34 Festive And Impressive Holiday Recipes That Look Fancy (But Are Incredibly Easy To Make)

    Here's everything you need to cook, eat, and drink from now until the end of the year.

    Hannah Loewentheil
    by Hannah Loewentheil

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Every holiday is basically just an excuse to eat incredible food like there's no tomorrow. And Christmas time is no exception. So whether you're hosting a crowd or doing something more intimate this year, these festive yet deceptively simple recipes won't disappoint.

    1. Holiday Antipasto Wreath

    Simply Scratch / Via simplyscratch.com, SImply Scratch / Via simplyscratch.com

    This festive and adorable party app is as easy as skewering your favorite antipasto (like salami, mozzarella, or cherry tomatoes) and assembling them in a wreath formation.

    Recipe: Holiday Antipasto Wreath

    Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com

    Recipe: Baked Gruyère in Pastry with Rosemary and Garlic

    3. Mini Chicken Parmesan Lasagna Roll-Ups

    A serving platter topped with some breaded chicken lasagna roll-ups.
    Homemade Interest / Via homemadeinterest.com

    This five-ingredient party appetizer features breaded chicken (grab a bag in the frozen aisle) topped with cheese and tomato sauce, then wrapped in lasagna noodles. Bake in the oven until golden brown and melty.

    Recipe: Mini Chicken Parmesan Lasagna Roll-Ups

    4. Candy Cane Caprese Board

    Recipe Girl / Via recipegirl.com

    It's cute as heck, it's festive, and there's zero cooking required. Just slice mozzarella and ripe tomatoes, assemble on a serving platter, drizzle it all with olive oil or balsamic, and serve with sliced bread on the side.

    Recipe: Candy Cane Caprese Board

    Little Spice Jar / Via littlespicejar.com

    These shareable appetizers begin with store-bought puff pastry dough. The dough is cut into little squares; topped with sweet caramelized onions, buttery mushrooms, and Gruyère cheese; and then baked in the oven.

    Recipe: Gruyere, Mushroom, and Caramelized Onion Bites

    6. Mushroom Bruschetta With Garlic and Rosemary

    Several crostini topped with creamy ricotta and grilled mushrooms.
    Our Salty Kitchen / Via oursaltykitchen.com

    Impress your guests by passing around a plate of this umami-packed bruschetta. Slice a grocery store baguette and top it with creamy ricotta and sautéed garlic-butter mushrooms.

    Recipe: Mushroom Bruschetta With Garlic and Rosemary

    7. Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls

    A plate of cucumber roll-ups filled with salmon cream cheese spread.
    Simple Home Cooked / Via simplyhomecooked.com

    Smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumbers, and dill are the only ingredients you'll need for these sophisticated roll-ups. Serve them plain or on crackers or sliced bread.

    Recipe: Smoked Salmon Cucumber Rolls

    8. Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs

    Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net

    Serve these as a party app or pair them with mashed potatoes for a crowd-pleasing main.

    Recipe: Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs

    9. Baked Cranberry Brie Bread Bowl

    Someone dipping a piece of bread into a cranberry baked brie bread bowl.
    Fox and Briar / Via foxandbriar.com

    As if baked Brie weren't decadent enough, try baking it inside a warm and crusty bread bowl. All you need is a round loaf of bread, a wheel of Brie or Camembert, cranberry sauce or fruit preserves, olive oil, and thyme.

    Recipe: Baked Cranberry Brie Bread Bowl

    10. Bisquick Sausage Balls

    The Cookie Rookie / Via thecookierookie.com

    Grab a box of Bisquick baking mix, some ground sausage, and cheddar cheese and you're halfway to this simple, yet tasty finger food.

    Recipe: Bisquick Sausage Balls

    11. Cranberry Pistachio Cheese Log

    A knife cutting into a pistachio and cranberry crusted goat cheese log, which is surrounded by crackers.
    Carlsbad Cravings / Via carlsbadcravings.com

    How do you make a log of goat cheese unique and worthy of your holiday table? Mix it with cream cheese, cinnamon, ginger, and honey, then coat it in a thin layer of crushed cranberries and pistachios.

