Not Another Cookie-Cutter Holiday Menu

Butternut squash isn’t just tasty; cut vertically in half, the vegetable transforms into a beautiful serving platter. Chefs can fill the squash with quinoa, vegetables, kale, brie, cranberries, sausage, apple, or whatever else they think of. 

Embrace festive seasonal colors. Think tomato and avocado mac and cheese, a lentil tart with red pomegranates and green herbs, and other foods with Christmas colors. 

Give customers a whole lot of love with family-style meals and to-go offerings. Restaurants don’t have to go with traditional holiday fare. Serving heaping portions of a restaurant’s most popular entrees, sides, and desserts is a great way to appeal to repeat customers while helping them celebrate.   

Subvert diners’ expectations of sweet and savory dishes. Find savory applications for pumpkin. Create a sweet butternut squash cake or pie. Bake a dessert version of stuffing. 

Small tweaks to festive favorites can create a big impression. Tired of cranberries? Use blueberries and figs for a new turkey accompaniment. Looking for sweet potatoes that aren’t so sweet? Ditch marshmallows for harissa or cayenne for spicy sweet potato casseroles. 

Help diners have fun celebrating Hanukkah with an array of latkes. Present a platter of classic potato latkes along with zucchini, beet, and sweet potato latkes. Serve with a choice of traditional and unexpected toppings, from sour cream to maple syrup. 

For an appetizer or snack, serve roasted winter vegetables with flavorful dips such as hummus or miso aioli. 

Kwanzaa gives restaurants an opportunity to celebrate African, Caribbean, and soul food. Design menus to take diners around the world, with special courses and meals sharing different African and diaspora cultures, starting with Jamaican fried plantains and ending with a sweet potato pie from the American South. 

Why not give turkey and ham a break from the spotlight? Turn to other proteins, like lamb chops, pork, chicken, or salmon for the main dish. 

Make sure vegans are included in the feast. Tofurkey, roasted seitan, maple-glazed jackfruit, and lentil loaf all make for delicious meat-free entrees. 

Consumers want to experience the taste of the holidays on their lunch breaks. Incorporate sweet potatoes, pumpkin, ham, and more holiday staples into sandwiches, soups, and flatbreads. 

Pumpkin churros, Mexican cornbread, and turkey, cranberry, and brie empanadas are just a few ways to add some Latin flavor to holiday menus. 

Be creative with takeout. For diners ordering to-go feasts, add recipes and ideas for their leftovers. Use packaging with festive colors or tamper-evident stickers with holiday characters or symbols.