Recipe Roundup: Holiday Roasts

Dazzle guests at your holiday dinner this year with a meal they’ll never forget. A show-stopping roast cooked to juicy perfection makes the ultimate centerpiece for a special occasion (plus, it’s a great way to feed a crowd). Here, we’ve gathered our favorite recipes that are sure to impress, from a crown roast of pork and a standing rib roast to Thomas Keller’s herb-crusted rack of lamb.

Rib-Eye Roast with Mustard and Bread Crumb Crust Rib roast is a decadent cut with generous marbling and a juicy texture. Here, anchovies and garlic permeate the meat with an earthy flavor that cuts through the richness, while mustard and bread crumbs add a satisfying crunch to the golden exterior.

Roasted Rack of Lamb with Dried Fruit and Almond Stuffing Rack of lamb is a luxurious and tasty cut: the meat stays tender when cooked as part of a roast, and the chops can be carved at the table for an elegant presentation. The stuffing in this recipe—a mix of dried cranberries, dates and almonds—is perfect for fall and winter.

Roasted Veal Breast with Green Olives and Thyme Veal breast on the bone is a favorite cut in French and Italian households because it’s tasty and economical and cooks relatively quickly. You can stir other seasonal ingredients into this pan sauce at the end of cooking; we like dried fruits, such as cherries, prunes or apricots.

Roasted Rack of Pork with Fennel Seed, Lavender and Garlic Paste This dish is inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean: fennel is a classic partner for pork in Italy, and the touch of lavender evokes the French countryside. You can ask the butcher to french the bones, or leave the cut whole for a more rustic presentation.

Strip Loin Roast with Yorkshire Pudding A classic Sunday dinner in England, roast beef with Yorkshire pudding is well-suited for a festive dinner. The pudding, which is prepared in the same pan that was used to roast the meat, is baked until puffy and golden brown.

Slow-Roasted Leg of Lamb with Orange-Tapenade Aioli After several hours of roasting and then braising in the oven, this lamb is so tender that when cut or shredded, it’s almost like a ragout sauce. It’s also incredibly forgiving; it is ready to eat straight from the oven, or it can be set aside for up to 1 hour, then rewarmed in a low oven.

Braised Veal Breast Stuffed with Fontina and Porcini Here, tender veal breast is stuffed with fontina, a good melting cheese that oozes out when the meat is sliced open. The Madeira-soaked porcini meld with the meat juices to create an earthy sauce for drizzling.

Prime Rib with Herbes de Provence Crust Seasoned simply with herbes de Provence, salt and pepper, this standing rib roast is a sight to behold. Serve it with our Hasselback potatoes for a gorgeous and unexpected twist.

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Filled Pasta Sheets Here’s a holiday dinner worthy of a restaurant! Chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry created this recipe, which he says “is simple enough that you won’t have to spend all day preparing, yet complex enough to impress.”

Balsamic-Glazed Ham with Parsley-Cornichon Gremolata Since ham has a very rich flavor and a lot of salt, an accompanying sauce that offers bracing acidity—in the form of balsamic vinegar and cornichons—makes a great counterpoint. This balance of sharp and savory flavors is sure to please your crowd.

Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin Roast Wrapped in bacon and roasted with cremini mushrooms, this beef tenderloin makes an elegant entrée for a celebratory meal. Serve with our creamy, golden potato-leek gratin.

Crown Roast of Pork with Apple, Cranberry and Pecan Stuffing Nothing says the Christmas holidays quite like a crown roast of pork filled with savory stuffing. This one is filled with sweet apples, dried cranberries and toasted pecans for a perfect taste of the winter season.

See more recipes for holiday roasts here.