A Fresh Holiday Menu for 2021

We’re here to make the holidays less stressful and more joyful! Making sure holiday menus include fresh vegetables and fresh recipes isn’t always easy due to the deliciousness of comfort food. We’ve put together a list of our favorite fresh recipes to include on your holiday menu whether you are looking for a quick and simple recipe, a standard holiday recipe, or a recipe to jingle all the bells!

holiday brunch

Do you get together with your family for a holiday brunch? We’ve put together three fresh brunch recipes that everyone will love.

SIMPLE

First up, a Christmas fruit wreath beautifully put together by This Healthy Table. Going for the visual appeal without slaving in the kitchen will always score a 10/10 on our recipe boards.

STANDARD

A little effort goes a long way. That’s why we chose to add our broccoli egg casserole to the holiday brunch list. While this recipe is still simple, it takes a little more time - but, all worth it!

SPECIAL

If you have time on your hands, GO ALL OUT! This bagel brunch bar from Celebrations at Home was made for the holidays.

holiday appetizers

Appetizers are the official language of any holiday gathering, right? What is prepared is dependent on the time available, we get it. No need to worry, there’s an appetizer on this list perfect for preparing after work, during the day, or on a weekend.

SIMPLE

It really doesn’t get better than a caprese salad - or does it? If it happens to be a candy cane caprese salad it might be! This holiday recipe from Recipe Girl will get you where you need to go fast with all the best fresh flavors.

STANDARD

Let’s kick simple up a notch! This fresh vegetable holiday wreath appetizer is calling all veggie-lovers’ names. Clean and Scentsible could not have hit us in the farmer heart more perfectly if she tried!

SPECIAL

Yep - a Christmas tree cheese ball from Instrupix will have holiday guests in awe. Fresh parsley surrounds deliciousness for a perfect, effort-filled holiday appetizer.

holiday salads

We have to keep the holiday fresh somehow. A great way to pack flavor, include fresh veggies, and still enjoy the holidays are festive salads!

SIMPLE

Super Healthy Kids twisted a known favorite, broccoli salad, into a holiday must have!

STANDARD

Think arugula salad, but BETTER. Maple + Mango has a winter holiday salad worth the time it takes to prepare.

SPECIAL

It’s hearty, it’s beautiful, and it’s packed with the best fresh flavors that winter has to offer! A butternut squash and kale salad belongs on the dinner table during winter holidays, and Ambitious Kitchen has the recipe for it.

holiday side dishes

We’d like to argue that side dishes carry the holidays on their backs. While we love a perfectly cooked piece of meat, what would that be without a good, fresh side dish?

SIMPLE

Brussels sprouts are an underdog, but when all you have to do is sauté them, add bacon, feta, and a balsamic drizzle, it really doesn’t get better! This simple sauteed brussels sprouts recipe has big flavor that shouldn’t be denied on any holiday dinner table.

STANDARD

Ham and cheese asparagus. Do we really need to say more? Julia’s Album created this delicious fresh asparagus recipe that’s bound to be the new holiday vegetable favorite.

SPECIAL

A fancy twist on the standard green bean casserole is what Pure Wow gave us with this fresh green bean casserole galette. It’s topped with fresh fried onions, the dough is made from scratch, and instead of canned soup, fresh mushrooms are used. This dish is the epitome of comfort food meets fresh holiday recipe.

holiday desserts

Isn’t is a known rule that you cannot celebrate the holidays without dessert? Good thing you can freshen holiday dessert recipes up, too!

SIMPLE

This banana fluffernutter pie from Homemade Interest deserves the spotlight of at least one holiday. Fresh bananas are what caught our eye, but the peanut butter and marshmallow is why we stayed.

STANDARD

FRESH STRAWBERRIES? Yes, please. A strawberry chocolate cake roll is what you’ll find us hovering over on the holiday dessert table. Cooking for my Soul nailed it.

SPECIAL

A pavlova wreath with fresh berries and fresh orange whipped cream will be the star of the show. We found A Pretty Life in the Suburbs recipe to be perfect, because she makes all the effort put into this dish as simple as can be!

Photographed By: A Pretty Life in the Suburbs

Whether you choose the simple, standard, or special holiday recipe route, your holiday menu will be fixed to please! Every recipe will be leaving guests with something to talk about, and all the work (no matter how little or how much) will bring enough holiday joy to last the remainder of the season.

PacificDecember 22, 2021