The holidays mark a season filled with joy and tradition with loved ones, but there’s no denying that they can also bring a fair share of stress. Between planning menus, preparing feasts, and juggling busy schedules, cooking a holiday meal can feel overwhelming. Luckily, you can eliminate stress by utilizing store-bought shortcuts. Leaning into these ingredients can help you pull off festive, memorable meals without requiring loads of effort and hours in the kitchen. By opting for pantry staples, freezer finds, and bakery buys, you’ll save time while still creating dishes that make your holiday extra special (and delicious).
Canned Potatoes: Melting Potatoes
A trusty, affordable can of potatoes can help you make a memorable side dish in a fraction of the time. Canned whole white potatoes are used in our recipe for Melting Potatoes to not only cut down on prep time but also save you the hassle of tediously peeling potatoes or boiling water. By using this pantry staple, you’ll be able to get a showstopping dish on the table without putting in unnecessary effort.
Get the recipe: Melting Potatoes
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Canned Condensed Mushroom Soup & Canned Green Beans: Loaded Green Bean Casserole
This green bean casserole comes together in minutes thanks to two pantry staples: canned green beans for the base and creamy canned mushroom soup for the sauce. No need to blanch fresh green beans or make a sauce base from scratch. It’s all topped with salty bacon bits and crispy fried onions; it’s the comfort and elegance of the classic holiday dish—without the extra effort. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser, it’s sure to earn a spot on your holiday spread year after year.
Get the recipe: Loaded Green Bean Casserole
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Bakery Glazed Donut Holes: Easy Sufganiyot
The bakery section is a total lifesaver for this Hanukkah dessert. Instead of making donuts from scratch, start with a box of glazed donut holes and transform them into sufganiyot with a decadent filling and dusting of powdered sugar. The result is a festive treat that tastes and looks homemade, but comes together in a fraction of the time. It’s the perfect shortcut for adding something sweet to your holiday table!
Get the recipe: Easy Sufganiyot
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Pie Dough: Cinnamon-Raisin Rugelach
You don’t need hours in the kitchen to whip up this classic Jewish dessert. By using store-bought pie dough, you can cut down on time and effort, but still get that flaky, sweet bite rugelach is famous for. Filled with raisins, nuts, and warm spices, these cookies are quick to make and even quicker to disappear from the plate!
Get the recipe: Cinnamon-Raisin Rugelach
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Frozen Cream Puffs: Cream Puff Tower
Get ready to impress with a showstopping dessert that looks far more complicated than it is. With the help of frozen store-bought cream puffs, you can have this gorgeous Christmas centerpiece ready in under 30 minutes. The cream puffs are thawed, stacked into a festive tree shape, and topped with sprinkles. Easy, delicious, and guaranteed to wow your guests, it’s a holiday dessert worth adding to your menu.
Get the recipe: Cream Puff Tower
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Pizza Dough: Christmas Focaccia
Transform store-bought pizza dough into the ultimate holiday side. The dough is spread out and topped with two types of pesto—classic green basil and red sun-dried tomato—for a festive twist. Baked until golden and sliced into strips, it becomes a colorful bite that’s perfect for any Christmas celebration.
Get the recipe: Christmas Focaccia
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Dutch Cocoa Cookies: White Chocolate-Peppermint Dutch Cocoa Cookies
A simple two-ingredient decoration on store-bought Dutch cocoa cookies makes for a super simple Christmas treat. Melted white chocolate chips and finely crushed peppermints quickly transform these snackable cookies into a holiday classic in minutes.
Get the recipe: White Chocolate-Peppermint Dutch Cocoa Cookies
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Spreadable Cheese Wedges: Holiday Cheese Trees
A few store-bought decorations turn basic spreadable cheese wedges into a holiday masterpiece. A pretzel stick as a base and a sprinkle of chopped fresh and dried herbs and pomegranate seeds create a quick holiday tree, served alongside crackers for a fantastic festive app.
Get the recipe: Holiday Cheese Trees
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Prepared Pesto: Caprese Wreath
Skewered store-bought grape tomatoes, fresh mozzarella pearls, olives, and basil leaves are the perfect holiday centerpiece when shaped into a wreath. But a bowl of prepared pesto in the center for dipping really takes this fuss-free appetizer over the top.
Get the recipe: Caprese Wreath
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