5 Holiday Menus

Dec. 12, 2012— -- intro: The holidays are full of big feasts and family gatherings, but with the stress of wrapping gifts and presents, you don't have time to plan a menu. Here are a few of our favorite menus that will have you ready for dinner in no time. From Chanukkah dinner to a make ahead tree-trimming meal, you'll find the perfect menu that fits your holiday festivities.

quicklist:1category: title: Holiday Brunchurl: text: Hosting guests Christmas morning? Try Sunny Anderson's cinnamon toast pudding. Toast buttery pieces of brioche and soak them in cream and yogurt for a moist pudding. Serve her eggs in baskets and sweet breakfast sausage on your brunch table as well.

For a fabulous sweet drink, try Anderson's peach horchata. Made with peaches, rice and cinnamon, it can be served warm or chilled for a delicious treat.media: 15055761related: 15049820~15050013~15049871~15050054

quicklist:2category: title: Christmas Eve Dinnerurl: text: What better way to plan an Italian Christmas Eve menu than with Silver Spoon cookbook? This cookbook is packed with authentic Italian recipes that are simple and easy to make. Each year on Christmas Eve, Italians enjoy a meal of 7 different types of fish.

Try these three recipes from the Silver Spoon cookbook for a smaller version of the big italian fish feast. For a light appetizer, serve the fish carpaccio. Chill the fish before prepping the dish to make slicing easier. As a first course, the vermicelli pasta with clams is simple and flavorful. Easy to make, the broth from the clams gives incredible flavor to the pasta. Next, serve the sea bass baked in a parcel. Open the parcel in front of your guests so the smell of lemon and spices can waft through the house.media: 15199515 related: 15199730~15199785~15200128

quicklist:3category: title: Tree Trimming Menuurl: text: Trim the tree with these amazing slow cooker recipes from Stephanie O'Dea. Prep the recipes ahead of time and let your slow cooker do all of the work. This allows extra time to put ornaments on the tree and decorate the house.

Serve the honey glazed carrots with the lamb dish for a fabulous meal your kids will love. You can even make dessert in the slow cooker! This recipe for chocolate peanut clusters makes a ton of candies, so make sure to share them with friends and family.media: 15191481related: 8764765~15197570~15198256

quicklist:4category: title: Chanukkah Dinnerurl: text: Chef Rachel Willen, founder of the blog food-fix.com, created a festive Chanukkah menu your guests will love. For her first course, she simplified the traditional spanakopita recipe: "I've taken this popular Greek spinach and feta pie and made it less labor-intensive by using a casserole preparation." The second course is Willen's potato pancake recipe, which according to her will "change the way you make latkes forever!" Serve them with her spiced apple butter, or give the butter as a gift.

Willen's main course is a "gift-wrapped" or parchment-baked package of salmon with couscous, carrot and zucchinni ribbons and ras el hanout butter. For dessert, challah bread pudding with chocolate "Gelt" coins and pomegranate red wine syrup makes a sweet and elegant finish to a Chanukkah meal.media: 15198839 related:15198995~15199074~15198766~15198875

quicklist: 5category: title: New Year's Eve Cocktail Partyurl: text: Hosting a fabulous fete this New Year's? Serve finger foods that your guests will love, like Guy Fieri's green papaya salad with lemongrass chicken and his firecracker wings. Serve other snacks your guests will love like mozzarella sticks or shrimp cocktail.

Make a signature cocktail for your guests. For easy preparation, chill the ingredients in advance. We love Guy Fieri's silver sangria which is made with wine and fresh fruit. Or try this Christmas cheer cocktail, made with cranberry juice and orange seltzer in a festive red color. Remove the alcohol from the Christmas cheer recipe for a hoilday drink the kids can enjoy.media: 15170399related: 15153003~15152361~15170312~15155356