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The holidays can be stressful. With gifts to buy and friends and family to see, cooking might be the last thing on your mind. But it still needs to be done, especially if you’re tasked with bringing a dish or hosting a gathering. To make it easier, we put together this collection of 30 lazy recipes to use throughout the festive season. Whether you need a classic main dish for Christmas dinner, a decadent dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth, or a simple appetizer to serve last-minute guests, these simple holiday ideas will do the trick.
Easy French Toast Casserole
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Make this easy casserole the night before, pop it in the oven in the morning, and serve it for a casual weekend or holiday breakfast,” says Allrecipes member Heather Bogle. “I got the idea from a bed and breakfast in the south. You can add additional ingredients such as blueberries and cream cheese, cinnamon apples, nuts, and dried fruit!”
White Chocolate Popcorn
“This is a really, really easy recipe for white chocolate popcorn, and the results are fantastic,” says Allrecipes member nnewman6080. “The salty-sweet ratio is perfect! Great for parties or festive goodie bags.”
Glazed Carrots
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“These were really good,” says reviewer KrisTen10. “My husband, who is a savory guy, even loved them. We will add them to our rotation. As another reviewer suggested, I added some cinnamon and we used large carrots in chunks so it took a bit longer than written.”
Make-Ahead Sour Cream Coffee Cake
“This recipe is easy and delicious even for those of us who don’t plan ahead and forget to put it together the night before. I made a batch this morning start to finish and it turned out delicious!” says reviewer Occasional Cooker.
Texas Christmas Pickles
“These spicy-sweet pickles are a Texas tradition. My mother and I have made these delectable pickles for Christmas every year since I was young,” says Allrecipes member KIKI810. “We separate each batch into smaller jars and give them as gifts to friends and family. I would hate to think what would happen if we skipped a year!”
Slow Cooker Ham with Pineapple
“Wonderful recipe. So easy and delicious,” says reviewer winemasterTN. “Very tender…falls off the bone. Made it exactly by recipe.”
Cake Mix Cookies
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This is about as easy as it gets for a cookie recipe. Rip open a box of cake mix, plop in two eggs and a little oil, and voila! Great cookies!” says reviewer CASTILLOCA. “I made mine too big, so by the time they cooked on top, the bottoms were pretty well done. Just follow the recipe and make ‘little balls’ and you’ll be good to go!”
Cannoli Dip
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“This cannoli dip turns the tastes and flavors of a cannoli into a wonderful dessert or party snack! To serve, break up pizzelle cookies or waffle cones into chip-sized pieces to scoop cannoli dip,” says Allrecipes member Megan. “The dip tastes just like the filling from a cannoli, and the pizzelles act as the shell.”
Homemade Hot Apple Cider
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“I love this apple cider recipe. I tried it at home first and really liked it. So then I placed it in my crockpot and took it to work and various potlucks,” says reviewer Toni Ren. “If I am going to a big potluck, I will quadruple this recipe.”
Easy Savoy Cabbage
“I love savoy cabbage. We serve it as a side with almost anything. This is one of my favorite ways to make it—it’s quick and easy with a little butter and cream,” says Allrecipes member Lena.
Super Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
“Been using this recipe my entire life,” says one reviewer. “My grandmother, my mom, and I all use this recipe. If its too dry, you baked them too long. We add sprinkles to make them festive for Christmas.”
Quick and Easy Yorkshire Pudding
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“Yorkshire pudding is a must-have accompaniment with gravy when you’re serving a traditional British roast beef dinner,” says Allrecipes member NOEMIE. “The secret to making foolproof Yorkshire puddings is to add the batter to sizzling hot fat. That way, the Yorkshires puff up and get crispy on the outside but stay tender inside.
Best Roast Beef
DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS
“Roast beef made with round roast cooked to your liking using an easy, weight-based formula guide for perfect results every time,” says Allrecipes member RCP80. “Thinly slice the beef and serve with gravy, mashed potatoes, and your veggie of choice for a special family meal. Use the juices from the roast beef in your gravy.”
Oven Scrambled Eggs
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“These baked scrambled eggs are light and fluffy and are a snap to put together for a big crowd. I usually make two pans for our Christmas brunch, and I never have many leftovers!” says Allrecipes member Erin.
Quick Christmas Salad
“This recipe is always a hit. I am asked to bring it every year to family dinners. Sometimes I switch up the nuts with slivered or sliced almonds, sometimes I use cranberries, and I will change out the dressing with raspberry vinaigrette,” says reviewer Aubrey Hill. “Whatever the combination, there are never any leftovers.”
Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Excellent! I’ve been looking for a good bacon wrapped water chestnut recipe and this is it! I did cut the sauce ingredients in half, and it was still saucy enough,” says reviewer Jennifer Namia. “I plan on making this recipe a Christmas tradition in our home. However, this recipe is good year around!”
Microwave Baked Apples
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“Make baked apples in the microwave with this quick-and-easy recipe,” says Allrecipes member Nicole M. “Stuff the cored apples with any additional fruits that you wish—cranberries stuffed into apples are especially delicious!”
Baked Brie
“This Brie cheese recipe wraps a whole wheel of Brie cheese filled with preserves in puff pastry,” says Allrecipes member Susan Jackson. “It’s baked until the pastry is golden and crisp and the Brie is warm and gooey inside for a cheesy treat.”
Amazing Oven-Roasted Potatoes
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
“I love this recipe and only changed up the seasoning! I used Herbs De Provence, pepper, and kosher salt, which tastes amazing,” says reviewer Bluetiger. “I’ve also used Badia complete seasoning, which is also very good. My potatoes come out looking like the picture.”
Easy Roasted Beef Tenderloin
Nicole Russell
“This easy roasted beef tenderloin takes less time to make than prime rib, and is an impressive centerpiece for your holiday table,” says Allrecipes’ Nicole McLaughlin.
Caramel Pie
“If you like caramel, this recipe is to die for! Rich, Creamy, and Smooth,” says reviewer rphardin1. “I had ordered [the pie] in a restaurant in Kentucky and wanted to make it at home. Easy and worth it! I had never heard of it and neither had any of my friends and family!”
Winter Blossom’s Often Requested Ham Salad
“This ham salad recipe without eggs is one I have been making for years. I recently traveled from New Jersey to Oklahoma to make a batch for one of my friends! It’s fast, simple, and great on party rye for a cocktail party, on toast or a bagel for breakfast, on rye with lettuce, thinly sliced onions, and dill (or sweet) pickles,” says Allrecipes member Diane Horn Talts. “It’s downright yummy!”
Oreo Cookie Bark
“You may be a little put off by the fact that this recipe has only two ingredients. DON’T BE. I’ve made this recipe about a hundred times and every time it is the hit of the party,” says reviewer Nicole. “It’s addictive, and you can’t mess it up! I so enjoy answering the question, ‘How did you make this?’ because no one can ever believe how easy it is.”
Sparkling Holiday Jam
“This might have been the EASIEST recipe for jelly/jam I have ever made—and the colors make it so appropriate for this time of year,” says reviewer MichelleC. “Very festive, very fruity too.”
Kosher Salt Encrusted Prime Rib Roast
“Turned out beautifully! The salt crusted well and came off in great chunks. Roast was done sooner than I thought it would be, but could be my oven,” says reviewer Deanna Gillette. “I added garlic to the rub before salting and it was a good addition. Juicy, tender enough to cut with a fork and full of flavor. Will make this again.”
Easy No-Bake Nutella® Pie
“I had a graham cracker crust and a jar of Nutella to use up, and this recipe was born,” says Allrecipes member Christina. “This pie takes literally 5 minutes to make and is similar to a fluffy chocolate mousse pie, but with a flavor twist.”
My Great Grandmother’s Ham Croquettes
“These tasty ham croquettes are made with diced ham, covered in bread crumbs, and baked. I don’t know how this recipe came to be, but we know my great-grandmother made them like this,” says Allrecipes member crazy4foodgirl. “After shaping them, you can put cheese or anything you want into the middle for a filling.”
Easy Sugar Cookies
“This sugar cookie recipe is quick and easy to make with simple ingredients. They are delicious as-is or with candies mixed in,” says Allrecipes member Stephanie. “My friend uses chocolate mints on top, and they taste great!”
Saltine Cracker Toffee
ALLRECIPES / DIANA CHISTRUGA
“This saltine cracker toffee is made by topping a layer of crackers with homemade toffee, melted chocolate, and chopped nuts for a wonderfully delicious treat,” says Allrecipes member Tracy. “We love to pack pieces of toffee into pretty tins and give them as gifts during the holidays.”
Cream Cheese Kolacky
Oana Ennis/Allrecipes
“Kolacky are delicious cream cheese pastries with a fruit filling. The dough for these cookies is what makes them exceptional. The most popular fillings are peach, apricot, raspberry, and date but you can use whatever you like,” says Allrecipes member MBMCD. “This year I’m trying Michigan cherry preserves and cranberry marmalade. I always quadruple this recipe for the holidays. You better hide a few for Christmas day—these are the ones that go first!”
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