If you are looking for a holiday cookbook that is packed with recipes that help you create flavorful, interesting dishes with the least amount of effort and time, this is the cookbook for you.
Nigella Christmas: Food Family Friends Festivities is a cookbook designed to ensure you have plenty of delicious food over the holiday period without sacrificing too much time with your loved ones.
Nigella Lawson has always focused on simple but delicious recipes that leave you plenty of time to entertain or relax with your family.
This is the perfect cookbook for a simple and stress-free holiday period.
Pros
Simple recipes that are quick to make
Uses common ingredients
Many recipes can be made ahead of time
Straightforward instructions for all abilities
Cons
Recipes may be too basic for some holiday celebrations
If you enjoy bringing back the classic dishes and flavors of the holidays and Christmases that you enjoyed as a child, Delia Smith’s Christmas: 130 Recipes for Christmas by Delia Smith is the cookbook for you.
Not only does this cookbook contain over 100 recipes for the holiday season, including appetizers, preserves, cakes, candies, salads, desserts, and vegetarian dishes, but it also contains lots of helpful hosting tips.
This is a great cookbook for anyone who is hosting their family for the holidays for the first time.
Pros
Traditional, simple recipes
Classic home cooking recipes
Offers additional hosting tips and advice
Has a wide variety of recipes
Cons
Uses British ingredients and units of measurement which can be confusing
If you enjoy chefs that you have seen on TV and can recognize when you are cooking, this is the holiday cookbook for you.
Celebrate With Babs: Holiday Recipes & Family Traditions by Barbara Costello is the ultimate holiday-hosting cookbook that gives you all you need to know about hosting friends and family around the holiday period.
The book contains recipes and menus that are suitable for festive occasions throughout the year.
The recipes in this book draw on traditional dishes that you will be familiar with but add a fun or unusual twist.
The aim of this cookbook is to help you create your own holiday traditions with your loved ones.
Pros
Recipes for all festive holidays throughout the year
Adds a fun twist on classic recipes
Allows you to get creative and begin new traditions
Includes plenty of hosting tips and tricks to help your confidence
Cons
If you prefer truly traditional recipes, this cookbook may not appeal to you
For those of you who want to be able to host an amazing holiday get-together with your friends and family without spending hours slaving away in the kitchen, this is the cookbook for you.
Fix-It And Forget-It Christmas Cookbook by Phyllis Good is the ultimate cookbook to help you create a delicious Christmas feast without a lot of effort.
All of the 600 recipes in this cookbook are made in a slow cooker or Crockpot.
These recipes are perfect for creating a delicious, nutritious, and special meal for your family without missing out on all the best moments of the holiday season.
Pros
Super simple recipes that just need a slow cooker
A mix of sweet and savory meals
Recipes that can be applied to most holidays to reduce stress
Fun and quirky artwork to keep things fun
Cons
Many recipes use processed ingredients rather than fresh which can be off-putting
If you have the savory portion of your holiday cooking nailed down, this cookbook focusing on desserts could be just what you need.
A Holiday Cookbook: Christmas Desserts! by Pamela James is the perfect way to boost your festive dessert game.
The holiday season is all about indulgence and enjoying yourself, and with this book, that will be easier than ever.
This cookbook features 30 amazing dessert recipes that are holiday themed.
Not only are the recipes delicious and moreish but there is also plenty of additional information in the book.
There are tips and variations for each recipe as well as nutritional information.
Pros
Fun holiday dessert recipes
All the recipes are focused on a specific niche so they can be more detailed
Variations for the recipes help customize them to your preferences
Simple and clear instructions for all recipes
Cons
The nutritional information may make the cookbook uncomfortable for people who struggle with disordered eating
How To Choose A Holiday Cookbook
Think About The Holiday Food You Cook
When you are choosing any kind of cookbook it is important to consider the type of food that you already cook or that you want to cook for the holiday period.
Alternatively, if you cook certain types of food throughout the year, you might want to switch to a different type of cooking for the holidays.
Think About The Time You Want To Spend Cooking
Another important thing to consider when it comes to holiday cooking is the amount of time you are going to spend in the kitchen.
While you may have dreams of putting on the ultimate feast for your family, it can take a lot of work which keeps you away from the fun of the holiday.
There are plenty of cookbooks that are designed for maximum impact with minimum effort.
Think About How You Like To Cook
Finally, thinking about the methods you like to use when you cook can help you end up with the perfect cookbook.
There is no point in purchasing a cookbook that is filled with slow cooker recipes when you don’t own a slow cooker. The holidays can be stressful enough without having to learn a whole new method of cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Constitutes A Holiday Cookbook?
There are no rules about what you have to eat for particular holiday celebrations.
However, for the most part, holiday cookbooks will either reference the holiday period in their title and contain at least one recipe that is linked to a holiday.
I'm Barbara Hunt, the founder of WomenChefs.org. Being a mom of two, I understand the challenges of meal planning and the monotony it can bring.
That's why I created WomenChefs.org, a platform dedicated to showcasing the skills and delicious dishes crafted by amazing women. My goal is to provide a space where women can find delectable recipes that tantalize their taste buds and ignite their senses.
I hope you'll join me in exploring WomenChefs.org and discovering your next favorite recipe. Let's embrace culinary diversity and try something new together!
