Make Ahead

Not to be confused with a cracker, these are soft, buttery cookies balanced by the right amount of salty cheese and gentle chile heat. 

Layered with chocolate ganache and burnt marshmallow, these playful crème pies cram all of the flavors of s’mores into chewy, mess-free sandwich cookies.

Grinch-colored, bite-size, and deeply adorable, these cookies make the case for buying a cookie press. 

All the comfort of jam-filled thumbprint cookies in a striking, reimagined shape—and a streamlined, less-fussy process.

This retro American pimiento cheese ball takes minutes to prepare, can be made ahead, and transports well if needed, making it the ideal customizable party app.

Swiss chard, bitsy ditalini, salty feta, toasted pistachios, and sage take your average pasta salad into winter territory.

A combination of cheeses and a dash of port form the base of this appetizer inspired by Hickory Farms’ iconic cheese ball.

These two skillet-size latkes are a faster, smoother road to party time. Serve right away or make in advance and let the guests slice their own pieces.

This nutty, spiced cookie is inspired by gajar ka halwa, a beloved South Asian pudding made with carrots, sugar, cardamom, and ghee. 

Butternut squash shows up canned pumpkin purée in this tasty fall-forward coffee cake with crisp streusel and a spiced sugar swirl.

This dairy-free version of the Puerto Rican holiday classic is punched up with Jamaican aromatics.

This classic take on the coconutty Puerto Rican cocktail features warming spices and a generous glug of rum.

With a puckery curd and buttery crust, these are the bars you’ll make again and again.

This luscious, impossibly tender brisket is the dinner party main you’ve been searching for—and you can make the whole thing in advance.

Whether spooned over cheese, layered in a sandwich, or blended into a smoothie, this flavorful sauce is a guaranteed hit any time of the year.

Lovers of the classic salty-sweet Hawaiian popcorn flavor, these nori-seasoned potato chips are for you.

With less sugar and more salt than most other recipes, this buttery, toasted crumb crust is significantly nicer than anything store-bought.

This easy recipe for tangy red wine vinegar dressing has a kiss of Dijon mustard and maple syrup for balance. Highly adaptable, it comes together in a flash.

This double-decker pie stacks two forever favorites—chocolate and coconut cream—in a homemade salted graham cracker crust for a best-of-all-worlds situation.

Think creamed onions but reimagined with the flavors of alla vodka sauce: tomato paste, heavy cream, Parmesan, and (yup, you guessed it) vodka.

Four simple ingredients, one party-ready dip that takes mere minutes to blitz together.

Subtly sweet and a smidge savory, this cake is an ideal on-the-go breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up.

Become the relative who has to bring their famous Jell-O salad to every family gathering.

Free up oven space and thank yourself later.