Easy Holiday Rcipes
Need some easy holiday recipes to save time over Thanksgiving or Christmas?
The holiday season is a time for family and friends–and lots of delicious food. But you may not want to spend hours in the kitchen preparing your favorite holiday recipes.
I love Thanksgiving and Christmas as much as anyone. But I don’t love all the work that goes into putting meals on the table.
So I’m always interested in anything I can whip up for the holidays that’s going to be quick and easy. And if you’re in the same boat, then you’re in luck!
Not long ago, I rounded up the best Instant Pot recipes for busy moms who need to save time. Today, I’m offering up a few more fast (and delicious) recipes for the holiday season that you can make in a flash.
No matter what your favorite holiday dishes are, I guarantee you’ll find something on this list you’ll love. So let’s dig in!
Related post: Christmas Bucket List (50 Fun Holiday Activities for Kids!)
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121 Quick and Easy Holiday Recipes for Busy Moms
Simple holiday recipes for appetizers
1. Cranberry and Brie Bites – Mommy Made That
2. Turkey Veggie Thanksgiving Tray – On My Kids Plate
3. Mung Bean Hummus – Mind Body and Spirit Wellbeing
4. Easy Cranberry Baked Brie With Thyme – Happy Kitchen
Delicious holiday recipes for main courses
5. Instant Pot Turkey Breast – Tasty Galaxy
6. Air Fryer Turkey Breast – Recipes From A Pantry
7. Garlic and Herb Roasted Turkey Breast – Earth Food and Fire
8. Easy Instant Pot Ham With Vegetables – Sustain My Cooking Habit
9. Healthy Vegan Lentil Meatloaf – Nutritiously
10. Oven-Roasted Maple Turkey Breast – Healthy Fitness Meals
Easy holiday recipes for side dishes
11. Classic Green Bean Casserole – Spend With Pennies
12. Sourdough Sage Stuffing – Veggie Lexi
13. Butternut Squash Orzo With Feta and Sage – Mighty Mrs.
14. Better Than Your Mama’s Green Bean Casserole – Crave the Good
15. Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Butternut Squash – Happy Kitchen
16. Cheesy Potato Casserole – Moms Cravings
17. Easy Brussels Sprouts and Bacon – Berry Maple
18. Stuffing and Green Bean Casserole – The Cozy Cook
19. Low Carb Riced Cauliflower Stuffing – Flavor The Moments
20. Baby Hasselback Potatoes – Veggie Desserts
21. Pan-Fried Brussels Sprouts With Turkey Bacon and Parmesan – Babaganosh
22. Sauteed Spinach With Garlic – To Simply Inspire
23. Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole – Healthy Fitness Meals
24. Sauteed Green Beans and Mushrooms – Low Carb Africa
25. Maple Dijon and Thyme Roasted Vegetables – Calm Eats
26. Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli – To Simply Inspire
27. Vegan Stuffed Acorn Squash – Tasty Galaxy
28. Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes – The Fitchen
29. Easy Roasted Cranberries – Foodal
30. Roasted Carrots and Parsnips – Flavor The Moments
31. Cauliflower Rice and Sausage Stuffing – Low Carb Africa
32. No-Fail Triple Corn Casserole – Foodal
33. Parmentier Potatoes With Rosemary and Garlic – Veggie Desserts
34. Easy Cauliflower Fritters – Tasty Galaxy
35. Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cranberries and Pecans With Balsamic Vinegar – Marathons and Motivation
36. Easy Creamed Corn – Berry Maple
37. Easy Crockpot Cheesy Potatoes – BubbaPie
38. Green Beans Almondine – The Recipe Well
39. Keto Loaded Mashed Cauliflower – Healthy With Jamie
40. Classic Green Bean Casserole – Healthy Kitchen 101
41. Classic Corn Casserole – Feast For A Fraction
42. Vegan Green Beans In a Blanket – Vegan Dollhouse
43. Quick and Easy Mashed Rutabagas – Fearless Dining
44. Easy Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows – BubbaPie
45. Mashed Turnips – Low Carb Yum
46. Chargrilled Broccoli – Recipes From A Pantry
47. Easy Roasted Asparagus – Your Wandering Foodie
48. Keto Spinach Casserole – Healthy Ambitions
49. Sauteed Carrots in Maple Thyme Glaze – My Pure Plants
50. Healthy Sweet Potatoes – Pink Fortitude
51. Drunken Chorizo and Sage Stuffing – Carefree Mermaid
52. 5-Minute Vegan + Sugar-free Cream Style Corn – Strength and Sunshine
53. Scalloped Potatoes With Parmesan Cheese – Billy Parisi
54. Easy Roasted Sweet Potatoes – Baked Broiled and Basted
55. Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette – Snappy Gourmet
56. Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole Two Ways – The Banana Diaries
