Pure & Simple Christmas Dinner Recipes

A gorgeous cherry-glazed ham is the centerpiece of this pure and simple Christmas dinner menu. For a unique twist, try fresh pork shoulder instead.

This hearty side dish features rutabaga, two kinds of potatoes, and parsnips with a medley of fresh herbs and leeks. Winter leeks are stronger in flavor and texture than summer leeks -- but any variety from your supermarket will work.

This quick and easy side dish takes just 30 minutes to make -- and it requires only five ingredients. Toasting the garlic makes it sharp and flavorful.

This nontraditional side dish is sure to dazzle your guests. For seasoning, use fresh herbs lingering in your garden, what's on sale at the market, or parsley from the fridge.

This rich and creamy side dish is versatile: You can combine the roasted chestnuts with pumpkin or your favorite variety of squash. For an extra layer of decadence, top it with homemade molasses cream (see recipe).

With its chewy bread base and fruit-cheese topper, this luscious tart is ideal to serve between the main course and dessert in place of the traditional cheese course.

This moist cake has a slightly nutty flavor from almond flour and a pleasantly herbaceous lemon-like flavor from Vanilla Bean-Verbena Sugar. After baking, it's cut into slices, buttered, and fried just until toasty-crisp.