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These Easy Holiday Recipes Will Make Your Season Bright—and Delicious

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so the menu should be just as merry and bright. Whether you’re playing host or attending the party this year, you’ll want to keep these easy holiday recipes—like bacon-wrapped Brussels sprouts and homemade peppermint patties—in your back pocket. When the festivities are over, pack the leftovers in Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bags for guests to take home—if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, that is. The airtight zipper seal protects against freezer burn and locks in freshness while the Grip n’ Seal technology secures even when slippery or wet, so go ahead, give ‘em all the cranberry sauce you’ve got.

cranberry brie pie crust bites recipe
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Heath Goldman

1. Cranberry-brie Pie Crust Bites

Let’s upgrade the usual cheese and crackers this year. This elegant app starts with (shh!) store-bought pie crust and takes all of 15 minutes to make.

easy cranberry pecan sandwich cookies recipe
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

2. Easy Cranberry-pecan Sandwich Cookies

You know what makes a great last-minute gift? A Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bag (for maximum freshness, of course) full of these buttery cookies, snuck in your guests’ bags on the way out the door.

crispy potato latkes recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

3. The Crispiest Potato Latkes Of All Time

What’s the secret? Easy: Squeezing the liquid from the potatoes and onions until they’re bone dry ensures an impossibly crispy bite.

cranberry balsamic roast chicken recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

4. Balsamic Cranberry Roast Chicken

We love when our entrée matches the decor—almost as much as we love a one-skillet holiday main. Less mess, more eating.

crispy bacon wrapped brussels sprouts recipe
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Heath Goldman

5. Crispy Bacon-wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Instead of standing over a smoky pan to get the caramelization you’re after, envelop your sprouts in bacon and roast them in the oven. They’re the ultimate crowd-pleasing appetizer (or side).

mini caramel pecan pies with cinnamon roll crust recipe
Photo: Jon Cospito/Styling: Erin McDowell

6. Mini Caramel Pecan Pies With Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust

Skip the tedious homemade crust and pick up a can of cinnamon rolls at your next grocery run. Voilà, this dessert is already halfway done.

hasselback butternut squash recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

7. Hasselback Butternut Squash

Who says the side dishes can’t be as impressive as the main course? Luckily, this technique only looks intricate. (It’s actually foolproof.)

slow cooker turkey breast with orange and herbs recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

8. Slow-cooker Turkey Breast With Orange And Herbs

When you make a turkey in the slow cooker, there’s zero fussing. No basting, rotating or messing around with tinfoil—just 30 minutes of prep time and the push of a button. Plus, you’re saving precious oven space.

peppermint patties recipe
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

9. Peppermint Patties

In a sea of sugar cookies, be these homemade candies. They’re unexpected but just as festive, and you can make a batch in the time it takes to watch that holiday movie you’ve seen seven times.


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Former Senior Food Editor

  • Headed PureWow’s food vertical
  • Contributed original reporting, recipes and food styling
  • Studied English Literature at the University of Notre Dame and Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education