50 Vintage Christmas Recipes That Deserve A Comeback
In the South, Christmas season revolves around family, time-honored traditions, and the kitchen. We can't think about our childhood Christmas memories without landing on our favorite holiday meals and treats that make appearances year after yearāand are passed down generation to generation. From mouthwatering roasts to perfect pound cakes, our Christmas recipes are too good to forget. At Southern Living, we've featured some of the very best holiday recipes that deserve to be spotlighted yet again.
These throwback recipes go back decades and feature the old-school holiday dishes we have loved the most. Several were developed in our test kitchen, but many were submitted by our talented readers over the years. Spice up your holiday menu this year by giving these vintage Christmas recipes another lookāyou might just be reminded of that family classic that needs to be introduced to a new generation.
Christmas Snow Salad
Originally from our November 1982 issue, this bright retro salad still deserves a spot on your Christmas buffet today. It's not only pretty, but it's a refreshing option to heavy holiday sides.
Honey-Glazed Spiced Carrots
Once a classic side for Christmas Eve, glazed carrots offer the sweetness that sweet potato casserole does on Thanksgiving. Carrots, meet your special-occasion makeover.
Apple-Bourbon Pie
Apple pie might be a traditional Christmas dessert, but this creative version submitted by Eugenia W. Bell of Lexington, Kentucky is anything but ordinary. It gets a spiced twist from bourbon-infused raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, apricot preserves, and toasted pecans or walnuts.
Slow-Cooker Grape Jelly Meatballs
The not-so-secret ingredient to the best meatballs is grape jelly. Make sure to have a crock of these slow-cooker meatballs ready for hungry guests when they arriveāthey'll go fast.
Baked Ham with Brown Sugar-Citrus Glaze
With a glistening ham residing at the head of the holiday table, you're already off to a good start. It pairs well with any side Mama wants to serve. Bonusāall you have to do is glaze and heat.
Ambrosia Pudding Pie
Following British tradition, the earliest custard pies were recorded as puddings in historic cookbooks. We added a festive ambrosial note with orange marmalade, crushed pineapple, and coconut custard.
Homemade Eggnog
You'll never go back to store-bought once you try this rich and sweet version. Omit the bourbon if you'd likeāthe vanilla and nutmeg provide all the flavor you need.
Buche de Noel
The name of this festive Christmas cake is literally translated as "yule log." Trust usāeveryone gets excited when they see this dessert.
Make-Ahead Yeast Rolls
We might be serving hearty roasts and casserole-happy sideboards, but there's always room for rolls at Christmas, and they make your home smell incredible.
Japanese Fruitcake with Lemon-Coconut Frosting
"It was the signal that Christmas really was coming when this heavenly smell filled the kitchen," said Susan Houston of Tucker, Georgia. She submitted this family recipe with hopes it would spread that same Christmas joy to others.
Pecan-Coated Pork Loin Roast
Southerners love pork loin, and this recipe dresses it up nicely for the holidays. It would be perfect on a festive table.
Christmas Morning Coffee Cake
Will Dickey, Food Stylist: Ali Ramee, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke
Wake up on Christmas morning to this delicious treat that's packed with flavor and topped with a delectably sweet pistachio drizzle.
Cheddar Cheese Shortbread Crackers
Crisp, cheesy, and buttery, these crackers are as nice on a holiday spread as they are wrapped up for a friend. Just add a bottle of wine or some homemade preserves to make a stack of these crackers gift-ready.
Shrimp on Seasoned Crackers with Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese
Southern grandmothers have been gracing our table with the classic appetizer duo of pepper jelly and cream cheese for as long as we can remember. Here, it's upgraded into a holiday-worthy dish with the addition of seasoned shrimp.
Classic Roasted Duck with Orange-Bourbon-Molasses Glaze
Feel instantly fancy and old-fashioned when serving this perfectly crispy roasted duck. (Break out both the vintage china and Mama's old apron.) The secret is in the sauce: a glaze of orange marmalade, bourbon, molasses, lemon juice, and ginger.
Retro Rum Punch
Greet your guests with a glass of nostalgic cheer. The seasonal fruit makes this the perfect festive sip.
Classic Cornbread Dressing
Southerners know that any classic dressing recipe starts with skillet cornbread. As far as we're concerned, it goes with any Christmas main.
Molded Cranberry Salad
This pretty vintage jewel of a dish just wants to be on the Christmas sideboard. And this cranberry rendition tastes great! The congealed salads of the 1960s deserve some love, and they sure are conversation-starters.
Stuffed Beef Tenderloin with Burgundy-Mushroom Sauce
Who says a stuffed beef tenderloin is a thing of the past? This one is well worth the effort and will make a big impression on your holiday table.
Bacon Bow Tie Crackers
Everyone from the kids to the grandparents will be grabbing for these simple, but oh-so-yummy nibbles.
Chocolate Trifle
High on style, low on effort. This chocolate trifle looks decadent and fancy enough for the holiday spread but takes only five store-bought ingredients. (They never have to know.)
