16 Easy Christmas Recipes For A Crowd That'll Sleigh Their Appetites

You have to feed the people, but it doesn’t have to be hard. The best part of the holidays is being together with your family, all of them, in one place (yes, it can also be the worst part, but we’re not talking about that right now). But when everyone has flown in and unpacked, you do have to keep them fed and happy.

Part of the joy of having a house full of people is cooking and baking together — hello, holiday memories. When you have a small army to feed, you and your crew of cooks need some Christmas recipes to feed a crowd. These entrees and sides will yield large amounts of food to fill up your holiday table and stash in the fridge so guests can reheat them at their leisure.

Did someone say fresh garlic bread? Grab a premade pizza dough from your local grocery store to simplify the process, a la this recipe from Damn Delicious, and then watch your family members flock to the kitchen as the smell of baking bread and garlic waft through the house. Salads are a great dish to feed a crowd because you can size it up as much as you need to, as long as you have a big enough serving bowl.

This one from Averie Cooks is delicious as an appetizer or part of a larger winter spread. It’s got apples, pears, walnuts, pomegranate, and feta, all doused in an easy sweet balsamic vinaigrette. You just recovered from brining and roasting an entire turkey a few weeks ago, so we need not go there again.

Damn Delicious’ recipe for sheet pan chicken thighs and stuffing will give you all that herby, wonderful seasonal flavor with way less work involved. If you need a 9x13-sized vegetarian main or side dish, try Foodie Crush’s spinach and ricotta baked pasta. It’s easy to make and easy to bulk up with the protein of your choice.

Personally, I’d grab a rotisserie chicken at the store to shred and toss in with everything else. Averie Cooks’ mashed potato recipe involves caramelized onions and plenty of cheese — hell to the yeah. If you want to simplify it, though, just skip the onions and follow the instructions for getting perfectly tender, mashable potatoes in your slow cooker.