Sitting down to an incredible dinner on Christmas Day is like getting an extra present. And thanks to our best recipes, you can be sure to serve up a crowd-pleasing meal—but only if you plan ahead. When you’re brainstorming Christmas dinner ideas, start with the main dish: A Christmas ham, prime rib or roast is always a solid choice. Round out your menu with mouthwatering side dishes, and don’t forget to include some vegetables! While easy recipes can be quite satisfying, at least one showstopping dish is a must when it comes to the holidays. This classic crown roast of pork is sure to wow family and friends. Season the pork overnight with salt, pepper and aromatic spices for the most tender and juicy roasted meat. Glazed apples and onions will serve as a sweet and tangy counterpoint.

This edible wreath is almost too pretty to eat (but seriously, you should dive in — it’s delicious.) Crisp and crunchy meringue lies beneath a ruby-red cranberry, raspberry and pomegranate sauce.

Ham dressed in pineapple rings and maraschino cherries is a holiday classic, and this dish will definitely steal the show.

Who says Christmas roast has to be prime rib? This much more affordable roast (made with eye round) will impress everyone at the holiday table. The crisp, spicy peppercorn crust pairs beautifully with the bright horseradish cream and leftovers make amazing sandwiches—so hold on to any extra sauce.

Yorkshire pudding and prime rib go together like cookies and milk, especially on Christmas. And with just four ingredients and in only 30 minutes, you’ll have a delicious side dish made, grand and burnished like a crown.

Just like real mittens, you’ll probably want a pair of these wintry treats. Store-bought pie dough makes rolling and cutting easy, and cherry is a festive filling for the season.

Sometimes called salmon Wellington, coulibiac is a layered, pastry-wrapped salmon dish known for its rich flavor and impressive presentation. Legend has it that the dish we know today comes from famed 19th-century chef Auguste Escoffier’s adaptation of an Imperial Russian fish pie known as kulebiaka. With that kind of pedigree, it’s not surprising that coulibiac is elegant and a touch decadent, with silky fish, richly flavored rice and wine-soaked mushrooms wrapped in buttery pastry—a spectacular dish to serve for a holiday or other special dinner.

Shake things up this holiday season and replace your Christmas ham with Christmas ribs slathered with triple pomegranate flavor. First, we brush the ribs with sticky pomegranate molasses and rub them with a smoky warm spice blend. Second, we slow-roast them with pomegranate juice to keep things moist, along with some jalapeño for heat. After roasting, we use the pan juices to make a sticky-sweet and slightly spicy BBQ sauce. Finally, we garnish the ribs with fresh pomegranate seeds, for jewel-tone flecks of color and a tangy crunch in every bite.

A riff on the iconic glazed ham covered with pineapple rings and cherries, this showstopping main course offers flaky pastry and salty ham topped with sweet pineapple sauce in every slice.

This restaurant-style steak is served carved and dressed in two fresh holiday-hued sauces — salsa roja and chimichurri — inspired by the two-tone grilled snapper served at the restaurant Contramar in Mexico City. Don’t be afraid of generously salting the meat; it helps create a real steakhouse crust.

While it’s common to make tamales all year round, these delicious steamed corn husk-wrapped bundles are traditionally made and shared around the holidays. Everyone has their favorite filling–chicken, beef and pork are all popular. In our version, the pork shoulder filling is cooked low and slow in a flavorful sauce of dried chiles, aromatics and spices and then wrapped in a fluffy, tender masa dough. Enjoy these tamales on their own, or with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

This roast is everything we love about the holiday. Rosy, incredibly tender and perfectly seasoned meat stuffed with all the quintessential Christmas roast sides — garlicky spinach, sauteed mushrooms and cubed buttery brioche. Butterflying the roast may seem intimidating but just take your time and the effort will pay off when you hear the accolades at the table. We love how truffle butter adds umami to the dish, but we made it optional – it really is just gilding the lily.

The combination of ham and kale is traditional for a reason: It’s so unbelievably good. But this satisfying casserole is easy to adapt to other greens and meat pairings, depending on what you have on hand: Try cooked sausage with frozen spinach or andouille with frozen mustard greens.

The trick to rolling this sweet, spiced cake (without cracking it) is to do it while it’s still warm. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar, flip it over onto a large, clean kitchen towel and then peel the parchment away before gently rolling into a tight log. After the cake cools for 30 minutes you can unroll it and continue with the recipe.

No stove-top cooking is required for this beautiful holiday dinner, complete with glossy marmalade-glazed ham, herby stuffed mushrooms, roasted garlic green beans and buttery rolls. We used bone-in ham steaks, but you could easily swap in boneless. In just one hour, you can have a full and satisfying dinner spread that’s easy, elegant and stress-free–perfect for those smaller festive gatherings.

Serve this simple, classic side at your Christmas meal. Food Network Kitchen adds a little spice to the creamy sauce with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

These tart and sweet holiday drinks served in Mason jars bedecked with Santa suits will make everyone jolly.

Humble ingredients make this slightly spicy and candied ham look like a million bucks.

No special cake pan is needed to make this impressive 3-D Christmas tree cake: Cleverly arranged and stacked squares of sheet cake are frosted and decorated with edible “lights.” There’s even a festive star topper.

