31 Rosh Hashanah Dinner Ideas

Updated August 15, 2018
Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Usher in the New Year with these delicious dinner recipes, featuring everything from gefilte fish and matzo ball soup to honey-glazed chicken and apple casserole. 

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Matzo Ball Soup

Credit: Victor Protasio

Matzo Ball Soup Recipe

No Jewish holiday dinner is complete without a warm bowl of matzo ball soup. We made our matzo balls small, for easier eating, but if you prefer 1 large ball per serving, divide the dough into 4 to 6 balls and boil them 10 minutes longer.

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Safta's Mock Liver (Green Bean and Pea Pâté)

Credit: Victor Protasio

Safta's Mock Liver (Green Bean and Pea Pâté) Recipe

"My grandmother (safta is Hebrew for grandma) always made this mock liver because she felt it to be healthier than one made with liver and schmaltz (chicken fat)," says Evan Bloom of Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen in San Francisco. Bloom and Wise Sons co-owner Leo Beckerman put this fresh-tasting pâté on the menu for Passover, but we love it for every Jewish holiday.

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Chicken and Roasted Figs

Credit: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Randy Mon

Chicken and Roasted Figs Recipe

Figs get a nice jammy texture as they cook with chicken in the garlic-honey sauce. For crisp chicken skin, resist the urge to spoon sauce over it during baking.

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Braised Cola-and-Bourbon Brisket

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman

Braised Cola-and-Bourbon Brisket Recipe

You love to drink cola and bourbon—why not cook with them? The tender brisket and rich gravy combination made for a “table favorite” in our kitchen. A tip from the test kitchen: This recipe tastes even better when made one to two days ahead. After step three, cool uncovered, then cover and refrigerate. Discard any fat that collects on the surface before reheating on the stove and proceeding with the recipe.

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Wise Sons' Gefilte Fish

Credit: Victor Protasio

Wise Sons' Gefilte Fish Recipe

As an answer to gefilte fish from a jar, which can be heavy, gluey, and strong-flavored, Evan Bloom and Leo Beckerman, of Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen in San Francisco, created this very fresh and mild-tasting homemade version for any Jewish holiday. The gefilte fish have a texture like light matzo balls, and are served with a carrot applesauce; Wise Sons also serves it with fresh horseradish sauce, but we've opted to buy prepared horseradish.

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Grilled Trout with Cherry Compote

Credit: Justin Walker

Grilled Trout with Cherry Compote Recipe

We love to use whole trout to stick to the New Year tradition, but if you can't find whole trout, use fillets. They'll only need to grill for about 4 minutes. You can also use 20 ounces frozen, thawed cherries: Use the liquid (don't drain them); simmer in step 1 until the liquid almost fully evaporates before stirring in the port and honey.

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Matzo Ball Soup

Credit: Jennifer Causey Styling: Claire Spollen

Matzo Ball Soup Recipe

We love the simplicity of this traditional recipe. Enjoy the soup as is, or garnish with parsley leaves.

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Horseradish Beet Sauce

Credit: Victor Protasio

Horseradish Beet Sauce Recipe

This vibrant, shocking pink sauce can be served with gefilte fish, and is also great with short ribs during the meal.

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Golden Raisin and Honey Challah

Credit: Sheri Giblin; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Amy Stone

Golden Raisin and Honey Challah Recipe

This traditionally Jewish bread requires 2 rising times, but the rich and fluffy result is definitely worth it. Toast it, top it with jam, or use leftovers in French toast. You can also use dark raisins, dried cranberries, or omit the raisins completely, if desired. Divide the dough into 3 pieces for easier braiding.

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Roasted Salmon with Thyme and Honey-Mustard Glaze

Credit: Dylan + Jeni; Styling: Scott Horne

Roasted Salmon with Thyme and Honey-Mustard Glaze Recipe

A bed of fragrant fresh thyme lends wonderful flavor to the fish. Have your fishmonger remove the pin bones from the fillet, and choose one cut toward the head end of the fish.

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Roasted Beet-and-Citrus Salad with Honey-Orange Vinaigrette

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman

Roasted Beet-and-Citrus Salad with Honey-Orange Vinaigrette Recipe

This Roasted Beet-and-Citrus Salad is colorful, seasonal and has a beautiful presentation. Not only does it look pretty, this dish tastes light and fresh. The beets and citrus elements also offer different textures for a more interesting experience than your everyday green salad. The Roasted Beet-and-Citrus salad only takes 20 minutes on-hand time, so you can easily prepare other items for your meal. If you’re in charge of bringing a side dish to a holiday dinner party, this Instagram-worthy salad will look like it took more effort than it did, but you can keep that to yourself.

