Even when not working, many top-notch chefs spend their holidays in the kitchen, taking pleasure in preparing meals for those closest to them as they show off their culinary creativity. Here we share with you their favorite dishes to prepare during this festive time, these dishes are not only delectably impressive but are also relatively uncomplicated to prepare.

Let's start with 2023's Best New Chef, Amanda Shulman, for whom the holiday period means cooking her much-loved Acorn Squash Fondue. Shulman shares, "Everyone seems to be a sucker for hot cheese, especially when presented in an exciting and festive manner". The dish features Gruyère and Comté cheese crafted into a sumptuous raclette, served in a hollowed-out acorn squash, and accompanied by crudites such as cornichons and endive. It's an appetizer that's decadent yet veggie-centric, staying warm through the entire gathering and conveniently prepped in advance.

2014 Best New Chef, Ari Taymor, prefers cooking significant bone-in cuts of meat during the holiday season. His centerpiece of choice, a whole prime rib roast, ensures a tender and juicy endpoint, given hours of meticulous cooking.

Leina Horii, our Best New Chef of 2024, opts for Japanese curry during the yuletide season. The chef and co-owner of Nashville's casual Japanese restaurant Kisser shares that this comforting dish utilizes a dark roux and a blend of spices to create a thick and umami-rich curry that is usually served with potatoes, vegetables, or katsu.

Salad is the selection of 2019's Best New Chef, Caroline Glover. She adds, "I love salads filled with a variety of ingredients and a good amount of tinned seafood too. You'll find bitter greens, anchovies, and a ton of Parmesan in it, providing a chilled counterpoint to the traditional warm side dishes".

For 2017’s Best New Chef, Val Cantu, the Christmas season is synonymous with making tamales. Cantu declares, "Many hands turn the preparation of tamales from a chore to a celebration. It's one of my favorite holiday traditions".

A good ol' smoked ham embodies the holiday spirit for 2024’s Best New Chef Silver Iocovozzi. Despite ham being surprisingly easy to cook, it carries the traditional holiday vibes, especially when experimented with honey-bourbon, apple cider, or even Guinness glaze.

When Erika Council, 2024’s Best New Chef and Bomb Biscuit owner isn't making biscuits, she bakes her molasses bread, gifting loaves of this sweet and smoky delicacy to friends and colleagues over the holiday season.

Created from a blend of Korean, German Jewish, and Irish Catholic influences, Best New Chef of 2018, Katianna Hong prepares a must-try Kimchi Cornbread Casserole for her holiday feast. With a tender cornbread layer topped by butter-roasted Kimchi, melted cheese, and scallions, this dish expresses Hong's cultural heritage in every bite.

Lateka Schiff, our Best New Chef of 2022, fries latkes during Hanukkah, proud of the crispy yet tender and perfectly salted Jewish potato pancakes she creates.

Finally, 2024’s Best New Chef, pastry expert Camari Mick's favorite dessert for the holiday season is a rum cake. This gourmet chef considers it a nostalgic holiday staple, dense, buttery, soaked in the right amount of rum glaze, and bursting with flavors of rum, orange zest, and vanilla pudding.