These Are Our Most Popular Christmas Recipes—From Prime Rib to Plenty of Cookies (2024)

Prime Rib Roast

Pavlova Wreath

Our most popular Christmas recipes include a number of sweet treats, but this pavlova is a standout because it's not a cookie (or a cream puff). It's also an outstanding dessert, as beautiful as it is light, airy, and delicious. Pavlovas are often rustic rounds; for the holidays, we go fancy, piping mounds that form a wreath, one for each guest.

Prime Rib

To make this holiday-worthy roast, remember to leave the beef at room temperature for about two hours before cooking, as this will help it roast more evenly. Another tip? For optimum flavor, do not use a nonstick pan since it'll yield fewer bits that enhance the juices.

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

Easy, classic, and so delicious, scalloped potatoes are a delight for diners and for the chef—especially because the dish can be largely assembled ahead. Just leave off the last portion of cheese, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. When you're ready, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake as instructed.

Devil's on Horseback

A party classic, these bacon-wrapped dates go down easily and pair well with sparkling wine, beer, or just about any beverage.

Classic Cream Puffs

These delicate choux pastry puffs are filled with a rich vanilla pastry cream, but that's just the start. You can fill your puffs with any other custard flavor, lemon curd,Chantilly cream, or even savory fillings like smoked salmon spread or crab salad—just the thing for a holiday party.

Macaroni and Cheese

A crowd pleaser, macaroni and cheese is a comforting dish that makes its way onto our holiday tables as well as being a weeknight favorite. This rich version uses two cheeses: sharp white cheddar and Gruyère.

Sugar Cookies

The possibilities are truly endless with this go-to cookie dough. It turns out wonderfully crisp cookies that aren't overly sweet (which means they're ready to be swooshed with royal icing and sprinkles).

Martha's Classic Eggnog

This eggnog is not for the faint of heart: It includes plenty of bourbon, cognac, dark rum, heavy cream, and six eggs. The good news is that it is delicious and serves a crowd.

Easy Creamed Spinach

Our take on the classic creamed spinach side dish uses fresh spinach and cream cheese as a thickener. It's a crowd-pleasing recipe that's great with a range of entrées, from glazed ham to roasted turkey.

Spinach-and-Cheddar Slab Quiche

Feed a crowd during the holidays with this big-batch, make-ahead quiche, which is baked in a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet or shallow baking dish. It teams a rich sesame seed-studded crust with a cheesy spinach filling.

Basic Gingerbread Cookies

Here's a quintessential holiday recipe, perfect for making cutout cookies in various shapes. Our favorites are gingerbread boys and girls in different sizes, decorated with white royal icing and currant "buttons."

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate mix is a wintertime staple, and this version is refreshingly simple. It contains only cocoa, sugar, and salt (plus milk) and tastes rich and creamy.

Cookie-Press Cookies

Rich, buttery, and made with lots of vanilla, these cookies look impressive but aren't difficult to make. You just need a cookie press—a hollow tube fitted with a decorative nozzle at one end and a plunger at the other—to press the dough directly onto the baking sheet, making pretty shapes.

Roasted Red Potatoes

You can't go wrong with earthy roasted potatoes accented with woodsy fresh rosemary. Serve them alongside a rib roast, leg of lamb, beef Wellington, or any other meaty main.

Marshmallow Fudge

Who could resist a square or two of this decadent homemade fudge? It makes a wonderful gift but it's also handy to have on hand around Christmas to enjoy while watching Christmas movies or to sample at the end of a meal.