21 Showstopping Holiday Dinner Mains

Here's how to draw those oohs and aahs.

By
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht
Rachel Knecht turned her home baking into a career in 2016 when she began working as the head baker at The Greenbean Coffeehouse in Seattle, WA. Afterwards, she started Baking with Rachel (her blog), began teaching kids' cooking classes, and recipe tested for the cookbook "Let's Stay In" by Ashley Rodriguez.
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Updated December 20, 2023
Rachel Knecht

While I love the twinkling lights and gift-giving of the holidays, I get most excited by the dinners. My mother-in-law makes a special dinner for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I can count on prime rib for Christmas Eve as surely as I can count on her homemade cookies, layered in her decorative cookie tins. Her dad always brought the prime rib and she hasn’t let the tradition go by the wayside since his passing.

But it doesn’t have to be prime rib to be memorable. There are other grand holiday meals you can choose from. You’ll find roasts, pasta, and stews on this list.

A medium-rare prime rib on a carving board with several slices cut

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Once you’ve decided on the menu, start procuring the ingredients. You may need to put in a special order with a local butcher or go to a specialty grocer. Also, make sure you have a trusty instant-read thermometer and any other special equipment.

Most of all though, enjoy the time spent together and give yourself a big hug for giving the gift of your time, love, and a memorable meal.

  • Classic Rack of Lamb

    Rack of lamb cut into chops on platter

    Guests will be running to the table when they see you serving these juicy lamb chops. You can season the lamb up to three days in advance. No gravy or sauces are required.

  • Oven-Roasted Fillet of Beef

    Sliced Oven Roasted Fillet of Beef on a Plate, and in the Surroundings, the Carving Utensils on the Green Kitchen Towel, Two Glasses of Water, and a Stack of Plates

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

    A few pantry ingredients are all it takes to make a mouth-watering beef roast. Coat the beef tenderloin in mustard, sear in a skillet, and then finish in a hot oven. The oven starts at 500°F but don’t forget to turn it down once the roast is inside.

  • Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

    bacon wrapped pork loin served on platter with apples
    Sally Vargas

    Give pork tenderloin the holiday treatment by wrapping it in bacon and cooking it with a stuffing of apples, onions, and herbs. The recipe is easy to double and is ready in an hour.

  • Garlic Herb Butter Prime Rib

    Herb butter prime rib with gravy being served on a cutting board.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    This high-quality cut is the most tender and flavorful when it’s cooked to medium-rare. Your guests will fall head over heels for the garlic herb butter that coats the roast.

    Continue to 5 of 21 below

  • Vegetarian Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

    Vegetarian Spinach Mushroom Lasagna
    Vegetarian Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna.

    If you’re looking for comforting, crowd-pleasing meals then look no further than lasagna. Not only is it delicious, but you can make it ahead of time and freeze it baked or unbaked. For a meaty lasagna, check out this recipe.

  • Dry Brined and Roasted Turkey

    Dry Brined and Roasted Turkey on a roasting rack
    Elise Bauer

    This is hands-down my favorite way to prepare turkey. Dry brining is simply rubbing the turkey down with salt and then letting it rest in the refrigerator for a couple days. This recipe packs extra flavor in by including dried herbs along with the salt.

  • Classic Roast Beef

    A sliced roast beef cooked to medium rare beef temperature.
    Ciara Kehoe

    It doesn’t have to be expensive to be delicious. Using butcher's twine to tie the rump roast helps it cook more evenly. Cook it low and slow for mouth-watering results.

  • Traditional Cassoulet

    traditional cassoulet

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Whisk your guests to France and serve this quintessential stew. You’ll want to give yourself two days and time to source the duck confit (or make your own). You can also make this ahead of time, freeze it, and then warm it when you’re ready to serve.

