Our Favorite Christmas Recipes

Christmas is about light and laughter, hope and truth—but it's also about food. Of all the holiday seasons, Christmas is the one we devote to baking, making candy, decadent desserts and flavorful meals.

So, as you're making the final selections for your Christmas menus, here are a few ideas from some members of The Bookery community that are sure to make the season special.

Warm Drinks

"My mom always makes wassail at Christmas," said Mandy Crow, founder of The Bookery. "It's a warm, fragrant drink full of flavors—cinnamon, apple juice, cranberry. She makes it in a percolator, usually on Christmas Eve." Wassail, made famous by an old English tune, is a traditional drink made from hot mulled cider and spices. It can involve alcohol or ale, but not when Mandy's mom makes it. She uses a recipe called "Baptist Wassail."

Mindy, who lives in Nashville but hails from Kentucky, says her family used to enjoy "Christmas tea" over the holidays. Made in a percolator or sauce pan (similar to wassail), the drink gets its bright red color and zing from—wait for it—red hot candies. "It made the kitchen smell yummy and Christmassy," Mindy recalls. Try this recipe.

Main Dishes

Rachel, who grew up in Memphis, remembers Christmas as a rare moment when everyone was at home and had time to make recipes that might be a bit time-consuming, like her grandmother's spaghetti and meatballs. "It takes all day to make and since we were home all day on Christmas, we had time to prepare and enjoy it," she remembers.

While traditional Christmas dinners may feature turkey or ham, at The Bookery, we believe your Christmas dinner is all yours. So make what you like, from spaghetti and meatballs to brisket or enchiladas. But if you'd like to follow Rachel's lead and have a hearty pasta dish, Marcella Hazan's Bolognese sauce is a good place to start.

Christmas Morning Moments

"My grandma used to make cinnamon rolls," says Alisha, a college professor in Nashville. "The whole house smelled like fresh bread—and joy."

Christmas morning—well, it can start early and create a lot of (fun-filled) chaos. One way to ease the stress of the morning is to find make-ahead recipes, like cinnamon rolls, you can simply pop in the oven. Check out this recipe for cinnamon rolls that uses cake mix as a base. Or simply buy some cinnamon rolls in the can and pour a tiny bit of milk or heavy cream around the edges and over the rolls before you bake. They'll come out soft and gooey!

Breakfast casseroles are also another popular option for Christmas morning. Simply put the recipe together the night before and pop the casserole dish into the fridge overnight. In the morning, put it in the oven to bake. When the gifts are opened, breakfast should be almost ready. We love this recipe for a breakfast enchilada casserole, though Mandy adds diced green chiles to the eggs and uses flour tortillas rather than corn.

Decadent Desserts

“My grandmother makes a three-layer red velvet cake every year on Christmas," said Megan, an editor and mother living in the Nashville area. “It’s my absolute favorite cake and a staple on the Christmas dessert table. She typically doesn’t make it any other time of the year (unless I beg for it on my birthday in September), so it’s always special!” Get the recipe.

Unlike a lot of people, The Bookery founder Mandy Crow grew up loving raisins—including a Missouri favorite, raisin pie. "My aunt's mother (who wasn't related to me) often made me raisin pie every Christmas," she says. So, if you have some raisin fans in your family—or just want to modern play on Christmas pudding, check out this recipe.

Whatever you make this Christmas, we hope that you and your families have a chance to gather together and enjoy each others' company along with the delicious food. Merry Christmas!