    Recipe: Cranberry Pistachio Cheese Log

    12. Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip

    Taste and See / Via tasteandsee.com

    For this true drop-and-go recipe, just toss all the ingredients — frozen spinach, artichoke hearts, cream cheese, scallions, shredded cheese — into your Instant Pot and wait for this creamy party dip to cook itself.

    Recipe: Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip

    13. Cheesy Potato Casserole with Buttery Ritz Crackers.

    A potato casserole with Ritz cracker breadcrumbs.
    Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com

    Pro tip: You can actually make this potato casserole in your pressure cooker to save even more time and effort.

    Recipe: Cheesy Potato Casserole with Buttery Ritz Crackers.

    14. Shortcut Tater Tot Latkes

    Melinda Strauss / Via melindastrauss.com

    Instead of grating potatoes by hand, take the lazy (yet delicious) route and start with frozen tater tots to make these crispy potato pancakes.

    Recipe: Shortcut Tater Tot Latkes

    15. Crock-Pot Ham

    Spend With Pennies / Via spendwithpennies.com

    Pick up a fully cooked spiral-cut ham from your local market. This recipe is all about the glaze, which is made with brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and ginger. Brush the glaze onto the ham and into the slow cooker it goes.

    Recipe: Crock-Pot Ham

    16. Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

    Several mini grilled cheese sandwiches with arugula on a serving board.
    The Girl on Bloor / Via thegirlonbloor.com

    You may associate grilled cheese with childhood comfort food, but this gooey sandwich can be totally sophisticated. For example: these mini grilled cheese sliders on baguettes, topped with arugula, sun dried tomato, and sautéed mushrooms.

    Recipe: Mini Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

    17. Cranberry Rosemary One-Pan Chicken

    40 Aprons / Via 40aprons.com

    This creamy and tangy chicken recipe comes together in a single baking dish. Chicken thighs are baked in a cranberry marinade made with fresh cranberries, olive oil, maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, white wine, and rosemary.

    Recipe: Cranberry Rosemary One-Pan Chicken

    18. Slow Cooker Prime Rib

    A tender, medium-rare prime rib being sliced to reveal the pink interior.
    Oh Sweet Basil / Via ohsweetbasil.com

    There's only a tiny bit of hands-on cooking involved with this one. You'll have to sear each side of the prime rib so it gets browned, then transfer it to a slow cooker and wait.

    Recipe: Slow Cooker Prime Rib

    Chew Out Loud / Via chewoutloud.com

    Pork tenderloin is marinated in a mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, and spices, then roasted on a sheet pan with veggies until cooked through. The recipe calls for potatoes and carrots, but you can use just about any vegetable you like best.

    Recipe: Sheet Pan Roast Pork Tenderloin With Vegetables

    20. Classic Baked Mostaccioli

    Erhardts Aat / Via erhardtseat.com, Erhardts Eat / Via erhardtseat.com

    This baked pasta dish is made with any tubular pasta, onion, garlic, and a mixture of Italian sausage and ground beef. Top it all with marinara sauce and a duo of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

    Recipe: Classic Baked Mostaccioli

    Hob and Larder / Via hobandlarder.com

    This baked pasta is sort of like mac 'n' cheese, except, thanks to tangy, creamy goat cheese and sweet caramelized onions, it's been upgraded for a special occasion.

    Recipe: Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pasta Bake

    22. Sheet Pan Herb Roasted Turkey and Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

    A baking dish of cranberry pecan herb stuffing with a sliced turkey breast on top.
    Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net

    Prepare your main dish and your side all in a single pan. Making the stuffing is simple: Just mix toasted bread crumbs with butter, broth, cranberries, and herbs. Bake it on a sheet pan or in a baking dish with the turkey breast.

    Recipe: Sheet Pan Roasted Turkey and Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

    Adventures of Mel / Via adventuresofmel.com

    These three-ingredient cookies are made by sandwiching peanut butter between two Ritz crackers and dipping the whole thing into melted chocolate.

    Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cracker Cookies

    24. 5-Ingredient Peppermint Patties

    Baker by Nature / Via bakerbynature.com

    These homemade peppermint patties taste worlds better than the store-bought kind, and you only need five ingredients to make them. Form little patties out of condensed milk, confectioners' sugar, salt, and peppermint extract; dip them in melted chocolate; and let them sit until the chocolate sets.

    Recipe: 5-Ingredient Peppermint Patties

    25. Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies

    A stack of sugar cookies with Christmas-colored sprinkles.
    Dear Crissy / Via dearcrissy.com

    The secret to these melt-in-your-mouth cookies is boxed cake mix. Beaten together with cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and eggs, they taste entirely baked from scratch.

    Recipe: Christmas Gooey Butter Cookies

    26. Gingerbread Poke Cake

    Megan Porta Photography

    This festive winter dessert begins with store-bought gingerbread cake mix. It's topped with a sweet and tangy frosting made with cream cheese, crushed gingerbread cookies, vanilla, butter, and powdered sugar.

    Recipe: Gingerbread Poke Cake

    27. No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

    Several chocolate coconut macaroons on a platter.
    Cravings of a Lunatic / Via cravingsofalunatic.com

    Intimidated by the idea of baking? These no-bake coconut macaroons are going to be your new favorite dessert recipe. Just mix the ingredients in a bowl, scoop the batter into little balls, and let them rest on parchment paper.

    Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

    28. No-Bake Cranberry Cheesecakes

    My Baking Addiction / Via mybakingaddiction.com

    These cranberry cheesecakes can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the fridge. And just wait until you've tried this gingersnap crust...

    Recipe: No-Bake Cranberry Cheesecakes

    29. Christmas Graham Cracker Bars

    Chocolate pecan Graham cracker bars.
    Tastes Better From Scratch / Via tastesbetterfromscratch.com

    Introducing one of the easiest holiday desserts ever. All you need are five ingredients: Graham crackers, chocolate, butter, brown sugar, and pecans.

    Recipe: Christmas Graham Cracker Bars

    30. Peppermint Bark Pretzel Bites

    Parchment paper topped with lots of peppermint bark pretzel bites.
    Together as Family / Via togetherasfamily.com

    Dessert doesn't get much easier than this. It's as simple as melting peppermint Hershey's Kisses on top of pretzel bites. Don't forget the M&M's on top!

    Recipe: Peppermint Bark Pretzel Bites

    31. Three-Ingredient Hot Chocolate Dip

    Hot chocolate dip with marshmallows.
    Yellow Bliss Road / Via yellowblissroad.com

    Serve these with anything from Nilla Wafers or Graham crackers to pretzel sticks if you prefer a savory-sweet flavor combination.

    Recipe: Three-Ingredient Hot Chocolate Dip

    32. Rosé Raspberry Sorbet Mimosas

    Fox and Briar / Via foxandbriar.com

    Dessert tastes better when it's boozy, and these bubbly raspberry sorbet mimosa floats are no exception.

    Recipe: Rosé Raspberry Sorbet Mimosas

    33. Easy Bourbon Eggnog

    Coupes of bourbon eggnog punch on a tray.
    My Kitchen Love / Via mykitchenlove.com

    The name of this cocktail doesn't lie: All you need is store-bought eggnog and your favorite kind of Bourbon or whiskey. One sip and it'll put you in the holiday spirit.

    Recipe: Easy Bourbon Eggnog

    34. 3-Ingredient Cranberry Bourbon Cocktails

    Someone holding a Bourbon cranberry cocktail.
    The Beauty Blotter / Via thebeautyblotter.com

    You don't even need a cocktail shaker to whip up this seasonal drink. Just mix together equal parts Bourbon, cranberry juice, and ginger ale. Serve over ice with cranberries or a sprig of rosemary if you're feeling ambitious.

    Recipe: 3-Ingredient Cranberry Bourbon Cocktails