Some holiday memories live in a smell. Butter browning in a skillet, cinnamon drifting out of the oven, a pot of gravy on the back burner while someone sneaks a deviled egg off the platter. Grandma never needed a food trend to make the holidays special. She had a handful of old-fashioned holiday recipes she made every single year, and nobody would have let her skip one.
This collection brings those classics back to your table: roast turkey and pan gravy, buttery stuffing, sweet potato casserole, homemade cranberry sauce, pies, cobblers, and a cookie tin worth hiding. The flavors are the same ones you remember, and many of these recipes use the air fryer or Instant Pot so you can spend less time at the stove and more time at the table.
Grandma’s Holiday Main Dishes
1. Air Fryer Boneless Turkey Breast Roast
Not every gathering needs a 20-pound bird. This Air Fryer Boneless Turkey Breast Roast is rubbed with olive oil, rosemary, and herbs, then cooked until juicy with a golden outside. It’s perfect for smaller holiday dinners, and it frees up the oven for everything else.
2. Easy Turkey Gravy From Drippings
Grandma never served turkey without real gravy. This Easy Turkey Gravy From Drippings starts with a butter and flour roux, then whisks in pan drippings and broth for a smooth, rich gravy made the old-fashioned way. No packets required.
3. Copycat Golden Corral Pot Roast
For families who serve beef at the holidays, this Copycat Golden Corral Pot Roast is fork-tender and swimming in a proper brown gravy. It works in the slow cooker, oven, or Instant Pot, and like every good pot roast, it tastes even better the next day.
4. Easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is the dish Grandma made when the house was full and the weather was cold. This Easy Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings simmers all day, then gets topped with fluffy biscuit dumplings. It’s perfect for Christmas Eve or the chilly nights between holidays.
5. Copycat Perkins Chicken Pot Pie
A flaky golden crust over a creamy filling of chicken, peas, carrots, and potatoes is pure comfort. This Copycat Perkins Chicken Pot Pie is also a smart way to use leftover holiday turkey in place of the chicken.
Old-Fashioned Holiday Side Dishes
6. Sausage and Herb Stuffing
Stuffing is the side everyone fights over. This Sausage and Herb Stuffing combines buttery bread cubes, browned sausage, onion, celery, sage, and thyme. You can assemble it a day ahead, which Grandma would call good planning.
7. Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
No holiday plate is complete without a mound of mashed potatoes and a well of gravy in the middle. These Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes come out creamy and buttery in minutes, and you don’t have to babysit a boiling pot.
8. Easy Sweet Potato Casserole With Canned Yams
This is the potluck classic that was on every church supper table. This Easy Sweet Potato Casserole With Canned Yams uses a pantry shortcut, then gets topped with gooey marshmallows, crunchy pecans, or both.
9. Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese
In many families, baked mac and cheese is a holiday requirement, not a side. This Old-Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese is made with freshly shredded cheese and baked in a 9×13 dish until bubbly. It’s the real thing, not the powdered kind.
10. Air Fryer Corn Casserole
Sweet, soft, and a little bit cheesy, corn casserole is a Midwestern holiday staple. This Air Fryer Corn Casserole starts with a box of Jiffy mix, creamed corn, and whole kernels, and it bakes up golden on top and tender inside.
11. Old Fashioned Pea Salad With Egg
If your grandma brought a covered bowl to every family gathering, there’s a good chance it was pea salad. This Old Fashioned Pea Salad With Egg is creamy, crunchy, and studded with bacon. It’s a cold side that balances out all the warm casseroles.
12. Instant Pot Southern Deviled Eggs
The deviled egg platter always empties first. These Instant Pot Southern Deviled Eggs get their Southern touch from a spoonful of sweet pickle relish. The Instant Pot makes the eggs easier to peel, too.
Homemade Cranberry Sauce and Relish
13. Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce
Once you make cranberry sauce from scratch, the can stays in the pantry. This Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce gets bright flavor from fresh orange juice and zest. It’s ready in less than 10 minutes and can be served warm or chilled.
14. Bob Evans Cranberry Relish
For a more old-fashioned relish, this Bob Evans Cranberry Relish simmers fresh cranberries with orange juice, zest, and a cinnamon stick. Make it a few days ahead so the flavors have time to come together.
Grandma’s Holiday Breads
15. Air Fryer Soft Dinner Rolls
A basket of warm, buttery rolls is how every holiday dinner should begin. These Air Fryer Soft Dinner Rolls come out soft, fluffy, and golden, and they’re perfect for wiping up the last of the gravy.
16. Jiffy Cornbread in the Air Fryer
That little blue box made the cornbread of so many childhoods. This Jiffy Cornbread in the Air Fryer bakes up light and golden without heating the oven, which is handy when the oven is already full of turkey.
17. Air Fryer Yorkshire Pudding
For families with British roots, no holiday roast is complete without Yorkshire pudding. These Air Fryer Yorkshire Puddings puff up crisp and golden outside and stay tender inside. Fill them with gravy the way Grandma did.
