Make the holidays a whole lot easier by making meals before the holidays get crazy. Whether you’re looking to serve a hearty casserole or sweet dessert, these dishes can be made ahead of time so you can spend less time cooking and more time with friends and family.
Filling, loaded with flavor, veggies, and meat, these make ahead holiday meals include a mix of main dishes, sides, and desserts that your family will love.
You’ll find a great assortment of Holiday recipes that are:
- family friendly
- good to freeze and reheated
- fairly easy to make with common ingredients
- healthier options for holiday gatherings, dinners in December and easy family meals.
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Why You’ll Love These Make Ahead Holiday Recipes
- On the healthy side – these dinner recipes focus on clean, whole food ingredients and are mostly on the healthier side. You’ll find lots of gluten free and even vegan options that are good for any type of diet.
- Good to feed a crowd – whether you have company over, a big family or need a potluck dish, these make ahead meals will be perfect for making it easier to feed a lot of mouths during the holidays.
- So you don’t have to cook – let’s face it – the holidays can be exhausting! With all the holiday activities and things to put together to make it special, there is a never ending to do list. Cooking is probably the last thing you want to be doing when the end of the day rolls around. Making these meals ahead of time gives you options when you are exhausted and just want to kick your feet up and enjoy some hot cocoa with the kids and stare at Christmas lights!
- Great freezer meals for December – if you like to freezer meal prep, all these recipes can be made ahead and frozen to stock your freezer for the holiday season.
- Desserts to make ahead too – everybody needs a treat during the holidays. Make sure to stock your freezer with some of the easy make ahead desserts too, so that you can have a treat whenever cravings hit!
More Christmas Recipes to Try
Make Ahead Christmas Breakfast Ideas in the Crockpot
Healthy Christmas Dinner Main Dish Ideas
Healthy Christmas Snacks for Movie Night
Christmas Desserts with Low Sugar
Best Christmas Appetizer for a Party – Healthy & Easy
Favorite Make Ahead Holiday Meals to Freeze
This is my handpicked list of the BEST make ahead holiday recipes out there!
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1- Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers with turkey, lentils, and cheese. These peppers are easy to make ahead of time so that you have a quick and easy dinner to put together.
2- Super Simple Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast Beef
A family favorite, there’s nothing better than savoring a slow-cooked beef roast with your favorite veggies. If you have a little bit of extra time, this one sears the meat to brown it before cooking it in the crockpot. It’s super versatile too – serve as a fancy dinner or use the meat to make sandwiches or tacos.
3- Sweet Potato Casserole with Black Beans, Kale and Quinoa
Go healthy and hearty with this sweet potato casserole. It’s made with black beans, kale, quinoa, and a few other simple ingredients. It makes a simple weeknight dinner served with a salad, or nice side dish for a fancier meal.
4- Homemade Eggplant Parmesan
Golden brown eggplant smothered in a savory marina sauce makes this a bubbly make ahead meal that’ll leave everyone speechless. This is a great one to have on hand to take to a potluck dinner or for a comforting dinner party dish.
5- Cheesy Chicken Tamale Casserole
This simple Mexican flavored, cheesy chicken casserole tastes just like tamales – except without all the work. It uses leftover shredded chicken plus just a few pantry staples. Whip up tamale casserole for an easy holiday meal, side dish or crowd pleasing potluck dish. It’s a family favorite!
6- Mini Turkey Meatballs with Curried Cranberry Sauce
These mini turkey meatballs are the perfect make ahead holiday appetizer. Stash a batch of these in the freezer for when friends stop by or Christmas Eve!
7- Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Made in the oven or instant pot, these stuffed cabbage rolls are a make ahead meal that will make your holidays even easier. It’s a special dish that requires a little effort which makes it great to serve around the holidays.
8- Gluten-free Vegan Eggplant Lasagna
Packed with flavor and nutrients, this vegan eggplant lasagna is a gluten-free meal that’s filling and flavorful. The creamy béchamel sauce is so good it’s hard to believe it’s dairy free. Make this for a cozy weeknight dinner that your family will devour.
9- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
A hearty breakfast casserole to make for the family, this tater tot breakfast casserole is loaded with meaty breakfast flavor and is easy to make ahead of time for the holidays when you have a bunch of mouths to feed or a special breakfast.
These Christmas breakfast casseroles in the crockpot are good options too!
10- Christmas Present Brownies
Cute and fun for the holidays, make Christmas brownies and top them off with some icing and decorations to make them look like Christmas presents. Having Christmas desserts in the freezer is nice for when you want a quick treat or last minute entertaining.
11- Healthy Italian Meatball Soup
Fresh veggies, seasons, and turkey meatballs come together to make a healthy Italian meatball soup that you can enjoy with the family over the holidays. It’s a great dinner for cold nights, yet fancy enough to serve for Christmas dinner, or a holiday gathering.
12- Mason Jar Chicken Zoodle Soup
This mason jar zoodle soup is the best for make ahead meals in December. Whip up a batch and keep in the fridge for quick lunches or dinner when you don’t want to cook. I like to use this broth rather than bullion cubes.
13- Creamy Tuna Casserole
You can never go wrong with a classic casserole! This creamy tuna casserole with sun-dried tomatoes for a twist is sure to be a family favorite. It’s a simple dish that can be made ahead of time and is a great budget friendly dinner to share with a crowd.
14- Homemade Thick Crust Sicilian Pizza
Change up the holiday dinner and go with something easy like a thick crust Sicilian pizza. It’s made with an easy to make tomato sauce, sweet onions, and herbs. A real crowd pleaser!
15- Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
This dump and bake meatball casserole is such a good dinner to make ahead of time for the holidays. Friends and family will love this hearty meaty dish for potluck or dinner after being out on a cold night.
16 – Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are simple to make but they’re also a side dish that’s perfect for making ahead of time so that you can you make the holidays even easier. Just grab out the freezer and reheat to go along with your favorite protein.
17 – Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Fudge
A holiday classic that you can make ahead of time and freeze for when you’re ready to eat, this peanut butter fudge only requires a few ingredients to make. A great late night snack that you’ll be happy you stocked the fridge with!
18 – Christmas No Bake Cookies
Good easy Christmas cookies to make ahead for the holidays. These no bake cookies are festive and simple to whip up and freeze for whenever you need a holiday treat!
19 – Baked Tortellini Casserole
Made with just 5 ingredients, this baked tortellini casserole needs only tortellini, cheese, and herbs. It’s a simple casserole that that everyone will enjoy. I like to make one for dinner and freeze one, for a quick holiday freezer meal.
More Holiday Recipes
Healthy Christmas Cookies Recipes with No Refined Sugar
Gluten Free Christmas Cookies Everyone Loves
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