds: His family is Hungarian, Polish, and Italian; hers is Sicilian and French. It's packed with their take on traditional dishes, and it's all delicious.
Serves 8 to 10
Appetizers
Pomegranate-Fontina Rice Balls
Mains
Nonna's Crab and Lobster with Spaghetti
Winter Herb and Ricotta Cannelloni
Poached Cod in Tomato Sauce with Prunes
Roasted Boar (or Pork) with Mostarda
Sides
Kale, Blood Orange, and Hazelnut Salad
Desserts