Old-Fashioned Holiday Pies and Cobblers
18. Air Fryer Pecan Pie
Pecan pie is the queen of the holiday dessert table. This Air Fryer Pecan Pie has a gooey, caramel-like filling loaded with pecans. Blind-baking the crust keeps the bottom crisp, just the way it should be.
19. Easy Air Fryer Apple Pie From Scratch
Nothing smells more like the holidays than apple pie. This Easy Air Fryer Apple Pie From Scratch is filled with cinnamon and nutmeg-spiced apples under a flaky golden crust. You can use homemade pie dough or a store-bought refrigerated crust.
20. Air Fryer Old Fashioned Cherry Cobbler
Cobbler is the dessert Grandma made when she didn’t want to fuss with pie crust. This Air Fryer Old Fashioned Cherry Cobbler bakes a buttery batter right over the cherry filling until it bubbles up golden. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
21. Air Fryer Peach Cobbler
Peach cobbler isn’t just a summer dessert. This Air Fryer Peach Cobbler has all the flavor of the old-fashioned version and is ready in a fraction of the time, which makes it a great last-minute holiday dessert.
Grandma’s Christmas Cookie Tin
22. Air Fryer Italian Cookies
These soft, glazed Italian cookies with sprinkles are straight from a grandmother’s recipe notes, flavored with anise just like the ones from the Italian bakery. These Air Fryer Italian Cookies freeze well unglazed, so you can bake early and ice them the day you serve them.
23. Air Fryer Snowball Cookies
Buttery, nutty, and rolled in powdered sugar, snowball cookies melt in your mouth. These Air Fryer Snowball Cookies are one of the easiest cookies to make, and they look beautiful on a holiday cookie tray.
24. Air Fryer Kourabiedes (Greek Sugar Cookies)
If your family has Greek roots, kourabiedes were probably on every holiday table. These Air Fryer Homemade Kourabiedes are buttery, lightly flavored with vanilla and brandy, and finished with a snowy coat of powdered sugar.
25. Air Fryer Gingerbread Cookies
Gingerbread cookies are a Christmas tradition, and decorating them is a family activity. These Air Fryer Gingerbread Cookies get their deep color and warm spice from molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
26. Air Fryer Gingersnap Cookies
Crisp outside, a little soft inside, and full of spice, gingersnaps are the perfect cookie for dunking in coffee. These Air Fryer Gingersnap Cookies come together in minutes.
27. Air Fryer Sugar Cookies
Every cookie tin needs classic sugar cookies. These Air Fryer Sugar Cookies have crisp edges and tender centers. Leave them plain or decorate them with colored icing and sprinkles.
28. Air Fryer Peanut Butter Brittle
Homemade brittle was the candy Grandma wrapped up in tins for the neighbors. This Air Fryer Peanut Butter Brittle puts a creamy peanut butter twist on the classic, and it breaks into sweet, crunchy shards perfect for gifting.
Homemade Holiday Extras
29. Cracker Barrel Apple Butter
Spread it on biscuits, dinner rolls, or toast on Christmas morning. This Cracker Barrel Apple Butter is sweet, spiced with cinnamon and cloves, and makes a charming homemade gift in a mason jar with a ribbon.
30. Instant Pot Spiced Apple Cider
Every old-fashioned holiday needs something warm in a mug. This Instant Pot Spiced Apple Cider doesn’t even require peeling the apples, and it fills the whole house with the smell of the holidays.
Tips for Making Grandma’s Holiday Recipes Stress-Free
Start with a plan. Grandma didn’t cook everything on the big day, and you don’t have to either. Cranberry sauce, relish, pea salad, and cookie dough can all be made days ahead. Stuffing and sweet potato casserole can be assembled the day before and baked when you’re ready.
Use every appliance you’ve got. While the turkey or roast takes the oven, the Instant Pot can handle the mashed potatoes and cider, and the air fryer can bake the cornbread, rolls, or corn casserole. That’s how you get a full holiday spread on the table hot.
Bake cookies early and freeze them. Most cookie doughs and many baked cookies freeze beautifully. Glaze and decorate them the day before you serve them for the freshest look.
Serve family-style. Big bowls and platters passed around the table are half the charm of an old-fashioned holiday dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most traditional old-fashioned holiday recipes?
Roast turkey with pan gravy, bread stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, and pecan and apple pies are the classics that have shown up on American holiday tables for generations.
Can I make old-fashioned holiday recipes ahead of time?
Yes. Cranberry sauce, relish, pea salad, deviled egg filling, and cookie dough can be made one to three days ahead. Casseroles and stuffing can be assembled the night before and baked the day of.
Do these recipes work without an air fryer or Instant Pot?
Many of these recipes include traditional oven or stovetop directions, and most air fryer recipes can be baked in the oven with a slightly longer cook time. Check each recipe for specific instructions.
What is the best old-fashioned holiday dessert?
It depends on the family! Pecan pie and apple pie are the most traditional, but cherry cobbler and a tin of homemade cookies are just as beloved on many holiday tables.
Bring Grandma’s Kitchen Back This Holiday Season
The best part of these old-fashioned holiday recipes isn’t just the food. It’s the way they bring people together around the table, the way they did when Grandma was the one cooking. Pick a few favorites, start a new tradition or two, and don’t forget to save room for pie.
