The most iconic Christmas dishes in America

What is it: The Christmas turkey is a golden-brown symbol of the season. Roasted, brined or deep-fried, it commands the table as the centerpiece around which all the sides orbit. While Thanksgiving (a.k.a. "Turkey Day”) may have original dibs on the bird, Christmas treats it as a classier affair, adding the likes of cranberry glazes, herb butters or bacon lattices.

Why we love it: While the turkey can be a source of stress for many (defrost times! Oven temps!), when all is said and done, carving the turkey is a beloved holiday ritual.

Standout version: The South often goes overboard, and the turducken, which originated in Louisiana, is no exception: a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken (plus sausage and cornbread dressing) is the Christmas centerpiece you didn’t know you needed.

What is it: Where turkey is noble, ham is a mischievous sidekick that’s juicy, smoky and sweet. Lacquered with brown sugar, honey or pineapple rings, it’s a flashier main course option. Whether bone-in or spiral-sliced, ham guarantees leftovers that outshine the main event.

Why we love it: Ham is as good cold as it is hot, and it’s a Christmas dish that makes leftover sandwiches feel festive.

Standout version: The Honey Baked Ham Company’s signature spiral-cut ham has that famous crunchy-sweet glaze that screams “holiday classic.”

What is it: Every family has an opinion on stuffing. Outside or inside the bird? Whether you call it stuffing or dressing depends on geography, but everyone agrees it’s the soul of the meal. At its most classic, it includes toasted bread cubes, onions, celery, butter and a hint of sage. But depending on where you are it could include oysters, cornbread, apples or other ingredients.

Why we love it: Regardless of regional variations, this side dish is the cherry on top that makes leftovers as memorable as Christmas dinner itself. 

Standout version: The Herb & Apple Stuffing from Ina Garten is classic, fragrant and Food Network-approved.

What is it: Mashed potatoes are a blank canvas of buttery comfort, the perfect base for hot gravy. Whether whipped to silky smoothness or left chunky for texture, they’re the definition of cozy. Gravy, of course, is the wild card, adding a rich dose of flavor and flair.

Why we love it: Their status as a blank canvas means mashed potatoes can be combined with any other dish with tasty results.

Standout version: Steakhouses are known for indulgent mashed potatoes, but at Mastro’s in Las Vegas you get a dish that’s equal parts decadent potato and luxurious lobster.

What is it: Few holiday foods cause more drama than cranberry sauce. Fresh or canned? Chunky or smooth? Sliced into perfectly ridged coins or scooped from a bowl with orange zest? However it’s served, cranberry sauce is the tart little topping that keeps your plate from turning into a beige swamp.

Why we love it: Cranberry sauce’s brightness cuts through the richness of most dishes, and doesn’t it count as fruit?

Standout version: The iconic Ocean Spray canned cranberry sauce is a kitschy classic, jiggling ridges and all.

What is it: Created in 1955 by a Campbell’s test kitchen legend, green bean casserole is the ultimate nostalgia dish, featuring cream of mushroom soup and fried onions. It’s humble, hearty and harder to quit than you’d admit.

Why we love it: Because it’s the taste of mid-century comfort, reheated perfectly every year.

Standout version: While many chefs have elevated the dish, Campbell’s original recipe remains the blueprint, no tweaks required.

What is it: Appearing in both seasonal cookies and holiday houses, gingerbread is the Christmas treat you can eat and engineer. Whether soft and chewy or snappy and sculptural, it’s scented with spices and molasses, providing the perfect base for Christmas creativity.

Why we love it: Gingerbread is the dessert you can play with, whether you’re building a gingerbread house or recreating a holiday gathering with gingerbread people.

Standout version: Each year, the Fairmont San Francisco builds a 25-foot-tall gingerbread house in the lobby using thousands of pounds of gingerbread and candy; it’s so big you can make a reservation to dine inside it.

What is it: Warm, fragrant and flaky, apple pie is the dessert equivalent of a cozy sweater. There are regional spins—bourbon glaze down South, cheddar topping in Vermont, crumb crusts out West—but this is truly an American dessert that’s as at home at Christmas as it is on the 4th of July. 

Why we love it: There’s something about the smell of an apple pie baking in the oven that just makes you feel good.

Standout version: The Elegant Farmer in Wisconsin is home to a famed, award-winning apple pie that’s baked in a bag for out-of-this-world flavor and texture.

What is it: Fruitcake has its origins in ancient Rome as a dense, energy-packed food designed for endurance. Love it or hate it, fruitcake endures today. It’s soaked in booze, packed with fruit and looks like a little jewel box on the table. 

Why we love it: While fruitcake is regularly mocked and is known for its unsettling longevity, it’s a sweet, hearty treat that’s just right for the holidays.

Standout version: The town of Claxton, GA, is known as the Fruitcake Capital of the World, and Claxton Bakery has been churning out fruitcakes since 1910.

What is it: This creamy, dairy-based beverage kicks off the holidays right. What’s more Christmas than milk, cream, sugar, egg yolk and whipped egg white spiked with brandy, rum, whiskey or bourbon? 

Why we love it: This is the boozy beverage of the season. There are endless riffs on the basic recipe, and drinking a cocktail out of a mug is both cozy and a little edgy.

Standout version: Each year, Miracle Holiday Pop-Up Bar sets up shop at bars across the country, serving up new takes on holiday cocktails, and this year’s Jingle Balls Nog mixes things up with cognac, creamed sherry, and almond milk.