Home for the Holidays: Old-Fashioned Christmas Recipes

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Come home for the holidays with old-fashioned Christmas recipes, Southern favorites, smoked meats, festive sides, and nostalgic family traditions.

There was always something about Christmas at Grandma's house.

You knew it before you ever stepped through the front door. Cars lined the driveway and spilled onto the street. Through the windows you could see the colored lights glowing on the tree, and if you were lucky, somebody had remembered to turn on the porch light before dark.

Then the door opened and Christmas hit you all at once.

There was warmth. Noise. Laughter. The smell of something wonderful cooking. A pile of coats had already accumulated on the bench in the hallway, with more tossed over the bed because the bench had run out of room. Somebody's purse was tucked underneath them. Kids were darting between grown-ups, cousins were comparing presents, and at least one person was already asking, “When are we eating?”

Come on in. We'll find a place for your coat.

You're at Grandma's house now.

Before Dinner, There's Always Something to Eat

Grandma would tell you not to spoil your dinner. Grandma would also have enough appetizers sitting around to feed a small congregation.

This is one of those delightful contradictions we simply accept at Christmas.

And there was always somebody circling the deviled eggs. Maybe that somebody was you. We won't judge.

Here are some of our favorite its-not-time-to-eat-yet appetizers:

Classic Southern Deviled Eggs — Every Southern holiday table needs a plate of deviled eggs. Creamy, tangy, familiar, and almost guaranteed to disappear before everything else.

Festive Cranberry Pecan Cream Cheese Balls — Cranberries and pecans give these creamy cheese balls just the right holiday touch. Set them out with crackers while everybody waits for dinner.

Smoked Cream Cheese with Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly — Creamy, smoky, sweet and a little spicy, this easy appetizer brings the grill into Christmas before the main course ever reaches the table.

Smoked Cream Cheese with Honey Drizzle — Warm smoked cream cheese finished with honey makes an easy appetizer for hungry people gathered around the kitchen.

Smoked Candied Bacon — Sweet, salty and smoky, this is the sort of snack people intend to eat one piece of. Good luck with that.

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeños with Sausage and Cream Cheese — Bacon, sausage, cream cheese and jalapeños make these a hearty Texas-style Christmas appetizer for the crowd gathered around the kitchen.

Smoked Pig Shots — These bite-sized smoked appetizers bring plenty of bacon-and-sausage goodness to a Christmas gathering.

Savory Southern Corn Dip — Filling and delicious, this is the perfect Christmas appetizer!

Smoked Brisket Queso — Does brisket queso sound like an odd choice for Christmas? Not here in the south where we're from! This delicious queso is a natural at our holiday gatherings.

And yes, you may have another deviled egg. Just move the empty spot on the platter around so nobody notices.

Meanwhile, Something Wonderful Is Happening Outside

There's another Christmas happening just beyond the kitchen door. The smoker is going.

Maybe someone in your clan has been out there since earlier in the day, checking temperatures while everyone else stays warm inside. Open that back door and you can smell it: smoke curling through the cold December air, the savory aroma of meat slowly cooking, and that promise that something very good is coming to the table.

This is Christmas at Backyard Texas Grill, after all. We love Grandma's oven, but we're not afraid to take Christmas dinner outside.

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Prime Rib — When Christmas dinner calls for something spectacular, a beautifully cooked prime rib makes a memorable centerpiece for the holiday table.

The Perfect Smoked Honey Ham — Sweet honey glaze meets smoky flavor in a holiday ham made for Christmas dinner—and for sneaking little pieces while you're carving it.

The Perfect Smoked Turkey on the Grill — If turkey is part of your family's Christmas tradition, take it outside and give it the deep smoky flavor that makes a holiday bird unforgettable.

Texas-Style Smoked Beef Brisket — Who says Christmas dinner has to be ham or turkey? A smoky Texas brisket makes perfect sense at a Backyard Texas Grill Christmas.

And every time the door opens, everyone in the kitchen gets another whiff.

“Is it ready yet?”

Not yet.

Go eat another deviled egg.

