Honestly, the past two years have been hard on us all. We’re still processing 2020 and 2022 is around the corner – how is that a thing?! If you decided to order in this holiday season instead of cooking up a major feast, we don’t blame you. There’s no shame in getting a helping hand. However; if you want a little taste of home sprinkled in, here are some ways to elevate your delivered holiday meal.
1. Easy Homemade Holiday Side Dishes
If roasting the turkey, baking the ham, or cooking the roast beef seems too daunting this year, we get it. Order it in! But spend the time on easy homemade side dishes instead. Make Mom’s 50+ year dressing recipe, or Grandma’s homemade cranberry salad, or Auntie’s tried-and-true cornbread pudding. These easy, traditional recipes will help it feel like the holidays without all the added pressure (and work). Just choose one or two popular Christmas side dishes to make and call it a win!
P.S. Don’t forget the gravy! We all know our holiday plates would not be complete if they weren’t smothered in delicious gravy. Follow our tips for how to make the easiest gravy this holiday season. We even include a tip for how to make gravy without drippings!
2. Jazz Up Delivered Holiday Side Dishes
Are you getting your corn pudding, mashed potatoes, or green bean casserole delivered? Awesome – we don’t want to peel that many potatoes either! However; why not add a yummy spin to these side dishes! Check out our favorite twists on classic mashed potatoes that are sure to up the delicious factor to your holiday meal. Or top that traditional green bean casserole with bacon for a new (and oh so good) spin on the classic favorite. These easy changes to your delivered side dishes will definitely add an extra pop to your holiday meal.
3. Focus on Holiday Dessert
What would the holidays be without dessert? The pies and the cobblers and the cheesecakes – oh my! By ordering in your main holiday meal, you’ll have plenty of time to make one (or three) holiday desserts. Whether you choose to bake mom’s traditional pumpkin pie, or want to test out our yummy caramel apple dump cake – we have all the easy homemade holiday desserts for you! Just click here!
4. Let the Crock Pot do the Work this Holiday
Who says that great holiday meals come from the oven? Sit back, relax and enjoy your loved ones while your Crock Pot does all the cooking for you. Or even your Instant Pot! Check out some of our favorite holiday slow cooker recipes:
9 Easy Crock Pot Desserts
Your Crock Pot Thanksgiving Menu
Instant Pot Thanksgiving Recipes
7 Holiday Crock Pot Ham Recipes
13 Crock Pot Christmas Recipes
Christmas Day Recipes You Can Make in a Pressure Cooker
Not only do these recipes free up space in your oven, but they are also super easy to make and add to your delivered holiday dinner! From corn casserole to hams to pecan pie, these Crock Pot holiday recipes will be your new favorite easy go-to’s.
5. Only Make the Holiday Main Dish
Let’s be real, the number of side dishes required for the holidays can be taxing. Having to make 3 different kinds of potatoes, cornbread dressing and mom’s stuffing, green bean casserole with and without mushrooms, cranberry salad, and sauce…the list is endless. Let the restaurant or grocery store handle all that! You just make the main meal. Whether you’re roasting a turkey, baking a ham or preparing prime rib/roast beef, we have the recipes you need to make the best holiday main dish ever!
Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, forget the traditional main dishes. Try these 25 Christmas Dinner Recipes that Aren’t Ham!
6. Holiday Appetizers to Kick Off the Meal
Is it really the holidays if you aren’t eating all day? Start off the meal right with these tasty and easy appetizer recipes. By focusing on the appetizers, you can have the main meal ordered in with no guilt. Here’s a few roundups of our favorites!
19 Go-To Holiday Appetizers
21 Christmas Eve Apps
20 Christmas Finger Foods
21 Christmas Eve Apps
Yummy Cranberry Brie Pull-Apart Bread
Or, if all else fails, make a charcuterie board!
7. Introduce a New Holiday Side Dish
The holidays aren’t the time to get too inventive. Everyone loves to have traditional meals and side dishes. However, if you’re ordering in all the tried-and-true favorites, why not add a little something new to the menu? Here are some ideas:
Broccoli And Rice Casserole
Sweet Potato Dumplings
Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
Hawaiian Style Sweet Potato Casserole
Root Vegetable Gratin
Roasted Butternut Squash With Sage & Dried Cherries
Bacon Bleu Brussels Sprouts With Mustard Sauce
Roasted Garlic Mushrooms
By adding a new dish to your holiday menu, you’ll add a touch of your home cooking without the pressure of making the same ol’ traditional foods.
We hope these tips help bring a little taste of home to your delivered holiday meal. While food is a main component of the holidays, the most important thing is to be celebrating with the ones you love. If delivery is your new tradition so you can spend time enjoying your family and friends, then that’s really what this season is all about! We wish you and yours the best holiday season – cheers!
