One of my favorite things about the holidays is coming up with a menu for the day. Whether I’m hosting and making a meal for 20 people or just putting together breakfast for my little family of four, there’s something about cooking on the holidays that makes it so special.
I also really enjoy sharing my menu ideas on the blog. Every year, I try to come up with some unique meal ideas, but there are also a few classics that I make annually.
For instance, I’m planning to try these orange cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast this year, but I’ll also be making my family’s favorite breakfast casserole. You guys love this casserole as much as we do! If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend giving it a shot.
I’ll also be making a cocktail or two during the next couple of weeks. I linked some of my favorite festive cocktails here for those of you looking for a little inspo.
If there’s a dish you really enjoy making every year, please share! Leave a comment so we can try it out too.
Orange Cinnamon Rolls
I didn’t know until recently, but apparently, orange cinnamon rolls are a holiday tradition for a lot of families. We never had these growing up, but I found a recipe that looked delicious *and easy* so I’m going to give it a try this year. I always like having something sweet and something savory for our Christmas Day breakfast.
Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
I love beef tenderloin. It’s one of my favorite dishes to make for a special occasion. I don’t know what it is, but this dish just feels a bit “fancier” than others. It’s a lot of work, don’t get me wrong, but the end result is *chef’s kiss.* Be sure to make the horseradish sauce too! Oh, and we always use our Yummly smart thermometer when we make this. Use my code BRIGHTON10 for 10% off (*Promo offer ends 12/31/2022,11:59 PM EST. See checkout for offer details.).
Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin
Potatoes au gratin is a great side dish for a nice holiday dinner. They’re like a step up from regular mashed potatoes, but they’re not overly complicated. I’ll be the first to admit that these are NOT a healthy side option, but omg… the cheesy potatoes are so good. I think the holiday are as good a time as any to splurge!
Citrus Christmas Salad
This is one of my favorite salads ever. If you’re not a big cook, this is a great option to bring to your family dinner. It’s super easy to put together and uses ingredients that are in season this time of year. Adding the dressing in a bowl in the middle of the salad is a great trick too to keep the rest of the salad from getting soggy while it’s sitting out.
Fluffy Potato Rolls
Okay, you may be thinking rolls are a super boring item to include on this list but hear me out. These aren’t any role — they’re potato rolls. Seriously, if you haven’t tried a potato roll yet, you’re missing out. Because you have to let these sit out for a while, the total prep/cook time for these rolls is 3 hours. So definitely don’t try to make these on Christmas Day unless you’ve got plenty of time!
If you’re looking for a dessert to make this year, be sure to check out my blog post on things I baked last year during the holiday season.