Somebody Forgot Something

There is a moment in almost every big family Christmas when somebody realizes something is missing.

• Maybe it's the cranberry sauce.
• Maybe the rolls are still sitting at somebody else's house.
• Maybe Grandma was certain she had another can of cream of something in the pantry and discovers she does not.
• Maybe the special serving platter is nowhere to be found, even though everyone remembers putting it “someplace safe.”

Now drawers are opening. Cabinets are being searched. Somebody is checking the garage refrigerator. Somebody else is volunteering to run to the store and everyone is trying to remember whether the grocery store closes early on Christmas Eve.

Family holidays have always been like this.

As we write this post we're reflecting on one Christmas when a certain in-law—who was a Scout leader at the time—promised to bring a bunch of Scout chairs so we'd have enough seating for everyone.

He arrived. The chairs did not. Since we had more people than places to put them, he had to turn right around and go get them.

Years later, I don't remember whether every dish on that particular Christmas table was perfect. I remember the chairs.

And isn't that how family Christmas memories work?

Everybody's Home. Now We Have to Feed Them.

Of course, Christmas isn't one meal. It's days.

The kids come home. The grandkids come home. Somebody stays overnight. Somebody else arrives earlier than expected. People wander into the kitchen at odd hours and stare into the refrigerator as if a meal might spontaneously appear.

Grandma's house somehow always had something.

This is where our warm casseroles, soups and old-fashioned comfort foods earn their place in this fun Christmas recipe collection, friends. They aren't necessarily Christmas dinner. They're everybody-is-home food. And trust us, when everybody's home. . .they expect to be fed!

Here are some of our go-to meals for keeping the troops full and happy before the big event.

Grandma's Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole — Simple, creamy and comforting, this is the sort of casserole that can feed hungry family members without making Christmas week more complicated.

Old-Fashioned Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup — A cozy pot of creamy chicken and wild rice soup is just right for a cold December evening when everyone has finally settled in at home.

Grandma's Creamy Tomato Soup — Warm, creamy tomato soup tastes like something Grandma would put in front of you after a long, cold day.

Easy Homemade Chicken and Drop Dumplings — Tender dumplings and comforting chicken make this an old-fashioned family meal that's especially welcome during Christmas week.

Easy King Ranch Chicken Casserole — This creamy Texas favorite is made for feeding a houseful and gives you an easy answer to “What's for supper?” during the holidays.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup — Rich and hearty, this loaded soup is just the thing for a chilly night when everyone is home and hungry.

Those are the meals we think of when we think about coming Home for the Holidays.

Nothing fancy.

Just, “Come sit down. I'll fix you something.”

Christmas Morning Is Its Own Kind of Magic

Christmas morning has its own sounds: Bare feet running down the hallway. Paper tearing. Kids talking too loudly for the hour. Coffee brewing. Someone asking where the batteries are.

And from the kitchen comes cinnamon.

Christmas breakfast shouldn't require Grandma—or you—to disappear into the kitchen for two hours. It should be warm, abundant, easy to share, and preferably something that makes the whole house smell wonderful.

Here are some of our favorite Christmas morning offerings:

Easy Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole — Cinnamon rolls meet French toast casserole in a warm, sweet breakfast made for Christmas morning with the family.

Easy Monkey Bread with Canned Biscuits — Warm cinnamon-sugar pieces are meant to be pulled apart and shared while everybody is still in pajamas.

Homemade Biscuits and Sausage Gravy — For a hearty Southern Christmas breakfast, it's hard to beat tender homemade biscuits covered in rich sausage gravy.

Southwest Breakfast Casserole — A savory make-for-a-crowd breakfast brings a little Texas flavor to a houseful of hungry Christmas guests.

Cast-Iron Ham and Potato Breakfast Skillet — An all in one breakfast in a cast iron skillet? Yes, please! Perfect for the holiday season!

Breakfast Fatty — Our ultimate breakfast offering. You're welcome.

There should be plenty of coffee.

Christmas morning requires coffee.

Come Look at the Christmas Table

By late afternoon, things begin to change.

