You Can't Just Eat Christmas Cookies All Month. What To Make Instead in December
🍠🥕🥦 20 December Seasonal Recipes featuring sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, kale, broccoli cauliflower, pears, citrus fruits, apples, pears & more. Simple, nourishing & healthy to stay balanced!
If you are not interested in my content, feel free to unsubscribe yourself by scrolling down and clicking the Unsubscribe link at the very bottom and you’ll never hear from me again. If you follow me for recipes averiecooks.com is where I post just recipes. This is my other platform where I share a bit of everything!
What’s In Season In December
If you want to keep December healthier and more balanced, it’s all about moderation. Enjoy your Christmas cookies and wash them down with a Baileys and Eggnog but when you’re not indulging hearty yet simple and noursing ingredients are where it’s at.
Wondering to eat in December that’s in season? The following foods are! Definitely not a comprehensive list but IMO the common, easy to find, and generally inexpensive which is usually the case when you shop and cook seasonally.
Root vegetables: Carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, potatoes.
Winter squash: Butternut, delicata, acorn, pumpkin, kambocha.
Greens (and Vegetables with ‘greens’): Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, spinach, chard, collards.
Fruits: Citrus fruits, apples, pears, pomegranates.
I’ve got a couple Ebooks that may be of interest too:
🎉 30 Days of 30 Minute Meals and 35 High Protein Recipes ebooks!🎉
10 Easy Main Dish December Seasonal Recipes
🍎🍂🧡 This Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash is made with a mixture of Italian sausage, celery, apple, kale, and seasoned with sage, rosemary, and thyme. Healthy, easy, full of flavor and texture, and a very versatile recipe, it’s the perfect fall dinner or hearty side dish and is ready in under an hour!
Sheet Pan Brown Sugar Chicken and Sweet Potatoes with caramelized onions 🍗🍠 is an EASY sheet pan meal that’s ready in 30 minutes and loaded with layers of flavors from the spice rub, which features a mixture of chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, and more!
Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry 🍠 is an EASY one-skillet curry that’s ready in 30 minutes and is layered with so many fabulous flavors! HEALTHY comfort food that tastes AMAZING! Vegan, gluten-free, and a reader favorite with hundreds of glowing 5-star reviews!
Sausage and White Bean Skillet 👏🏻🥬🍋 features ground Italian sausage, white Cannellini beans, sun dried tomatoes, and kale simmer in a savory broth to create a HEARTY nutrient-dense dish! EASY, ready in 30 minutes, and made in ONE skillet! Comfort food that the whole family will love that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Sweet Chili Sauce Chicken and Vegetables 🥕🥦 is EASY, ready in 15 minutes, made on ONE sheet pan, and perfect for busy weeknights! Accidentally healthy yet packed with the perfect flavor balance – a little bit sweet with a little bit of heat! Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and chicken adds protein.
🥬🍅🧅 30-Minute One-Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls with Rice are a fast meal full of flavor! They taste like the real thing, making for a hearty comfort food perfect for busy weeknights!
Loaded Zuppa Toscana Soup 🍲🥔This COPYCAT version of the Olive Garden classic can be made either on the STOVETOP, INSTANT POT, or SLOW COOKER! A comforting classic Tuscan kale soup that’s loaded with bacon, sausage, potatoes, Parmesan, cream, and more!
Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet 🍗🍁🍠 An EASY one-skillet chicken dinner recipe complete with sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and onions for impressive texture and flavor! It’s all seasoned with smoked paprika, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and there’s a simple sauce with maple syrup and Dijon mustard that lends all the cozy fall vibes! This is COMFORT FOOD that’s great for busy weeknights and chillier weather.
Sheet Pan Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chicken is an EASY, HEALTHY, and a great way to enjoy roasted sweet potatoes in less time! A DELISH one-pan juicy chicken dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes with zero cleanup!
Cranberry Balsamic Chicken Skillet ✅ is EASY, hearty, HEALTHY, one-skillet dish that’s ready in 20 minutes!! Juicy chicken, crisp-tender Brussels sprouts, chewy cranberries and crunchy pumpkin seeds!
10 December Seasonal Side Dishes and Salads
Twelve Superfood Salad 🥗🫐🥬🍇 is packed with 12 superfoods! This is a great clean out the fridge meal and is easily customized to suit whatever you need to use up. Best of all you just FEEL so good eating it! The most popular salad recipe on my site for the last 10 years!
🍂🧡🥗 My Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad is a HEARTY salad that celebrates the flavors of fall including roasted Brussels sprouts and dried cranberries along with quinoa, chickpeas, spinach, and goat cheese! Perfect for lunch, a meatless main, or a HEALTHY side dish on your holiday table!
Roasted Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad is an EASY, healthy, lettuce-less plant-based vegan and gluten-free salad with roasted curried cauliflower and chickpeas as the STARS! Topped with raisins, pistachios, cilantro, and a DELISH tangy Greek yogurt dressing! Gives Mediterranean meets middle eastern vibes and I love it!
Roasted Rainbow Carrots 🥕are lightly caramelized around the edges, crisp-tender in the center, and seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and parsley! A trusty side that you’ll make again and again for holidays or easy weeknight dinners!
🥦🧀👏🏻 This EASY Broccoli Cauliflower Casserole recipe transforms humble broccoli and cauliflower into a show-stopping side dish! A cream cheese and Parmesan cheese sauce coats every nook and cranny of the florets while buttery garlic bread crumbs on top create a lightly crunchy texture and lovely contrast! It’s a great holiday side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or make it for weeknight dinners to incorporate more veggies into your life!
Sweet and Spicy Roasted Acorn Squash 🧡🍂😋 This oven-roasted acorn squash recipe is made extra fabulous with a sweet and spicy orange-infused butter sauce. It’s topped with toasted sage leaves, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate arils, and a touch of orange zest for a festive touch. An EASY fall-flavored side dish that’s ready in 20 minutes! Perfect for weeknight dinners or put it on your Thanksgiving or Christmas menus!
❤️💚 Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Seeds are an easy side dish that’s perfect for not only the holidays but anytime you’re in the mood for CRISPY roasted Brussels sprouts! The homemade balsamic glaze seeps into every inch of the spouts and adds so much tangy-sweet flavor!
🧀😋💛 Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin features cauliflower florets coated in a creamy cheese sauce and sprinkled with a crispy panko breadcrumb topping before being baked to golden, bubbly perfection! This is an EASY yet ELEGANT side dish that’s perfect for busy weeknights and holiday meals alike, including Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve!
Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Harvest Salad 🧡 is easy and packed with big fall flavors! Maple syrup, squash, and cranberries were made for each other! Love it when healthy tastes so good!
Apple and Pear Salad 🍎🍐🥗 Complete with crisp apples, tender juicy pears, pomegranate seeds, nuts, crumbled feta, and a tangy homemade honey maple balsamic vinaigrette! Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch idea, dinner side, or a holiday side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas, this FAST and EASY salad is sure to get rave reviews!