57. Dairy-Free Green Bean Casserole – Wicked Spatula
58. Savory Pumpkin Casserole With Herbs – Low Carb Yum
59. Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes – Billy Parisi
60. Bacon Mac and Cheese – Savory With Soul
61. Scalloped Potatoes – Little Sunny Kitchen
62. Southern Smoky Green Beans – Baked Broiled and Basted
63. Spicy Italian Roasted Brussels Sprouts – Raia’s Recipes
64. Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash – Two Sleevers
65. Grandma’s Roasted Brussels Sprouts – Fearless Dining
66. Cream Style Corn – Savory With Soul
67. Garlicky Bacon Butternut Squash – On Tys Plate
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Easy holiday Instant Pot recipes
68. Instant Pot Turkey Breast – Little Sunny Kitchen
69. Instant Pot Turkey Breast – Spaceships and Laserbeams
70. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes – The Recipe Well
71. Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce – Little Earthling Blog
72. Instant Pot Mashed Chipotle Sweet Potatoes – Boulder Locavore
73. Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes – Nourish Plate
74. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes With Sour Cream and Garlic – Boulder Locavore
75. Instant Pot Glazed Carrots – Recipes From A Pantry
76. Instant Pot Hot Buttered Potatoes – Little Sunny Kitchen
77. Garlic Smashed Potatoes In the Instant Pot – Raia’s Recipes
78. Instant Pot White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Minis – Recipe This
79. Instant Pot Turkey Crown – Recipe This
Quick holiday recipes for soups and salads
80. Pumpkin Chipotle Soup – This Is How I Cook
81. Roast Pumpkin Pear Salad – Natalie’s Health
82. Healthy Pumpkin Soup – Healthy Kitchen 101
83. Simple Harvest Salad With a Creamy Walnut Vinaigrette – Hello Spoonful
84. Pumpkin, Potato and Carrot Soup – Francine’s Place Blog
85. Frozen Cranberry Salad – This Is How I Cook
86. Sauteed Squash Quinoa Salad – Marathons and Motivation
87. Pomegranate and Persimmon Salad – Small Footprint Family
88. Brussels Sprout Salad With Cranberries – Nibble and Dine
Tasty holiday recipes for breads and sauces
89. Keto Biscuits With Thyme and Cheese – Primal Edge Health
90. Cheddar Garlic Buttermilk Drop Biscuits – The Rising Spoon
91. Mini Gluten-Free Cornbread Muffin Bites – Strength and Sunshine
92. Cranberry Sauce That Everyone Will Love – Pink Fortitude
93. Low-Carb Keto Gravy – Wholesome Yum
94. The Best Cranberry Sauce Recipe – Ann’s Entitled Life
95. Healthy Vegan Gluten-Free Cornbread – Nutritiously
96. Garlic-Cheddar Drop Biscuits – Snappy Gourmet
97. Homemade Cider and Elderberry Cranberry Sauce – Raia’s Recipes
98. Easy Homemade Cranberry Orange Sauce – Get Inspired Everyday
99. How to Make Gravy Without Drippings – The Toasty Kitchen
100. Cranberry Sauce With Orange Zest – The Toasty Kitchen
101. The Best Pumpkin Bread – The Salty Table
102. 3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce – Home Cooking Memories
Easy holiday recipes for desserts & drinks
103. White Chocolate Cranberry Fudge – Dancing Through the Rain
104. Easy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread – Healthy Christian Home
105. Pumpkin Pecan Pan Parfait – Stef’s Eats and Sweets
106. Caramel Apple Bars – Pastry and Beyond
107. Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars – A Younique Journey
108. No-Churn Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream – Raia’s Recipes
109. The Best Pumpkin Crunch Cake – Thrifty Frugal Mom
110. Pumpkin Chai Latte – Raia’s Recipes
111. Creamy and Flavorful Sweet Potato Pie – A Younique Journey
112. Pumpkin Bars With Cream Cheese Frosting – Natalie’s Health
113. Gluten-Free Crustless Pumpkin Pie – Strength and Sunshine
114. Apple Crisp Pie – My Pure Plants
115. Salted Caramel Filled Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups – Pastry and Beyond
116. Homemade Strudel – Francine’s Place Blog
117. No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake – Cheesecakeitis
118. Apple Crisp Cookie Cups – Pastry and Beyond
119. Pumpkin Eclair Cake – Stef’s Eats and Sweets
120. Gluten-Free Paleo Pecan Pie – Wicked Spatula
121. Fall and Winter White Wine Sangria – The Rising Spoon
How to save time when making holiday recipes
These easy holiday recipes can help you get your cooking done faster but they’re only one half of the equation.