The snacking slows down—slightly.

The table is set. Maybe Grandma brought out the dishes that only appeared on holidays. Napkins are folded. Serving spoons have finally been located. The meat is resting. The casseroles are hot.

The kitchen windows might even be fogging a little from all that cooking.

And suddenly the food begins arriving at the table.

One dish after another.

This is the moment we've been waiting for.

Pass the Christmas Side Dishes

Everybody knows the centerpiece gets the attention, but family members can become fiercely loyal to their Christmas side dishes.

Take away the turkey if you must.

But you'd better not forget somebody's macaroni and cheese.

Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing — Old-fashioned cornbread dressing belongs beside turkey or ham and brings the familiar flavors of a Southern holiday to the table.

Old-Fashioned Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese — Rich, cheesy baked macaroni and cheese is the holiday side that makes children and grown-ups equally happy.

Traditional Green Bean Casserole on the Smoker — Take a classic holiday casserole outside and let the smoker add a little BTG personality to an old family favorite.

Sweet Potato Casserole Two Ways — This holiday classic gives you options for making the sweet potato casserole your family expects to see on the table.

Rustic Mashed Potatoes — Creamy, comforting potatoes are ready for gravy and practically mandatory beside a holiday roast, turkey, or ham.

Slow Cooker Honey Cream Corn — Sweet, creamy corn cooks in the slow cooker, leaving precious oven space available for the rest of Christmas dinner.

Cheesy Corn Casserole — Warm, cheesy and made for sharing, this comforting casserole fits right in among the old-fashioned dishes on a crowded Christmas table.

Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots — Sweet glazed carrots add a colorful, buttery side dish to the holiday feast and can be made in the smoker or oven.

Perfect Texas Dinner Rolls Two Ways — Soft dinner rolls are perfect for passing around the Christmas table—and for swiping through the last bit of gravy on the plate.

Everybody Find a Seat

Now comes that moment.

Somebody calls everyone to the table.

Children are rounded up. Conversations trail off. Somebody brings in one last bowl from the kitchen. A serving spoon clatters onto the table. Chairs scrape against the floor.

Yes, even the Scout chairs.

Somebody gets the chair at the corner. Somebody squeezes between two cousins. The little ones might be at their own table nearby. There's always a bit of rearranging until everybody finally fits.

And then, somehow, the room grows quieter. Hands reach for hands. Heads bow.

For just a moment, nobody is thinking about the presents under the tree or the dishes waiting in the sink. Nobody is worried about whether the potatoes got cold or whether the rolls got a little too brown.

We're together. There's food on the table. There are people we love sitting around it.

And before we take a single bite, we give thanks to the One who gave it all to us.

Amen.

Now pass what's left of those deviled eggs before they're gone.

Save Room for Something Sweet

“I couldn't eat another bite.”

We've all heard it.

Then dessert appears.

Suddenly there seems to be room.

The Backyard Texas Grill Christmas dessert table isn't going to compete with the Christmas-cookie wonderland over at Out of the Box Baking, our sister site. This is Grandma's sideboard: pie, pudding, warm old-fashioned desserts, pecans, cranberries, chocolate and the kinds of sweets you cut into generous portions.

Here are a few of our holiday-themed favorites that grandma made:

Cast-Iron Skillet Pecan Pie — A classic pecan pie baked in cast iron brings plenty of Southern charm to the Christmas dessert table.

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Brown Sugar Vanilla Sauce — Warm bread pudding covered in brown sugar vanilla sauce is the kind of cozy dessert that tastes as though Grandma made it.

Orange Cranberry Skillet Cake — Bright cranberry and orange flavors give this skillet cake a festive holiday personality.

Easy Skillet Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Glaze — Applesauce and cinnamon make this simple skillet cake smell like an old-fashioned Christmas kitchen.

Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars — Chocolate and pecan pie flavors come together in rich bars that are easy to slice and share with a crowd.

Texas Trash Pie — Loaded with plenty of sweet goodness, this fun Texas dessert gives the holiday table something a little less formal and a lot more fun.