    Continue to 9 of 21 below

  • Jewish Brisket

    Jewish Brisket on a Plate with Carrots and Parsley and a Bowl of Potatoes

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Sara Tane shares her recipe for making the perfect brisket for the Jewish holiday table. She says that Jewish-style brisket is “typically sweeter and incorporates some sort of tomato product,” setting it apart from other braised briskets. She uses ketchup and brown sugar for sweetness and then adds red wine to balance it out.

  • Beef Wellington

    Beef Wellington Sliced in Half on a Cutting Board Next to a Bowl of Side Salad

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

    You can still do a show stopping beef roast for an intimate get together. Beef Wellington is beef tenderloin wrapped in puff pastry with a layer of mushrooms to ensure that the lean cut is full of flavor.

  • Glazed Oxtails

    Overhead view of a dutch oven with braised oxtails inside for an oxtail recipe.
    Sally Vargas

    Once you taste these braised oxtails, you’ll be dreaming about them until the next time. You’ll cook the beef in stock and wine, then let the braise rest in the refrigerator overnight. Shred the meat and serve it with the sauce made from the braising liquid.

  • Cranberry Glazed Ham

    Cranberry Glazed Ham
    Elise Bauer

    Jellied cranberry sauce makes the perfect festive glaze for the holiday ham. It’s simmered with orange juice and then spread on the outside of the spiral cut ham at the end of the baking time. Broiling the glaze gives it a shiny crust.

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  • Turkey Tenderloin

    Turkey Tenderloin Cut into Slices on a Cutting Board

    Simply Recipes / Katie Morford

    If you dream of tender, boneless white meat, then make tenderloins instead of the whole bird. Tenderloins are cut from the underside of the breast and cooked in less than an hour. Serve it with the maple mustard sauce made from the pan drippings.

  • Beef Bourguignon

    beef bourguignon

    Laura Heller

    Treat your guests to a rich and hearty beef stew to warm them inside and out on a cold winter holiday. The beef chuck transforms into much more than its humble pedigree. Pinot noir is the classic wine for this stew. Look for one that you enjoy drinking.

  • Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin

    Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin
    Sheryl Julian, Sabrina Modelle, and Elise Bauer

    I love the cozy combinations of flavors and how attractive this roast looks on the dinner table. You can butterfly and stuff the pork loin for up to two days before baking it.

  • Roast Beef Tenderloin with Sautéed Mushrooms

    Roast beef Tenderloin
    Elise Bauer

    Beef tenderloin is not your everyday beef roast. It’s a rich and tender cut, fit for a holiday dinner. It’s best when it’s cooked simply, so you won't have a long grocery list. The mushrooms are sauteed in the pan drippings in order to use all that beefy goodness.

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  • Easy Baked Salmon

    Honey Garlic Butter Roasted Salmon topped with herbs and set on foil.
    Kalisa Martin

    The holidays are full of rich foods and after an afternoon of eggnog and cookies, serving a lemony side of salmon might be exactly what everyone is craving.

  • Beef Pot Roast in Red Wine

    Beef pot roast in red wine on a blue platter.
    Elise Bauer

    Elevate the humble pot roast by simmering it in a luscious red wine. The braising liquid and vegetables don’t go to waste. You’ll strain it and then cook it down to make the sauce for ladling over the slices.

  • Pork Crown Roast

    Crown Roast of Pork
    Elise Bauer

    The name alone lets you know that this is a dish for special occasions. You won’t find this decadent roast at the grocery store. Instead, head to your local butcher and order it. Once home, you’ll make a simple apple stuffing to spoon into the center of the roast to cook along with it.

  • Instant Pot Beef Brisket

    Pressure Cooker Beef Brisket
    Coco Morante

    Get the same classic flavors of your favorite brisket in half the time. As an added bonus, the gravy can be made right inside the pot using our other favorite kitchen tool: the immersion blender.

    Continue to 21 of 21 below

  • Prime Rib

    Prime Rib
    Elise Bauer

    Prime rib is a celebratory roast fit for a crowd. You can estimate that each rib will feed two to three people so you can buy a roast to feed however many people are around the table. 

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