21 Recipes From the December 2022 Issue of Real Simple

Prosciutto chips with rosemary and honey

Prosciutto already contains a lot of savory and irresistible flavors. So imagine the treat for your taste buds when you coat slices in rosemary-scented honey and crisp them in the oven. It’s a party snack that’s guaranteed to go fast.

Onion Soup Bites

Turn beloved bistro soup into a delicious two-bite party app by stuffing frozen phyllo shells with lots of buttered caramelized onions and garnishing them with a generous sprinkling of grated Gruyere cheese.

Butternut Squash Toasts

Everyone loves a fancy toast, and this festive version has a wintry filling of sweet roasted butternut squash, plus a creamy ricotta smear and a crunchy sprinkle of pistachios.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Turn a jar of roasted red peppers into a moist, flavorful dip that gets its creamy texture from cashews in a technique similar to Romesco.

Mini Goat Cheese Balls

These delicious cheesy bites are made for the party, thanks to a coating of dried cherries, chopped fresh parsley and hazelnut sesame seeds.

Easy dinner ideas

Instant Beef Stew with Pappardelle

With an electric pressure cooker, you get all the richness and flavor of meat sauce simmered all day in a fraction of the time. Serve this deeply flavorful stew over thick pappardelle, polenta or mashed potatoes.

Lemon Cilantro Roasted Chicken with Leeks and Squash

This meal can draw ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ to the table, but thankfully it’s mostly easy to prepare in one pot. It’s bursting with seasonal flavors of sweet acorn squash and melted leeks.

Spanish Marinated Pepper Fish Tacos

These quick fish tacos are seasoned with paprika and oregano and topped with a bright, sweet salsa made with pot roasted red peppers and charred green onions.

Open Chicken Curry Naan

You can whip up satisfying curry flatbread sandwiches in an impressive 25 minutes without sacrificing flavor, thanks to red curry paste and creamy Greek yogurt tossed in the ground chicken filling and layered on top.

Charred Broccolini with Tahini Caesar and Crispy Chickpeas

It’s a lighter winter dinner that’s always comforting. Crispy broccolini and chickpeas are tossed in a thick umami Caesar dressing made with Parmesan cheese, tahini and Dijon mustard.

Pierogies on a plate with roasted Brussels sprouts, shallots and mustard vinaigrette

It’s hard to beat a griddle dinner, and this one is far from ordinary, thanks to frozen cheesy pierogies, crispy Brussels sprouts and a savory mustard-dill vinaigrette drizzled over everything.

Lamb Chops with Mixed Olive Relish and Roasted Carrots

Get some French lamb chops for this easy (but fancy) weeknight dinner with lightly charred carrots and a savory olive and caper garnish.

Potato Parsnip Latkes

Add a sweet twist to a classic holiday meal by including apples and parsnips in shredded potato pancakes. Then, top stacks of golden latkes with sour cream and honey.

Treats to offer

Peppermint Checkerboard Cookies

These adorable shortbread treats are as beautiful as they are tasty and provide a seasonal spark with a few drops of peppermint extract.

Herb and cheese crackers

Making your own Herb Butter Crackers is a guaranteed recipe for a memorable (not to mention delicious) holiday gift.

Gingerbread pretzel popcorn

If you love gingerbread cookies, you’ll want to make a really big batch of this caramel-coated, lightly spiced popcorn that gets a tasty twist of chopped pretzels.

Holiday Brigadeiros

Give these four-ingredient Brazilian fudge balls a layer of shimmering sprinkles and they’re almost–almost– too pretty to eat.

Salted Coffee Caramel Bars

Layers of buttery crackers, gooey caramel, and beautifully swirled chocolate and butterscotch chips make these lively bars instant holiday winners.

Mini chocolate and olive oil cakes

Break out your cutest miniature cake or loaf pans for those dense and moist one-bowl cakes that happen to be vegan.

Apple Rugelach

Give a fruity twist to these traditional Jewish pastries by adding apple butter to the filling. Then top each swirled cookie with crunchy popping sugar to complete the party-ready look.

Brunch

Spiced Chocolate Orange Tear-Off Loaf

This fluffy, airy bread is a perfect treat for holiday brunch, but don’t expect any leftovers. Once guests smell the warming spices and surprise chocolate filling, it will go fast.