I hate being stuck in the kitchen for hours on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Eve. And if you do too, then these tips are just for you!
1. Make your menu well in advance
At my house, we start talking about what we want to have for Thanksgiving dinner as soon as Halloween is over. I’m a planner by nature so I like to get a head start.
The more lead time you give yourself to plan out your holiday meals, the better. You can save time when it’s time to cook since you have a plan. If you shop in advance, you can also scoop up deals to save money.
(And if you’re looking for a money-saving tip for holiday grocery shopping, don’t head to the grocery store without the Ibotta app. It can save you serious cash on groceries!)
2. Limit the number of new recipes you try
I know, I know. I just gave you 121 easy holiday recipes and now I’m telling you not to make them all.
Well, not exactly.
You should definitely check out each one on the list because they’re all amazing! But if you’re trying to save time when cooking for the holidays, don’t overwhelm yourself with trying a bunch of new things.
Pick one or two new dishes to try for Thanksgiving. Then pick another one or two new recipes for the December holidays. And wrap it up with choosing one or two more for New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.
That way, you can mix things up a little without feeling overwhelmed.
3. Embrace your Instant Pot
If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet, don’t cook a thing for the holidays without buying one first.
An Instant Pot is insanely useful for saving time in the kitchen over the holidays or any time. You can whip up main courses, sides and even desserts much faster than you could on the stovetop or the oven.
That can make all of these easy holiday recipes even easier!
If you’ve never used an Instant Pot before, there’s a little bit of a learning curve involved. But once you master it, you’ll wonder how you ever did without one.
Get your Instant Pot now!
4. Use your crockpot too
Just because you have an Instant Pot doesn’t mean your crockpot automatically takes a backseat.
I use my crockpots (yes, crockpots plural) over the holidays to make hot cocoa, simmer sweet and sour meatballs, make soups and cook breakfast casseroles for Christmas morning.
It makes things so much easier when I can just dump things in, turn it on and leave it to do its work.
If you don’t have a crockpot or you’re looking for a replacement, here are some of my favorite crockpot picks for the holidays. (And in case you’re wondering, the last two are the ones I use!)
5. Cook ahead
This last tip is what I think is the best one.
I try to get as much of the holiday cooking done before the actual holiday rolls around. So for Thanksgiving, here’s what my cooking schedule usually looks like:
- Tuesday – Make the cheeseball and all the desserts
- Wednesday – Make all the side dishes
- Thursday – Cook the turkey, ham and rolls, then heat up the sides I made the day before
Having a schedule like this means I have to spend a little time in the kitchen each day. But it’s better than being stuck in the kitchen all day on Thanksgiving.
As you prep for holiday cooking, look at your own schedule to see if you can space things out a bit. And if you can’t do that, then at the very least see what you can delegate to other family members so the cooking isn’t entirely on you.
What are your favorite easy holiday recipes?
Hopefully, I’ve given you some great ideas for holiday dishes to try this year. Now it’s your turn.
Is there a go-to Thanksgiving or Christmas dish you can’t live without? Does your family have a special dish they request for New Year’s?
Head to the comments and tell me about it! And while you’re here be sure to check out my best tips for getting organized for the holidays!
