25 Decadent Foods We Love

To celebrate our favorite dishes to indulge on this holiday season, we have rounded up 25 recipes that showcase why so many of these foods only appear on the dining room table once a year. From labor-intensive baked goods, like the Italian-style fruitcake, panettone, that takes time and skill to prepare to savory spiced ham that requires careful attention, we have compiled the best in decadent holiday foods to try this year.

Each of these recipes includes flavorful touches, like the addition of spices, herbs, and lots of butter to make them that much more perfect for your next special occasion or holiday feast.
 

Want to make your pork roast that much more delicious this year? Wrap it in bacon. You roast will get a steady basting in bacon fat as it cooks, which will keep it juicy and add plenty of delicious smoky flavor.

For the Bacon-Wrapped Pork Roast recipe, click here.

If you can't stay away from beef on Christmas Day, put a spin on it like with this beef Wellington created by Jeffrey Russell of Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington. The beef is perfectly cooked and basted with shallots, thyme, and garlic, and topped with crispy phyllo dough to make it extra indulgent — perfect for a holiday meal. — Jeffrey Russell

For the Beef Wellington recipe, click here.

This over-the-top cake decorated to look like a yule log, complete with cocoa-dusted meringue mushrooms makes its yearly appearance around Christmas time. As beautiful as it looks, we also can't get enough of this rich chocolate filling.

For the Bûche de Noël recipe, click here.

The sweetest of side dishes, you need a special occasion like the holidays to serve this vegetable turned sweet syrupy treat as a side dish with dinner.

For the Candied Yams recipe, click here.

Make your own county fair-style fudge any time of year. The addition of peppermint makes this treat a decadent present throughout the holidays. — Julie Ruggirello

For the Chocolate-Peppermint Fudge recipe, click here.

A decadent dessert deserves a proper wine pairing. What to choose? Try a cabernet sauvignon or meritage. — Lori Lyn Narlock

For the Dark Chocolate Truffles recipe, click here.

Once a year the eggnog makes its appearance at holiday parties appropriately spiked, creamy, and spiced. It's hard to turn away a cup of this rich drink.

For the Eggnog recipe, click here.

Fruitcake is a traditional holiday gift, and this recipe will give your fruitcake a spice of Indian flavor. — Deeba Rajpal

For the Garam Masala Fruitcake recipe, click here.

This festive holiday treat just tastes like Christmas — spicy ginger and bitter molasses combine to make this quintessential decadent holiday treat.

For the Gingerbread recipe, click here.

Sweet and savory smoked ham that is bathed in a whiskey-honey glaze with just the right amount of warming spice is the perfect main course to indulge in this season.

For the Honey Whiskey Clove-Glazed Ham recipe, click here.

What better representation of decadence than smooth as velvet, intensely flavored gravy? Pour this rich, thick sauce over roasted turkey or creamy mashed potatoes at your holiday dinner.

For the Chardonnay Gravy recipe, click here.

Wake up to the smell of hundreds of layers of dough and butter mingling with the smell of sweet ham and cheese in the oven. Nothing is more luxurious than starting your morning with a buttery pastry.

For the Ham and Cheese Croissants recipe, click here.

It is pretty much all in the name, but this is the drink to keep you warm during cold fall and winter nights.

For the Hot Buttered Rum recipe, click here.

Perfect as a side dish, topped with smoked salmon, or served with the traditional sour cream and applesauce, these decadent little potato cakes are cooked until golden brown and served hot.

For the Perfect Potato Latkes recipe, click here.

Lobster generally tops the list of decadent foods to enjoy anytime, but if you happen to partake in the Feast of the Seven Fishes, lobster is a decadent addition to your menu that you can serve on its own or tossed in pasta like in this classic, spicy Italian recipe for Lobster Fra Diavolo.

For the Lobster Fra Diavolo recipe, click here.

This sweet, caramelized bread can be made easy with store-bought biscuit dough, but this super sweet treat is perfect for a special occasion dessert.

For the Monkey Bread recipe, click here.

This holiday cake studded with dried fruit is labor intensive, but the reward is worth it when you finally taste the sweet finished product.

For the Panettone recipe, click here.

The smell of toasting pecans and a buttery crust means the holiday pecan pie is baking in the oven. Enjoy this gooey, crunchy pie with a scoop of ice cream for special dessert treat.

For the Pecan Pie recipe, click here.

Popcorn balls are a sweet, salty, and delicious holiday treat. Add in the bacon fat suggested in this recipe from the Watershed on Peachtree restaurant in Atlanta for even more decadence.

For the Popcorn Balls recipe, click here.

Once a year our holiday roasts take center stage. Prime rib is the ultimate when it comes to over-the-top main courses. Enjoy this classic recipe which uses salt, pepper, and herbs to form the perfect crust for your roast.

For the Prime Rib recipe, click here.

Party sized and easy to make, these mini cheese balls are a must have holiday party snack! — Philadelphia Cream Cheese

For the Savory Mini Cheese Balls recipe, click here.

This quintessential English dish, sticky toffee pudding, is sticky, gooey, and absolutely delicious. This decadent recipe by Allison Stone is adapted from The Great British Book of Baking. — AJ Stone

For the Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe, click here.

For most of us, a whole roasted turkey is something we only attempt once or twice a year during the holidays.

For the Bacon-Blanketed, Herb Roasted Turkey recipe, click here.

What better way to celebrate Hanukkah than with these tasty deep-fried doughnuts? The recipe calls for cranberry sauce, but if you don't have any on hand, use your favorite jelly instead. Whatever you choose, these doughnuts will be sweet, chewy, and delicious. — Chef Dana Klitzberg

For the Sufganiyot recipe, click here.

Swap out the butter in this recipe for pan drippings if you are serving alongside a rib roast. The secret to making these light-as-air puddings is a hot sizzling pan for the batter and a tightly closed oven while they rise and brown to crisped perfection.

For the Yorkshire Pudding recipe, click here.