Make Ahead

Instead of deep-frying the broccoli in this sesame noodles recipe, we used a high-heat roasting method.

The best way to tackle this duck recipe is to braise the legs and make the relish in advance, then cook the breasts and crisp the legs on party night.

In this hearty, velvety stew, chicken slowly braises in red wine with bacon, mushrooms, and a touch of enriching cocoa powder.

Flouring the fruit in this Bundt cake recipe helps keep it suspended throughout the batter, and using a serrated knife guarantees you won’t squash or shred the slices.

A warming stew of quick-cooking lentils, pearled couscous, and canned chickpeas topped with tangy lime yogurt, crunchy sliced almonds, and fresh herbs.

No squash? No problem. This rice bowl—which was developed for our #cook90 initiative—can be made with all sorts of roasted vegetables (and, for that matter, any kind of grain).

Extra greens and extra cheese make this brunch classic extra-flavorful.

Don’t have an acorn squash for this chicken thighs recipe? Use butternut. Not into mustard greens? Use kale, Swiss chard, or spinach.

This recipe is a sweet, sour, and spicy take on the classic centerpiece ham, and the leftovers will taste awesome in a mini potato roll.

Cutting the meat into two smaller pieces reduces cooking time, but it’s the roast first, brown later “reverse sear” that’s game-changing in this recipe.

For this soup recipe, whack the garlic cloves with the side of a chef’s knife; the papery skins will loosen from the cloves and you can slip them right off.

Coddle eggs in a warming, cumin-spiced Swiss chard braise to start the new year with plenty of healthful, fortifying greens.

This punch recipe easily scales down by half, or even all the way to festive drinks for two.

A homemade cranberry simple syrup puts this sparkling cocktail recipe into fancy party-worthy status. Use leftover Campari to make your very own Negroni or Americano.

These potato blinis are inspired by a Thomas Keller recipe. They're the ideal base for caviar.

Not feeling the squares in this phyllo bites recipe? Use a pizza cutter to cut crackers into any shape you like!

No, they're not precious gems, these sparkly crunchy treats are prime for mixing and matching your favorite flavors (with a splash of booze for good measure).

Sweet and tangy pomegranate juice brings a depth of flavor and rich color to this meltingly tender lamb stew. Serve with polenta or a grain salad and then nextover remaining lamb into sandwiches the next day.

I like to make a batch of Lebkuchen Spice Mix—a mixture of all the “usual suspects” in wintertime baking—in early fall so that I’m ready for the Christmas baking season. The mixture below is a great all-purpose one. But you can also tinker with the amounts if you want to highlight one flavor or another.

Making these glittering treats is easy enough for elves of all ages and skill levels.