Texas Sheet Cake Skillet Brownies — Deep chocolate flavor and cast-iron charm make these brownies an easy addition to a Southern Christmas dessert spread.

Classic Banana Pudding — It may not wear red and green, but put homemade banana pudding on a Southern family table and watch how quickly people find a spoon.

Cast-Iron Pineapple Upside-Down Cake — Pineapple cake for Christmas? You bet! It's rich and decadent, and absolutely gorgeous.

The House Gets Quiet Eventually

It takes a while.

Dinner plates are cleared. Leftovers are divided into containers. Somebody is standing at the sink despite being told repeatedly to “leave those dishes alone.” Coffee is made again.

The little ones begin to fade.

A child falls asleep on the sofa under somebody's coat. Conversations get quieter. The Christmas lights seem brighter now that the rest of the room has dimmed.

And somebody inevitably wanders back into the kitchen.

“Is there any ham left?”

Of course there is.

The Day After Christmas

The big Christmas dinner may be over, but nobody is finished eating.

The next day is wonderfully informal. We're reheating things, making sandwiches, eating pie at inappropriate hours and opening the refrigerator every twenty minutes to see whether anything new has appeared since the last time.

This is where leftovers become something wonderful of their own.

Ham and Turkey Sliders with Hot Pepper Cranberry Jelly — Holiday meat and cranberry flavor come together in warm sliders that are perfect for the relaxed days after Christmas.

Cast-Iron Skillet Turkey Pot Pie — Turn leftover Christmas turkey into a warm, comforting cast-iron pot pie that feels like a completely new meal.

20+ Ways to Use Holiday Leftovers — Check out this master list to use up that turkey and all of those delicious sides!

Turkey Tortellini Soup - Turn that leftover turkey into a warm, hearty soup. Yum!

And if your refrigerator looks as though Christmas dinner exploded inside it?

You're doing it right.

Home for the Holidays

Maybe that's what we're really trying to recreate when we make these old recipes.

Not a perfect Christmas.

Home.

Colored lights reflected in the window. Christmas cards on the mantel. A pile of coats on the bench. Coffee perking in the kitchen. Smoke hanging in the cold air outside while something wonderful cooks on the smoker.

• The clatter of dishes.
• The smell of cinnamon.
• A kid asking when we're going to eat.
• A grown man realizing he forgot the chairs.
• The person who always steals a deviled egg.
• The chair squeezed into a place where a chair was never intended to fit.
• And then that precious moment when everybody finally stops.
• We sit.
• We reach for one another's hands.
• We bow our heads.
• And we give thanks.

The people around our Christmas tables change as the years pass. Some of the people who once cooked these meals for us aren't here anymore. And somewhere along the way, some of us became the grandparents.

• We're the ones making the dressing now.
• We're checking the ham.
• We're feeding the grandchildren.
• We're wrapping leftovers.
• We're saying, “Take some of this home with you.”
• We're making the memories somebody else will carry.

So this Christmas, make the old recipe. Try a new one. Fire up the smoker. Put another casserole in the oven. Invite somebody who needs a place to go. Feed everyone who walks through the door.

• Don't worry if the table isn't perfect.
• Don't worry if something gets forgotten.
• Years from now, that might be the part everybody remembers.
• And if you run out of room?

Pull up a chair. You're always welcome at Grandma's table.

More Old-Fashioned Recipes to Explore

If you're not quite ready to leave Grandma's house, you don't have to.

Old-Fashioned Recipes Grandma Used to Make is filled with the comforting dishes that remind us of the people who fed us long before we were the ones doing the cooking.

Vintage Church Cookbooks celebrates the recipes, church suppers and community food traditions that helped preserve so many of the dishes we still love.

And Southern Church Potluck Recipes is full of the casseroles, sides, desserts and crowd-friendly foods that know exactly what to do when another folding chair gets pulled up to the table.

Thanks for Stopping By!

If you make any of these delicious recipes and enjoy them please let us know in the comments. And before you go please pin some photos to your Pinterest boards. We love it when folks share our recipes!