16 Cozy Recipes to Snack on While You Wrap Presents

Guaranteed to make you feel merry and bright! 🎄✨

By
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora's passion for cooking began early on as a young girl, working in the kitchen at her father's Greek diner in Brooklyn, NY. Her recipes have appeared on Delish, Spruce Eats, Today.com, Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, Dinnerly, Simply Recipes, and in various cookbooks.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published December 21, 2025
Theodora Kaloudis
A dish of layered nacho dip garnished with various toppings with a serving of the dip on a plate

Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

Looking for the perfect recipes to serve while you finish decking the halls, trimming the tree, wrapping presents and getting ready for the Christmas festivities? We’ve got you covered with a curated list of recipes ranging from seasonal sips like Hot Mulled Cider, to fun snacks like 1980s-inspired Nacho Dip, and simple mains like hearty Slow Cooker Beef Stew. Choose one or two recipes from each category, and you’ll be ready for a cozy night in.

Join MyRecipes to save, search, and organize your recipes all in one place! To start saving, click on any recipe below, then tap the heart 🩷 icon.

  • Homemade Hot Chocolate

    hot chocolate

    Sally Vargas

    “A small addition of liquor is a fun way to warm the body on a cold night. About one to one and a half ounces of liquor is the right amount per cup of liquid. Almost any favorite liquor will work, like peppermint or cinnamon schnapps, Kahlúa, whiskey (flavored or unflavored), or rum.” —Gavin McCord, Recipe Developer

  • Spiced Mulled Wine

    Nancy Mitchell

    “This is definitely NOT the time to pull out a really nice wine; in fact, I usually make mulled wine with the lowest priced bottle I can find because the spices and the orange mask the nuances of more expensive wine.” —Nancy Mitchell, Recipe Developer

  • Coquito (Puerto Rican Coconut Eggnog)

    Two Glasses of Coquito

    “You can chill this in the fridge for as little as two hours and up to three days ahead of time. All you have to do is pull this out when it's time to serve, and garnish with some cinnamon or grated nutmeg.” —Gavin McCord, Recipe Developer

  • Pomegranate Paloma

    Pomegranate Lime Juice cocktail

    “Easy drink to make, tastes great! Love how the sprig of rosemary adds a little holiday-ish flair!” —Chris B, Reader

    Continue to 5 of 16 below

  • Hot Mulled Cider

    Elise Bauer

    “To make a slow-cooker version, add all the ingredients (except alcohol, if using) to a 4-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for four hours. Strain out the oranges and spices. Return to the slow cooker, and keep on low so it stays warm for serving.” —from the Editors of Simply Recipes

  • Buffalo Chicken Dip

    buffalo chicken dip warm out of the oven

    “To quickly shred the chicken needed for this recipe, just add your cooked chicken breasts to the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with a paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low and shred the chicken to the desired consistency. Place the chicken on a plate, set aside, and continue with the recipe.” —Megan Keno, Recipe Developer

  • Mom’s Nacho Dip

    A tray of layered nacho dip garnished with olives and a plate with a serving of dip on tortilla chips

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    “I've made the dip with some taco seasoning mixed into the cream cheese base. For more staying power, or when I'm serving a hungry crowd, I'll layer in black beans, refried beans, seasoned ground beef, or diced rotisserie chicken.” —Kris Osborne, Recipe Developer

  • Alabama Fire Crackers

    Bowl of Alabama fire crackers surrounded by a bottle and glasses of beer and a light maroon table napkin

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood

    “Ideally, eating them plain is best. But they'd also be delicious for dipping into pimento cheese, French onion dip, or with tinned fish. If you do have any left, crumble the crackers over mac and cheese, chili, chowder, or a salad.” —Myo Quinn, former Associate Editorial Director

    Continue to 9 of 16 below

  • 3-Ingredient Smoked Salmon Dip

    Overhead view of a white bowl of smoked salmon dip topped with green onions and surrounded by crackers, baguette slices and sliced cucumbers

    Simply Recipes / Maren Ellingboe King

    “I find that a 7-inch round dish is the perfect size for this dip, but any medium oven-safe baking dish will work. If you have any leftovers (doubtful!), the smoked salmon and cream cheese mixture is delicious served on a toasted bagel the next morning or stirred into scrambled eggs!” —Maren Ellingboe King, Recipe Developer

  • Grandma Jean’s Snack Mix

    overhead view of a bowl of Grandma Jean’s Snack Mix Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Laurel Randolph

    “Feel free to stick to all Rice Chex or mix it up with the addition of Cheerios and Wheat Chex. For the mix-ins, I prefer pretzel sticks since that’s what my grandmother always used, but any shape will do. Got kiddos? Throw in some of their favorite snack crackers. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on the butter or seasoning salt!” —Molly Adams, Recipe Developer

  • 20-Minute Chicken Enchilada Chili

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    “This recipe lends itself to variations and additions. Sometimes I’ll add in leftover taco beef instead of the chicken. I’ll also vary the spices I include, sprinkling in some oregano, ground coriander, chili powder, or smoked paprika. And if we’ve got a zucchini or bell pepper kicking around in the produce drawer, it’s going in there, too.” —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

  • Chicken Sausage and Pasta Skillet

    Lisa Lin

    “This meal comes together in just 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights. You can easily swap in store-bought marinara sauce or make it ahead to save more time. You can skip the oven for an even faster finish by simply stirring in the cheese until melted.” —Lisa Lin, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 13 of 16 below

  • Slow Cooker Jambalaya

    How to Make Jambalaya in the Slow Cooker
    Nick Evans

    “While the shrimp cooks, get a pot of rice going on your stovetop. When ready to serve, taste the jambalaya and season it with salt and pepper to your liking, then either stir the rice into the jambalaya or serve scoops of the jambalaya over the cooked rice.” —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • The Best Nachos

    Marta Rivera

    “If you want to keep the prep easy, top your nachos with store-bought ingredients (pico de gallo, guacamole, salsa, etc.). If you’re not a fan of store-bought toppings, you can shred the cheese, brown the meat, or make the salsa up to three days in advance.” —Marta Rivera, Recipe Developer

  • Slow Cooker Beef and Bean Chili

    A bowl of chili topped with tortilla strips next to a slow cooker containing more chili
    Nick Evans

    “If you’re looking to get dinner ready before you leave for work, then set the slow cooker to low and let it simmer for eight hours, and it will be perfect. When you walk in the door after a day at the office, you can thank your past self for planning ahead.” —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Chicken Pot Pie Soup

    Bowl of chicken pot pie soup topped with toasted oyster crackers on a plate with a spoon and next to it, a pot with more chicken pot pie soup, a small bowl with more toasted oyster crackers, and mustard colored table napkin

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Julia Bayliss

    “We literally made this last night. Super delicious! We used roasted boneless/skinless chicken thighs. Excellent flavors!! We made sour cream and chive biscuits to go with it. Love all the flavors and how easily it came together.” —Ashleigh M, Reader

Explore More: