35 Make-Ahead Holiday Dishes for Stress-Free Entertaining Make your holidays easier and less stressful by making some dishes ahead. Close Credit: Lennart Weibull From decorating your Christmas tree to shopping for a one-of-a-kind gift for that special someone, there are plenty of things that you can do to prepare for the holidays—and that includes making certain parts of your annual feast ahead of time. That's why we rounded up our best festive make-ahead holiday recipes that you can start now and serve later. From appetizers to desserts, with plenty of entrées and side dishes, too, there are no excuses to start on the fun right away. 35 Make-Ahead Holiday Dishes for Stress-Free Entertaining 01 of 35 Twice-Baked Potato-and-Raclette Casserole Credit: Paola + Murray Cut prep time in half by roasting the potatoes—they need to be cool enough to handle anyway. From here, they're mashed with a rich combination of butter, sour cream, cream cheese, and raclette cheese. View Recipe 02 of 35 Butternut Squash Soup With Coconut Milk and Ginger Credit: Bryan Gardner There are many reasons to love soup—it feeds a crowd, is a great way to make use of seasonal produce (such as butternut squash!), and is easy to prepare. But perhaps our favorite part is that it can be made ahead and reheated anywhere, anytime. View Recipe 03 of 35 Classic Beef Stew Credit: Con Poulos This is the quintessential winter dinner. Our version of beef stew—made with beef chuck, frozen pearl onions, carrots, and Yukon Gold potatoes—is a total classic. View Recipe 04 of 35 Grandma's Bolognese Credit: The Ingalls Inspired by your grandmother's best meat sauce, our version combines dried porcini mushrooms, pancetta, ground beef, and ground pork for a hearty, flavorful pasta topping. View Recipe 05 of 35 Sausage-and-Kale Stuffed Shells Credit: Justin Walker This is one of our genius make-ahead, freeze-friendly meals—and it feels like an extra-special comforting recipe to serve to your family during the holidays. View Recipe 06 of 35 Orange-Scented Cranberry Sauce A unique combination of fresh cranberries and the zest and juice of fresh oranges create a delightful make-ahead holiday sauce that you can serve alongside turkey, beef, or pork tenderloin (or any other spectacular main). View Recipe 07 of 35 Pork Wellington With Prosciutto and Spinach-Mushroom Stuffing Credit: Lennart Weibull Instead of the usual Beef Wellington, why not surprise—and surely delight—your family with this pork version made with both tenderloin and prosciutto? You can prepare the pork Wellington up through step three in advance so all you need to do is bake it before dinner. View Recipe 08 of 35 Brandied Figs Credit: Con Poulos Looking for an easy and elegant dish to serve alongside a charcuterie board? Try this make-ahead, three-ingredient recipe for poached figs, which get a hint of sweetness from sugar and brandy. View Recipe 09 of 35 Shrimp and Crudité Platter With Two Sauces Credit: Justin Walker Poach your vegetables and shrimp, stir your sauces, and assemble the platter ahead of time and when your loved ones arrive, this show-stopping appetizer will be ready. View Recipe 10 of 35 Lasagna With Meat Sauce Credit: Brie Goldman A total crowd-pleaser and a make-ahead marvel—that's how we would describe this lasagna. You can brown your meat and assemble the entire casserole ahead, then pop it in the oven just about an hour before dinnertime. View Recipe 11 of 35 Colcannon Shepherd's Pie Credit: John Dolan On a cold winter's night during the holiday season, nothing is quite as satisfying as shepherd's pie. This Irish-inspired dish is loaded with ground lamb, carrots, peas, and onions and topped with mashed potatoes enriched with kale. View Recipe 12 of 35 Instant Pot Brisket Credit: Bryan Gardner The beauty of braising meat such as brisket is that you can set it and forget it. In this recipe, the brisket bakes with an assortment of spices, plus white vinegar, brown sugar, and ketchup, until it becomes fork-tender and so, so flavorful. View Recipe 13 of 35 Pull-Apart Garlic Bread Credit: Linda Pugliese This make-ahead holiday recipe is a labor of love—but the swirly, twirly pattern, buttery flavor, and sprinkling of garlic and herbs throughout the bread is worth the effort. View Recipe 14 of 35 No-Knead Plum Focaccia Credit: Marcus Nilsson Wedges of plum bring a festive touch of sweetness to this homemade bread that's sure to go fast. View Recipe 15 of 35 Mini Beef Wellingtons Credit: Marcus Nilsson Everything tastes better in miniature! These individual beef Wellingtons are as delicious as they are adorable. Everything but the final baking can be done up to two weeks in advance. View Recipe 16 of 35 Italian Seafood Salad Credit: Emily Kate Roemer Get one of the dishes for your Feast of the Seven Fishes out of the way early. You can make this salad with squid, shrimp, mussels, and crab up to eight hours ahead. View Recipe 17 of 35 Cannoli Dip Credit: Emily Kate Roemer We've deconstructed the traditional Sicilian pastry into a creamy dessert dip and cannoli "chips." Both components can be made up to 12 hours in advance and