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  1. Midwest Living
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  4. Holiday Main Dishes That Will Wow Your Guests

Holiday Main Dishes That Will Wow Your Guests

By Midwest Living editors Updated November 14, 2022
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Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
Credit: Carson Downing

Add sparkle to this year's holiday menu with our collection of main dish recipes, including beef tenderloin, Cornish game hens, salmon and turkey. 

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Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin

Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce
Credit: Carson Downing
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Chef Kieron Hales makes a perfectly pink beef tenderloin that hearkens to his mum's Sunday roasts. He roasts this tenderloin on a rack over a bed of leek, carrot and onion so drippings flavor the vegetables. 

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Lemon-Pepper Cornish Hens

Lemon-Pepper Cornish Hens
Credit: Adam Albright
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When Gerard Klass, chef and co-owner of Soul Bowl in Minneapolis, was growing up, half of his family were vegetarians. So, instead of a big bird, Cornish game hens (and an alt-meat called dinner roast) graced the table.

Related: Come Together for a Soul Food Holiday

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Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Potatoes

Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Potatoes
Credit: Carson Downing
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Weeknight-friendly pork tenderloin, pears, potato and onion bake on the same pan—dressed in maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic and herbs.

Related: Our Best Pork Recipes

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Beer-Braised Brisket

Beer-Braised Brisket
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Compared to classics like turkey or roast beef, which require precise timing, brisket is an amazingly forgiving holiday main dish. (It actually tastes better when made ahead and reheated!) Not to mention, it actually makes its own gravy as it cooks, a luscious sauce that's begging for mashed potatoes.

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Juicy J Salmon

Juicy J Salmon
Credit: Adam Albright
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At Soul Bowl in Minneapolis, chef and co-owner Gerard Klass sears salmon fillets, then brushes them with spiced cranberry sauce. For holiday drama (and ease), you can just roast a whole side of salmon. Toss a few citrus slices on the pan, too, for a garnish.

Related: 20 Favorite Salmon Recipes

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Big-Batch, All-Day Pasta Bolognese

Big-Batch, All-Day Pasta Bolognese
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This incredible pasta was a showpiece at the former Rieger restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri. Start to finish, it takes 8 hours, mostly hands-off and none of it hard. You'll make 18 cups of sauce-enough to serve  24 or to freeze for meals all winter long.

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Beer-Braised Smoked Pork Chops and Cabbage

Beer-Braised Smoked Pork Chops and Cabbage
Credit: Jacob Fox
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This vibrant combination of beer-braised pork chops and cabbage makes a simple one-pan dinner, but if you want to go all German, buttered steamed potatoes are an excellent complement to this dish.

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Cider-Brined Turkey with Roasted Apples

Cider-Brined Turkey with Roasted Apples
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Even better than the pretty glazed fruit and crazy-juicy bird? The appley gravy made from the drippings.

Related: Our Best Turkey Recipes

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Mustard-Crusted Rack of Pork

Mustard-Crusted Rack of Pork
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Perfumed with rosemary and sage and served with white wine gravy and whole-roasted garlic and shallots, this succulent roast delivers drama at a bargain price. We recommend ordering this roast in advance. Ask the butcher to remove the chine bone and to French the roast-trim fat and meat from the bone. The whole garlic bulbs are edible but intended as a garnish. If you want to skip them, just roast one for the gravy.

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Cornish Game Hens with Root Vegetable Hash

Cornish Game Hens with Root Vegetable Hash
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A marinade made of rosemary, orange juice and sorghum (a syrup that is stronger tasting than honey but less bitter than molasses) infuses the dish with sweetness and color. Chef Edward Lee swears by sorghum's flavor, but if you can''t find it, molasses works.

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Classic Lasagna

Classic Lasagna
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With its rich meaty sauce and creamy cheese layers, this lasagna is always a favorite main dish.

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Stuffed Beef Tenderloin Filet

Stuffed Beef Tenderloin Filet
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At the White Gull Inn in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, cheddar and mushrooms flavor indulgent steaks.

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Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb
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With its short cook time, this Mediterranean-inspired roast leaves plenty of time (and space in the oven) for preparing side dishes. The recipe comes from chef Anne Kearney.

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Porchetta

Porchetta
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Allow us to introduce you to fennel pollen. This favorite of pros has hints of licorice and citrus. Find it in specialty stores or online, then use it to flavor pork belly. Serve Salsa Verde over potatoes or with porchetta.

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Tomato Pesto Turkey and sides

Turkey and sides to crave
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A homemade pesto mixed with parsley, rosemary and walnuts creates a nutty rub for turkey breast. Pair with adobo-flavored potatoes and lemony Brussels sprouts. 

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    1 of 15 Bacon-Wrapped Beef Tenderloin
    2 of 15 Lemon-Pepper Cornish Hens
    3 of 15 Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Potatoes
    4 of 15 Beer-Braised Brisket
    5 of 15 Juicy J Salmon
    6 of 15 Big-Batch, All-Day Pasta Bolognese
    7 of 15 Beer-Braised Smoked Pork Chops and Cabbage
    8 of 15 Cider-Brined Turkey with Roasted Apples
    9 of 15 Mustard-Crusted Rack of Pork
    10 of 15 Cornish Game Hens with Root Vegetable Hash
    11 of 15 Classic Lasagna
    12 of 15 Stuffed Beef Tenderloin Filet
    13 of 15 Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb
    14 of 15 Porchetta
    15 of 15 Tomato Pesto Turkey and sides

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