Casserole

Most of the work on this dish is done the day before, leaving plenty of time in the morning for opening presents or simply sleeping in.

Healthy eating was always a priority in my mother's kitchen, and this colorful, delicious dish continues to be a staple at our Thanksgiving and Christmas tables. Using dried bread crumbs will create a crispy topping, while fresh bread crumbs produce a more tender result. Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Bruce Aidells, founder of Aidells Sausage Company, says, "Stuffing was the most important part of my family’s holiday menu. The turkey was always overcooked, but the stuffing was moist and delicious. We usually had two, sometimes three stuffings, but I leaned toward the kind with sausage. It was meaty and spicy, just like this one."

Uncork a Zinfandel or a dry Riesling.

A bagged lettuce mix with "Mediterranean" greens would go nicely here when tossed with red wine vinaigrette and served with ciabatta bread. End with pears and a plate of bittersweet chocolate-nut toffee.

This was inspired by a dish created by Alex Padilla, sous chef at Boulevard, the San Francisco restaurant owned by Aidells's wife.

Active time: 3 hr Start to finish: 4 hr

Our food editors agree that this is one of the best-tasting and most elegant shepherd's pies they've ever had. The recipe is not as complicated as it appears at first glance—the different components all come together to make a complete meal in a single dish. The potatoes are stiffer than the average mash because they will be forming the crust for the pie.

Reduced-fat cream cheese, low-fat milk and water-packed canned tuna are the secrets to this updated take on a 1950s favorite.

Rich and satisfying, this is sure to be the hit of the party-especially if it's a cold day.

Loosely translated from the Yiddish, tzimmes means "a fuss over something," but in culinary terms, it's commonly a casserole of various fruits, vegetables and/or meats.

Use the large grating disk on the processor to make short work of preparing the vegetables.

Raisin-studded egg bread is nice for variety in this recipe. Soaking the bread in the batter a day ahead makes it even easier.