Old-School Green Bean Casserole
Is there a world where this doesn't belong on the list? From the frozen French-cut green beans to the crispy fried onion topping, it's a familiar staple on every Southern holiday table.
Cheddar Cheese Straws
This age-old snack is a perennial favorite appetizer and an excellent hostess gift to boot. It just isn't a holiday party without a plate of cheese straws.
Butternut Squash Bread Pudding
It's the holidays, so why not go for a showstopping side? Bread pudding gets a seasonal update with the addition of butternut squash.
Savory Corn Pudding
If Aunt Barb said she loved this casserole once, she said it a million times. This recipe is always a favorite among the Southern crowd.
Cornmeal Popovers
These old-fashioned breads are a joy to eat, and they go so well with everything on the holiday table.
Cassandra's "Light" Fruitcake
"Every time your mama wasn't looking, I'd sneak into the closet and pour more whiskey over those cakes," said author and Southern Living contributor Cassandra King's father. This family recipe was a childhood tradition that lived on through King after her mother passed, but it didn't taste exactly right until her daddy let her in on the secret she was missing.
Angel Biscuits
Were they sent from heaven? Perhaps. Do they capture the holiday spirit with both the fluffiness of a biscuit and the yeasty flavor of a dinner roll? Definitely.
Old-Fashioned Gingerbread
This is what Christmas smells like. Top with softly-whipped cream, and enjoy this elegantly classic holiday dessert.
Spicy Sausage-and-Cheddar Kolaches
A beloved Texas tradition, this classic Czech pastry gets a spicy Southern kick from a combo of smoky Conecuh sausage and sharp Cheddar cheese.
Oyster Casserole
You'll know it when you see that familiar topping of Saltines. Whether you call it oyster dressing, oyster pie, or even scalloped oysters, oyster casserole is right at home on any Southerner's Christmas table.
Grits Dressing
Change up traditional cornbread dressing with this equally-Southern side dish, or here's an even better ideaāserve both.
Rum Balls
Rum balls, rum balls, how we love thee. It's not a Christmas party in the South without some form of tipsy treat. Originally from our December 1993 issue, this boozy confection is also a perfect gift.
Hot Cheesy Crab Dip
Put this bubbling-hot throwback dip out for a Christmas appetizer, and watch everyone swoop in.
Hot Cranberry Bake
If you've never used your Christmas cranberries for this simple, crisp-like dessert, you haven't lived. We can thank Sue-Sue Harstern of Louisville, Kentucky for this reader recipe submitted over 25 years ago.
Buttermilk Spoon Bread
Can there ever be enough cozy, old-fashioned sides at holiday dinners? We say no. This creamy dish pairs well with green bean casserole and any main dish.
Green Tomato Mincemeat Pie
There's no Christmas pie more traditional (or divisive) than classic mincemeat pie. It's time to bring back this flavor-filled, holiday-spiced classic.
Orange Cake
This retro recipe makes a beautiful centerpiece for any holiday buffet, and the citrus-flavored cake offers a bright finish to Christmas brunch.
Molasses Crinkles
Sprinkles might get more attention, but nothing tastes as much like Christmas as these irresistible cookies. Make everyone happy and bring these classic holiday crinkles to your cookie swap.
Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie
Some things are better when kept the absolute same, like this old-fashioned pot pie recipe. How do you know it's vintage? It uses hard-boiled eggs in the filling.
Chicken Alouette
Before the name scares you, know that Alouette is just cheese. Gloriously creamy, garlicky, herby spreadable cheese. This retro-fancy recipe belongs on your holiday table, because who doesn't love a pastry-wrapped main dish?
Toasted Oatmeal Cookies
Consider these Christmas cookie jar-approved. What makes these stand out from basic oatmeal cookies: the toasted oats.
Slow-Cooker Cranberry-Pear Butter
Whip up this fruity butter for an ideal blend of tartness, sweetness, and creaminess to top your freshly baked holiday biscuits.
Turkey-Noodle-Poppyseed Casserole
Enter: the original day-after-a-holiday turkey casserole. It's hands-down the tastiest, most family-friendly use of leftover turkey. So much so, that even after almost 30 years, it's still our favorite.
Cranberry Brie Bites
Pastry-based apps have gone through waves of popularity over the years, but we think these brie bites, which are studded with tart cranberry, are timeless.
Cherry-Pecan Swirl Bread
Cherries and pecans take center stage in this contemporary update of a cast-iron classic. The swirl in this anytime bread makes it showstopping enough for company.
Oysters Rockefeller
Because if there's ever a time to go retro-fancy, it's at Christmas.
Pork Crown Roast
Nothing centers a Christmas table quite as stunningly as a crown pork roast. If you want to go really retro, get the frilly paper bone-covers, called manchettes, like Grandma used to use.
Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites
These one-bite wonders take the classic sausage-and-cheese ball formula and update them for today's holiday parties.
Williams Family Wassail
One of the most traditional holiday drinks of them all, wintertime wassail gets a contemporary update in this flavorful drink recipe.
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