Looking to make something different for the holidays this year? We’ve got you covered. Add sparkle to your menu with our collection of main dish recipes, including beef tenderloin, prime rib, beef brisket, Cornish game hens, salmon, lasagna and turkey.
Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin
Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin.
Carson Downing
Chef Kieron Hales makes a perfectly pink beef tenderloin that hearkens to his mum’s Sunday roasts. He roasts this tenderloin on a rack over a bed of leek, carrot and onion so drippings flavor the vegetables.
Lemon-Pepper Cornish Hens
Lemon-Pepper Cornish Game Hens.
Adam Albright
When Gerard Klass, chef and co-owner of Soul Bowl in Minneapolis, was growing up, half of his family were vegetarians. So, instead of a big bird, Cornish game hens (and an alt-meat called dinner roast) graced the table.
Oven-Roasted Prime Rib with Dry Rib Rub
Oven-Roasted Prime Rib.
When life calls for a celebration, prime rib comes to the rescue. The homemade spice rub is delicious on the beef in this elegant entree, but it also complements more affordable cuts of beef, or even pork or chicken.
Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Potatoes
Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Potatoes.
Carson Downing
Pork tenderloin, pears, potato and onion bake on the same pan—dressed in maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic and herbs. This might be the easiest holiday dinner you’ve ever made, and for sure one of our favorite pork dinner recipes.
Juicy J Salmon
Juicy J Salmon.
Adam Albright
At Soul Bowl in Minneapolis, chef and co-owner Gerard Klass sears salmon fillets, then brushes them with spiced cranberry sauce. For holiday drama (and ease), you can just roast a whole side of salmon. Toss a few citrus slices on the pan, too, for a garnish.
Smoked Mozzarella and Kale Lasagna
Smoked Mozzarella and Kale Lasagna.
Brie Goldman
With its rich sauce and creamy cheese layers, lasagna is always a favorite main dish. The vegetarians in your family will especially love this one.
Spice-Brined Turkey
Spice-Brined Turkey.
Carson Downing
Jason Qureshi, executive chef at River Roast in Chicago, says that brining gives this turkey unbelievably juicy, flavorful breast meat. The process requires some advance planning (and a lot of room in the fridge), but you’ll taste the difference. He likes to serve it on his holiday table.
Beer-Braised Beef Brisket
Beer-Braised Brisket.
Compared to classics like turkey or roast beef, which require precise timing, brisket is an amazingly forgiving holiday main dish. (It actually tastes better when made ahead and reheated!) Not to mention, it actually makes its own gravy as it cooks, a luscious sauce that’s begging for mashed potatoes.
Big-Batch, All-Day Pasta Bolognese
Big-Batch Pasta Bolognese.
EE Berger
This incredible pasta was a showpiece at the former Rieger restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri. Start to finish, it takes 8 hours, mostly hands-off and none of it hard. You’ll make 18 cups of sauce—enough to serve 24 or to freeze for meals all winter long.
Mustard-Crusted Rack of Pork
Perfumed with rosemary and sage and served with white wine gravy and whole-roasted garlic and shallots, this succulent roast delivers drama at a bargain price. We recommend ordering this roast in advance. Ask the butcher to remove the chine bone and to French the roast-trim fat and meat from the bone. The whole garlic bulbs are edible but intended as a garnish. If you want to skip them, just roast one for the gravy.
Cider-Brined Turkey with Roasted Apples
Cider-Brined Turkey with Roasted Apples.
Blaine Moats
Even better than the pretty glazed fruit and crazy-juicy bird? The appley gravy made from the drippings.
Cornish Game Hens with Root Vegetable Hash
A marinade made of rosemary, orange juice and sorghum (a syrup that is stronger tasting than honey but less bitter than molasses) infuses the dish with sweetness and color. Chef Edward Lee swears by sorghum’s flavor, but if you can’t find it, molasses works.
Porchetta
Allow us to introduce you to fennel pollen. This favorite of pros has hints of licorice and citrus. Find it in specialty stores or online, then use it to flavor pork belly. Serve Salsa Verde over potatoes or with porchetta.
Stuffed Beef Tenderloin Filet
At the White Gull Inn in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, cheddar and mushrooms flavor indulgent steaks.
Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb
With its short cook time, this Mediterranean-inspired roast leaves plenty of time (and space in the oven) for preparing side dishes. The recipe comes from chef Anne Kearney.