Transform your holiday dessert spread into a fantasyland by serving traditional French buche de Noel, or yule log cake. Rich chocolate genoise (sponge cake) is rolled in a coffee- and brandy-flavored buttercream, then decorated with marzipan berries, pinecones and mushrooms. The look of awe on your guests’ faces will be well worth the effort.

Whether this is your first holiday as host or you just don’t want to stress about the main course, consider this dish a meat, sauce and side — all in one!

Glaze thinly sliced, roasted butternut squash with maple syrup and fresh orange, and add a sprinkle of parsley to finish.

“I love a cup of seriously strong coffee and a cannoli from an Italian bakery on Bleeker Street in Manhattan,” Alex says. “When I am making these at home, I am holding them up to the standard of those memories. The dessert really comes together in two parts: make the shell, thin and crispy and then make a filling with serious flavor.”

Brush a spiral ham with a sweet and tangy apricot glaze, and serve it with a quick sauce made from pan drippings for an impressive holiday roast.

Perk up sweet potatoes with maple syrup, butter and orange zest. It’s an easy way to upgrade a classic dish for the holidays.

Christmas is steeped in tradition. Special foods! Gifts! Songs! You may want to add this Nordic tradition to your festivities: Pork belly baked with the skin on, which becomes astonishingly crispy. Two simple but strategic accompaniments: braised red cabbage and sugar browned potatoes. The acid from the vinegar and sweetness from the lingonberry jam in the braised red cabbage cuts through the rich pork. The sugar browned potatoes are both creamy and sweet, a perfect contrast to the crisp and salty pork.

Sugar cookie meets cheesecake in this brilliant holiday mashup: A creamy vanilla cheesecake gets the royal icing treatment, no cookie platter required.

Alton’s secret ham recipe is, arguably, the best way to cook ham in America.

Is there anything more Christmassy than a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter’s day?

Cornflakes get dressed for the holidays when mixed with a green marshmallow coating. Shaped into individual wreaths and topped with festive candies, these crunchy treats are a fun a no-bake project.

“When the meat comes to the table, that’s the moment we all get excited about Christmas,” The Pioneer Woman says.

Savory, cheesy and irresistibly bite‑sized, these sausage holiday balls are the kind of warm, comforting appetizer that brings everyone together around the Christmas table.

The cooking method for this showstopping roast may seem unconventional, but that’s by design: Roasting at an initial high temperature sears the outside into a crust, then shutting off the oven and leaving the roast inside allows it to cook itself to the perfect medium rare.

Peppermint bark is a must-have around the holidays and this version is super easy to make. Be sure to use super-dry bowls and don’t let any water from the pot get in the chocolate — water makes melted chocolate seize up and unusable.

We made a cheese cracker dough and baked it in the shape of adorable edible Christmas presents. Each box holds a generous portion of cheese spread, perfect for dipping. Arrange the boxes on a large platter and surround them with meats, vegetables, crackers and, of course, more cheese spread. The perfect start to your holiday meal!

Bright, zesty and full of garlicky goodness, this lemony shrimp scampi pasta is a festive twist on a classic that’s perfect for elevating your Christmas dinner spread.

Think pasta can’t be made for Christmas? Think again! These succulent egg noodles are topped with a blend of chopped chives, poppy seeds and creme fraiche for a fresh and creamy finish.

Impress everyone at your Christmas dinner table with this festive and roustic pork roulade. Use wild mushrooms, like oyster or hen of the woods, to create the earthy filling.

Know someone on Santa’s naughty list? Give them this crunchy cocoa-flavored candy. It’s sweeter than it looks and fun to make as you break it into odd-shaped pieces.

These garlic mashed potatoes are sure to be a favorite with your holiday crowd. To start, simmer your Yukon Golds with 3 bay leaves to infuse them with a aromatic and herby flavor. Add three more bay leaves to 1 1/2 cups of milk and 5 bulbs of garlic and boil to make your buttery garlic sauce. Pour into your potatoes, stir and dig right in.

Breathe new life into your asparagus by topping them with zesty lemon breadcrumbs. Simply add a 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs to chopped thyme, pecorino, chives and a tablespoon of Meyer lemon zest and you’re on your way to a holly jolly meal.

You’ll need one bottle of dry red wine, some brandy, tomato puree, and veal demi-glace to make this mouth-watering mulled-wine-esque roulade.

Add a unexpected touch to your Christmas with this stuffed lamb roast. To make the salsa verde topping, pulse parsley, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes and capers in a food processor. Next add lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and olive oil. Drizzle your chunky sauce on top of your sliced lamb when done for a tasty and virbant pop of flavor and color.

When putting together this citrusy salad, transfer your green beans to a bowl of ice water once they have been cooked to give them a blanched texture.

Surprise your loved ones with a different kind of present this year — a pasta casserole that looks just like a gift-wrapped box! We use parsley and beets to dye fresh pasta sheets to create the wrapping for a package filled with cheesy, creamy meatball pasta.

Saffron threads and 2 cups of basmati rice are all you need to kick off this elevated side dish.

For something different this Christmas, try this traditional Mexican stew, made with pork shoulder, red chiles and white hominy.

Trisha’s red velvet cake is topped with decadent cream cheese frosting laced with pecans. Sprinkle some more nuts on top for a no-fuss garnish.