The Best Winter Party Recipes

Votes: 66

Whether you're hosting a warm, cozy meal or a boisterous get-together, try these chef-inspired recipes.

Cassoulet with lamb and sausages

This classic, hearty French dish is enough to feed a whole group of guests. It's made in one pot: Italian sausage, lamb or pork shoulder, and a ton of vegetables.

Recipe: Cassoulet with lamb and sausages

Bread Pudding Muffins with Bourbon Sauce

Individually portioned bread pudding with bourbon sauce is perfect for a party.

Recipe: Bread Pudding Muffins with Bourbon Sauce

Boiled potatoes in their skins with crème fraîche

These potato snacks are easy to prepare and make a great addition to any menu.

Recipe: Boiled potatoes in their skins with crème fraîche

Lasagna with Italian sausages

Ann's simple lasagna recipe features sausage as the star. Paired with a hearty San Marzano tomato sauce, this dish will satisfy any hunger.

Recipe: Lasagna with Italian sausages

Beef rolls with bacon "Bracciole"

Thanks to its no-cook filling, this impressive dish is easy to prepare. As the meat braises in the oven, it creates a rich pasta sauce that's perfect as a side dish.

Recipe: Beef rolls with bacon "Bracciole"

Fried fish in batter with mashed potatoes

Make a crispy homemade version of the British classic, fish and chips.

Recipe: Fried fish in batter with mashed potatoes

Roast pork with citrus and garlic

Marinate pork shoulder in a delicious blend of garlic, herbs and spices, citrus juice, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil, then roast until tender.

Recipe: Roast pork with citrus and garlic

Raspberry crumble with shortcrust pastry

Aina makes a superb crumble by baking a shortbread crust with raspberry jam.

Recipe: Raspberry crumble with shortcrust pastry

Lasagna with polenta and chorizo sauce

Guy's dish is full of surprises: hidden between layers of polenta, noodles, and chorizo sauce are Swiss chard and an abundance of cheese—mozzarella and fontina.

Recipe: Lasagna with polenta and chorizo sauce

Good Eats Beef Stew

Alton's recipe brings out the maximum flavor by searing and slow-roasting the beef.

Recipe: Good Eats Beef Stew

Lasagna with corn and poblano peppers

Try lasagna without tomatoes: Marcela's recipe uses heavy cream, corn, and zucchini for a bold flavor. The dish takes just over two hours to cook.

Recipe: Lasagna with corn and poblano peppers

Rice Timbale with Meat

Fill a casserole of Arborio rice and cheese with a savory sausage filling for a dish that will impress all your guests.

Recipe: Rice Timbale with Meat

Guinness Sunday

Serve a classic adult sundae with Guinness syrup.

Recipe: Guinness Sunday

Stracotto with mushroom sauce

Giada uses reconstituted dried porcini mushrooms to infuse rich flavor into her Italian-style roast.

Recipe: Stracotto with mushroom sauce

Deluxe Coffee Cake

This Alex cake is probably the best reason to get out of bed in the morning. She always sifts the dry ingredients, which allows for better mixing and gives the cake a lighter texture.

Recipe: Deluxe Coffee Cake

Mashed Potatoes with Butter-Fried Sage

Add brown butter and warm sage to your usual mashed potatoes for a warming, flavorful, rich side dish.

Recipe: Mashed Potatoes with Butter-Fried Sage

Wine-braised beef ribs with mushrooms

Tender spare ribs are braised in red wine with pancetta, cognac, mushrooms and thyme, infusing them with wonderful flavour.

Recipe: Wine-braised beef ribs with mushrooms

Cherry Cuba Libre Cocktail

This rich, fruity version of the cocktail uses dark rum and cherry liqueur.

Recipe: Cherry Cuba Libre Cocktail

Chocolate pudding with yolks

Quick-to-make chocolate pudding with cinnamon whipped cream has a silky, creamy texture.

Recipe: Chocolate pudding with yolks

Flambéed bananas

In less than 10 minutes, you'll have golden, glazed bananas with a hint of vanilla and citrus, served with a flaming rum sauce.

Recipe: Flambéed bananas

Chocolate chestnut mousse

Use chestnut puree to add a nutty flavor to classic chocolate mousse.

Recipe: Chocolate chestnut mousse

French 75 cocktail

Make a fizzy cocktail with gin, lemon juice and sparkling wine.

Recipe: French 75 cocktail

Baked chicken in pomegranate glaze, stuffed with rice

Cornish hens may look unusual, but they're simply small chickens. For a generous serving, cook one chicken per person.

Recipe: Baked chicken in pomegranate glaze, stuffed with rice

Lasagna with Portobello Mushrooms

While standard lasagna is made with tomato sauce, Ina's popular recipe uses a rich white sauce—the delicate texture contrasts with the fried mushrooms, grated Parmesan, and lasagna pasta.

Recipe: Lasagna with Portobello Mushrooms

Spaghetti Sardinian style

Spaghetti with homemade meat sauce is a simple classic dish for a group of guests.

Recipe: Spaghetti Sardinian style

Tuscan-style baked pork with fennel

Serve this tender roast with fresh rosemary for a meal that will leave you wanting to lick your plate clean.

Recipe: Tuscan-style baked pork with fennel

Pork cutlets on the bone with sauce

Cook the onions until soft and sweet, then add them to the pan-seared bone-in pork chops. Serve with creamy scones.

Recipe: Pork cutlets on the bone with sauce

Lasagna with cauliflower and wild mushrooms

This lasagna is a work of art: Bobby uses sheep's milk ricotta, shallots, mushrooms, and even honey to infuse the layered dish with rich flavor.

Recipe: Lasagna with cauliflower and wild mushrooms

Chicken Cutlets with Lemons and Sage

Add golden breading and aromatic lemon sage to these quick-cooking chicken cutlets.

Recipe: Chicken Cutlets with Lemons and Sage

Pot roast with baked vegetables

This tender and flavorful roast makes a great, filling dish, perfect for a winter dinner.

Recipe: Pot roast with baked vegetables

Rapini with garlic

To reduce the bitterness of rapini, parboil it in salted boiling water before sautéing it in garlic butter until soft.

Recipe: Rapini with garlic

Roasted pork loin with vegetable cobbler

Serve this simple roast pork with a fall cobbler of turnips, potatoes, and carrots.

Recipe: Roasted pork loin with vegetable cobbler

Coffee and Caramel Tres Leches Cake

Chefs give store-bought sponge cake a new look by soaking it in caramel made from condensed milk and coffee.

Recipe: Coffee and Caramel Tres Leches Cake

Chicken legs stewed in tomato sauce

Alex's succulent, rustic dish is reminiscent of cacciatore, but its complexity is achieved with the addition of cinnamon sticks and whole cumin seeds.

Recipe: Chicken legs stewed in tomato sauce

Chicken braised in wine and 40 cloves of garlic

Aina's super-flavorful chicken dinner requires 3 heads of garlic. The chicken is served with a delicious cognac-and-cream sauce.

Recipe: Chicken braised in wine and 40 cloves of garlic

Winter sangria

"This punch is a combination of sweet, fresh, and crisp in one glass," says Sunny. "Perfect for a colorful toast!"

Recipe: Winter sangria

Galette with grapes, ricotta and wine syrup on a fennel crust

Valerie's galette is somewhere between sweet and savory. But thanks to the red wine syrup, it's perfectly suitable for dessert.

Recipe: Galette with grapes, ricotta and wine syrup on a fennel crust