stored in the fridge. View Recipe 18 of 35 Raw Swiss Chard, Cabbage, and Brussels Sprout Salad Credit: Marcus Nilsson Add some freshness to your holiday table with this bright, crunchy salad. It's one of those rare options that gets better as it sits, so you can toss it up to an hour before guests arrive. View Recipe 19 of 35 Maple-Whipped Sweet Potatoes A staple of holiday meals, airy, whipped spuds get an extra dose of flavor from maple syrup. This buttery dish can be made up to two days in advance and warmed over a low flame on the stove (make sure to stir constantly to keep the potatoes from sticking to the pan). View Recipe 20 of 35 Roasted-Carrot-and-Beet Tart Credit: Bryan Gardner Using store-bought phyllo dough helps this colorful vegetable tart come together in a flash. Bake it the night before your holiday party and store it at room temperature. View Recipe 21 of 35 Roasted Beet and Potato Borscht Credit: Marcus Nilsson Our take on the classic Eastern European soup is served hot and it can be kept for three months in the freezer. All you have to do on the day of the holiday party is thaw, reheat, and add garnishes. View Recipe 22 of 35 Homemade Cheddar-and-Gruyere Crackers Credit: David Malosh Let your guests nosh on these cheesy crackers while you put the final touches on dinner. You can make and freeze the dough up to three months ahead. Try our fig-and-almond version, too! View Recipe 23 of 35 Sweet-and-Sour Korean Cocktail Meatballs Credit: Meredith Jenk Gochujang, a spicy fermented Korean chili paste, turns up the volume on this classic finger food. The meatballs can be formed up to a day in advance. View Recipe 24 of 35 Sage Braid Credit: Bryan Gardner Serving homemade bread at your holiday party is totally doable if you have this recipe in your back pocket. The formed bread can be made up to a month in advance and stored in the freezer. View Recipe 25 of 35 No-Bake Chocolate-Eggnog Crème Brûlée Credit: Lennart Weibull This dessert has maximum holiday flavor and is a no-fuss, no-bake wonder that's already portioned. Just take it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you serve so it's not too chilled; that would mute the flavors. View Recipe 26 of 35 Cherry-Raspberry Semifreddo Credit: Paola + Murray Not only is this holiday dessert recipe sweet as can be, but it's also a favorite for home cooks since it can be made up to three days in advance. Use fresh or frozen fruit for juicy flavor and bright red color. View Recipe 27 of 35 Poached Pears With Saffron Whipped Cream Credit: Gentl and Hyers Poached pears are an easy, elegant end to a special holiday dinner. The fruit first cooks in a citrus-spice liquid and then soak for an additional two hours (and up to three days); you can serve them with freshly made whipped cream at the drop of a hat. View Recipe 28 of 35 Dairy-Free Chocolate-Raspberry Cake Credit: Yuki Sugiura Cakes are the ultimate special occasion dessert, especially during the holiday season. This luscious combination of chocolate layer cake with a rich buttercream frosting and a sprinkle of fresh raspberries on top is picture-perfect and absolutely delicious. View Recipe 29 of 35 Baked-Alaska Tree Credit: Chris Simpson Guests will be amazed when you place this indulgent chocolate dessert on the table—and you'll be amazed at just how easy it is to make. Use your favorite ice cream flavor; we prefer the combination of chocolate and peppermint for the holiday. View Recipe 30 of 35 Chocolate-Mousse Parfaits Credit: Justin Walker We think this chocolate mousse is the ultimate make-ahead dessert for the holidays. It's ready when you need it, is already portioned, and tastes sublime. View Recipe 31 of 35 Vanilla Pudding Pie Credit: Kate Mathis A subtly spiced white-chocolate vanilla pudding fills the chocolate wafer cookie crust in this make-ahead holiday dessert. View Recipe 32 of 35 Eggnog Semifreddo Genoise Cake With Meringue Frosting Credit: Aya Brackett When else are you going to pull out this show-stopper? This vertical-layer cake alternates tiers of genoise with a nutmeg-and-rum-scented semifreddo and can be made a day in advance. Just make sure there's enough space to store it in your freezer! View Recipe 33 of 35 Ile Flottante With Caramel Seeking an unusual holiday dessert? Look no further than this sophisticated French showstopper. Whip up Martha’s legendary île flottante (which translates to "Floating Island") a day or two in advance, and assemble it to perfection before serving it. View Recipe 34 of 35 Gingerbread Cheesecake Credit: Sang An A fragrant blend of ginger, molasses, and allspice takes classic cheesecake to new heights. Make it the night before your holiday party and collect compliments on the day of. View Recipe 35 of 35 Meyer-Lemon Shortbread Wreath Cookies Credit: Mikkel Vang These wreath-shaped shortbread cookies are almost too pretty to eat! Undecorated cookies can be stored for up to one week before decorating, and decorated cookies can be stored for up to two days in an airtight container at room temperature. View Recipe Explore more: Food & Cooking Recipes Holidays & Events Christmas Recipes