15 Classic Christmas Foods, Ranked From Best-Ever to Worst1. Chocolate and Peppermint
Peppermint bark. Peppermint hot cocoa. Mint chocolate chip ice cream. If there’s a better combination than chocolate and peppermint, I’ve never found it. When you use this mint chocolate cookie dough recipe as the base for this year’s gingerbread house, you’ll finally understand the whole Hansel and Gretel story.
2. Sugar Cookies
At my house, it just isn’t Christmas until we roll out my great grandma’s cut-out cookies. The recipe famously calls for “between 2 and 12 cups of flour, or until the dough looks right,” and I almost broke my stand mixer trying to recreate it one year. Don’t be like me: Use this Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen-approved recipe for (almost) guaranteed success.
3. Sticky Toffee Pudding
Don’t bring me the figgy pudding — sticky toffee is the real star at my table. This British export consists of a warm, moist date cake drizzled with a decadent toffee-pecan sauce and topped with a sizeable dollop of fresh whipped cream. Take a page out of Charles Dickens’ book and add this to your dessert table.
4. Brie Cheese
Baked brie is creamy, gooey, a little funky and tastes great when spread on tiny toasts with apples and pomegranate seeds. At my house, I have to beat my younger brother to the brie wheel or I won’t get any for myself. This simple, festive tart made with the star of the cheese tray will really up the ante on your app spread.
5. Gingerbread
The slightly sweet, spice-studded flavor of gingerbread tastes like the platonic ideal of the holiday season. But to me, biting the head off a man-shaped cookie is a little dark for the most wonderful time of the year. These gingerbread wands are both easier than rolling and cutting and less cannibalistic. You can also use this recipe for the classic shape cookie, for the traditionalists in the crowd.
6. Roast Beef Tenderloin
At the end of The Grinch, the title character carves a many-limbed “roast beast” as the guest of honor. My mouth starts to salivate every time I watch him passing that platter. If you’re also a meat-eater, there’s just no better dish for a big holiday feast than a showstopper of a roast.
7. Chocolate Bark
Chocolate bark looks fancy but truly couldn’t be easier. That’s my kind of treat: Maximum reward, minimal effort. You can’t go wrong with the peppermint classic (see above), but switching it up with different chocolate flavors and your favorite mix-ins gives it a fun personalized element. It also makes a personal, affordable gift.
8. Sweet Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are tasty and all, but mashed sweet potatoes? That’s my carb go-to, every time. They’ve got the creamy goodness of the traditional mash, with about a hundred times more flavor. Add a little rosemary and sprinkle the whole shebang with roasted pecans and watch your guests scrape the bowl clean.
9. Gingerbread Men
I love a gingerbread cookie, and we already know chocolate wins my heart. What I do not love is fiddly decoration. These mocha men solve that problem because they need nary a sprinkle; just a quick dunk in melted chocolate makes them ready for the ‘gram (not to mention your belly).
10. Baked Ham
We love the way this glazed ham looks and the easy steps it takes to cook. Glaze your ham with (yes!) root beer and serve this main with zero fear. I really like this Christmas ham, but not as much as I like yams.
11. Stuffing
I wait all year for stuffing season, but it wasn’t until I began making my own that I really fell in love with it. Ditch the box and tear your own bread, chop some veggies, toss some fresh herbs in there and you’ll see what I mean. Some years, I’m tempted to skip the turkey altogether and fill up on this classic side.
12. Turkey and Gravy
Many households swear by ham, lamb or another protein for Christmas dinner since it follows Thanksgiving so closely. But I still love a turkey centerpiece. Others (like my husband) consider the majestic bird too boring. If your turkey is bland, try this simple recipe that will make your kitchen smell amazing.
13. Thumbprint Cookies
As a kid, I couldn’t understand why my mom always resisted making thumbprint cookies. Rolling dough between your hands, sticking your thumb right in the center, dusting with powdered sugar – it made the best mess. Now that I have to clean my own kitchen, I understand why she didn’t want to still keep digging sugar out of the countertop grout a week later. They’re not in my top five cookie choices, but still worth the effort.
14. Cranberry Sauce
In the cranberry category, nothing beats homemade. If your family serves cranberry sauce at Christmas as well as Thanksgiving, level up for the second round with this tonsil-tingling orange-apricot cranberry compote. Or just go for the homemade version both times. It’s that much better and it doubles as a glorious kitchen aromatic.
15. Roasted Carrots
Even during the holiday season, you really shouldn’t eat candy all day long. That’s where these slightly spicy, slightly sweet roasted carrots come in. They pair beautifully with your holiday main and even the kids won’t be grinches about eating their veggies.