6 Delicious Holiday Main Dishes For The Ultimate Family Dinner

Hello Food Wishers! Chef John's Corporate Overlords here with 6 delicious holiday main dishes for the ultimate family dinner! Make a Crispy Honey-Glazed Ham with the perfect crackling exterior or try a Salt-Crusted Beef Tenderloin that slices to perfection. Learn how to roast a Fast Upside-Down Turkey to feed a crowd or try a Hassleback Turkey layered with stuffing for a smaller gathering. Wow your guests with Chef John’s Pumpkin-Braised Pork that’s roasted and served inside a whole pumpkin. Whether you’re looking for a classic holiday meal or something a bit more adventurous, Chef John has just the right holiday dinner recipe for you!

Crispy Honey-Glazed Ham:

Salt-Crusted Beef Tenderloin:

Hasselback Turkey:

Pig in a Pumpkin (Pumpkin-Braised Pork):

Fast Upside-Down Turkey:

Bacon-Wrapped Cranberry Walnut Pork:

0:00 Crispy Honey-Glazed Ham
6:53 Salt-Crusted Beef Tenderloin
13:26 Hasselback Turkey
21:40 Pig in a Pumpkin
30:09 Fast Upside-Down Turkey
38:20 Bacon-Wrapped Cranberry Walnut Pork

[HannahMattox]

I think I can speak for many in saying it's about 40% cooking and 60% Chef John's silliness and interestingness that brings us here over and over again 😂

[amandajean]

It's not even Christmas yet... aand Chef John spoils us with these dishes. Thank you.

[joanies]

I LOVE these compilation videos. You sir, may not be Rod Stewart, but you are a ROCKSTAR of the Chef world. 🤗

[pattyamato]

Chef John is the Bob Ross of cooking. The enjoyment comes not only from the great recipes, but from his presentation

[fheering]

I did the salt-crusted beef tenderloin for my family lunch today, at January 1st 2022. It was amazing! I served it together with a lovely mushroom gravy which was purposedly left slightly undersalted since, as the chef mentioned in the video, the beef ends up very well seasoned. Together with mashed potatoes, this was plate-licking good! Thanks chef John and Food Wishes and happy new year!

[andreyrass]

Happy Holidays Chef John. Thank you for the video, corporate overlords!

[annmarie]

The Turkey is wonderful. I will be cooking this for Christmas. Thank you for sharing, Chef John. You rock!

[julieanderson-smith]

I am so ready to try the Pig in a Pumpkin, which I know will be as delicious as Chef John said, and I would love to know if this is a west African - inspired recipe. More than 30 years ago, I was at a dinner hosted by a woman who had been in Sierra Leone for a few years, teaching through an American volunteer program, I think. She served a similar dish she'd learned to make there - a stew of chicken and tomatoes baked in a pumpkin, which she served with rice on the side. I don't remember if she removed the skin and the bones from the chicken and cut the meat into chunks, or if she managed to fit whole parts of a cut-up chicken inside the pumpkin. I also wish I knew what seasonings she used other than the obvious garlic because It. Was. Incredible. That was when I learned how beautifully squash or pumpkin pairs with tomatoes, and how the savoriness of the meat balances so well with the sweetness of the gourd. I wouldn't be surprised if chicken or beef would be a perfectly good subsitute for pork in Chef John's recipe.

[jeanniebell]

Hasselback turkey sounds fabulous ! Also, the ham.

[gingernicklas]

It has been a little rough going without Chef John. Really not sure why but when your life is basically emploding, a little Chef John goes a long way. Watching this made me feel better. Thank you. Still don't know why it helps but it does. Anyone have any ideas.

[cozyvamp]

I really like these comp format videos. Great for those of use who are lazy and want to browse for inspiration. Thanks!

[Blitzkrieg]

That ham is gorgeous! Thank you, Chef John!❤

[willdwyer]

I traditionally roast a goose for Xmas. I put a layer of whole new potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes cut into large pieces in the pan under the bird so they cook in the drippings.

[lmnopgr]

can you EVEN imagine being invited to a Chef John festivity??? ❤️❤️❤️

[cindaschuster]

OMG that pumpkin dish looks amazing! It all looks delish. I'm definitely going to try the ham glaze first.
💙👍

[oceanhome]

Since finding this recipe years ago in your blog post it’s been one of my go-to turkey recipes since. Taste and flavour tick all the boxes! Delicious. 😘🇨🇦

[rdek]

Bless you, John! Pork tenderloin is one of my all-time faves, and this treatment you show here looks amazing! And it just so happens that I have a lovely one in my freezer ... I'll just have to substitute some other nut for the walnuts (pecans usually sub-in well), because dying has a way of ruining my dining experience ;)

[kendavis]

This looks really good! I actually own both the tiny torch (butane) for Creme Brulee, and the regular propane torch for something like this. Oh, and sweating/soldering copper pipes! Both are self-starting. Yay!

[zxoickszx]

Thank you Chef John!! Hey folks - Less than 10% of viewers are smashing the like button! Smash it people, it helps Chef John!!!

[betweensirachahardplace]

44:38 -- I lost it! This was so funny -- because it's so very true lol!!! Thank you Chef ! (edit for spelling)