As you plan out your holiday entertaining schedule and meals, let us help! WE GET IT. We’re all trying to make holiday magic for our families, so meal planning (even for parties) can at best feel burdensome and at worst fall to the wayside.
We’ve rounded up our favorite everyday cookbooks, and we’re sharing a recipe or two from each that we think you’d love AND would be perfect for your holiday gatherings.
Before we get started, I need you to know that I adore these women. I mean, as much as you can adore someone you don’t know in real life and only know from social media. Either way, I’ve followed each of them for years. They seem delightful and their recipes have been gracing my kitchen for so long. We’ve been cooking, eating, and enjoying their recipes long before most of them even had a cookbook.
The combined recommendations below basically plan a whole holiday meal menu. You’re welcome.
Dinner Tonight by Alex Snodgrass
To feed a crowd of company- maybe you have family in town- go for the Loaded Potato Leek Soup. It’s a family favorite in my house and serves way more than 6, as the book says. Go ahead and add the No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars to your Christmas Cookies list. They’ll make a great addition to your neighbor gifts!
What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers
Don’t serve the same basic ham. Try Caroline’s Miso-Maple Ham with Collard Greens. When you’re feeding guests outside of the main meal, might I suggest Sausage & Kale Pasta or White Chicken Chili? These were both hits in our house!
The Ambitious Kitchen Cookbook by Monique Volz
This is the newest cookbook in my collection, but I’ve made several of Monique’s recipes over the years. You can’t go wrong! For your holiday meals, my suggestions are: Creamy Baked Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese with Sage-Walnut Bread Crumbs and The Best Cherry Pie You’ll Ever Eat. Sounds like a no brainer to me.
Pass the Plate by Carolina Gelan
One of the first recipes I made from Carolina’s Insta account was her tomato soup. It’s still one that’s a regular request. Her cookbook came out a few months ago and I’m still getting acquainted, but I found two recipes that would be perfect for this holiday season: Roasted Broccoli with Creamy Cheddar Sauce & Buttery Panko and Easy No-Bake Milk Chocolate Pie. I can’t wait to try these!