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Honey-Dijon Chicken Paillards with Zucchini Slaw

Honey-Dijon Chicken Paillards with Zucchini Slaw Recipe

"Paillard" is a French term for any cut of meat that's been sliced or pounded thin, a brilliant shortcutting technique for plump chicken breasts.

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Rum and Honey-Roasted Cayenne-Cumin Carrots

Credit: Dylan + Jeni

Rum and Honey-Roasted Cayenne-Cumin Carrots Recipe

This carrot side dish is a little sweet and a little spicy for the perfect accompaniment to dinner. You can easily swap out the crumbled feta if you plan to serve this at a kosher meat meal.

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Slow-Cooker Brisket with Smoked Paprika

Credit:  Annabelle Breakey

Slow-Cooker Brisket with Smoked Paprika Recipe

Save time and oven space and use a slow-cooker for brisket that's tender when pierced, with a rich, velvety sauce. Start in the morning and you'll have brisket by dinnertime.

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Smoked Paprika-Honey Butter

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Smoked Paprika-Honey Butter Recipe

Smoked paprika plays off the natural sweetness of the roasted sweet potatoes and gives the butter mixture a rich garnet color. You could also use small (4-oz.) sweet potatoes or cut the roasted potatoes crosswise into large pieces before drizzling with the butter mixture. You can easily swap out the butter for vegan butter if you plan to serve this at a kosher meat meal.

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Honey and Sesame-Glazed Chicken Breasts with Green Beans

Credit: Linda Pugliese; Styling: Kaitlyn Du Ross Walker

Honey and Sesame-Glazed Chicken Breasts with Green Beans Recipe

Sweet honey and toasty sesame team up for a flavor combo everyone at the table is sure to love. Serve with precooked brown rice for a quick and easy side to soak up sauce from the chicken. You can easily swap out the butter for vegan butter if you plan to serve this at a kosher meat meal.

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Grilled Whole Snapper with Tarragon and Tangerines

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Linda Hirst

Grilled Whole Snapper with Tarragon and Tangerines Recipe

Nothing capitalizes on the seafood grilling experience quite like throwing a whole snapper on the grill. A flourish of sophistication comes from the tarragon sprigs and tangerine slices, making for a bold centerpiece.

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Slow Cooker Beef and Cabbage with Potatoes and Carrots

Credit: Brian Kennedy; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Slow Cooker Beef and Cabbage with Potatoes and Carrots Recipe

There's no better way to celebrate Rosh Hashanah than with a showstopping feast of brisket. We simmer brisket in a strong aromatic spice blend at low and slow heat rather than starting with brined beef to keep the sodium low. You can easily swap out the butter for vegan butter if you plan to serve this at a kosher meat meal.

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Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Honey-Glazed Plums

Credit: Romulo Yanes; Styling: Megan Hedgpeth

Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Honey-Glazed Plums Recipe

This chicken dish gets its flavor from first rubbing it with a spice mixture, and then basting it with a juice and plum mixture.

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Brisket with Melted and Pickled Onions

Credit: Victor Protasio

Brisket with Melted and Pickled Onions Recipe

Trust us—some food does fare better with even, gentle, long, low heat. Brisket is a prime example. It’ll take you about three to four hours of oven or stovetop braising to get it tender, so why not go longer, lower, and unattended in the slow cooker for even more tender meat with less fuss? Here, a minimum of seasonings goes into the cooker with beef and onions (so that the flavor focus is squarely on the brisket), and a bright, pickled red onion garnish balances all that beefiness.

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Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Victor Protazio

Honey-Apricot-Glazed Chicken Recipe

This saucy slow cooker chicken lives at the flavorful intersection where sweet and savory meet. Never cooked with apricot brandy? It lends a unique fruity richness to this dish and can be found in most liquor stores shelved with flavored other liqueurs. You can easily swap out the butter for vegan butter if you plan to serve this at a kosher meat meal.

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Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon with Veggies and Oranges

Credit: Alison Miksch

Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon with Veggies and Oranges Recipe

Here's the delicious proof that you can serve a complete, no-mess fish dinner in less than 25 minutes.

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Honey-Bourbon Spatchcocked Turkey

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Honey-Bourbon Spatchcocked Turkey Recipe

The brine is all the seasoning you need for this fantastic bird. While the amount of bourbon used in the brine may seem generous, it will impart a very subtle flavor to the meat once all the water is added, diluting it slightly. If you want a more intense smoke flavor, add a handful of soaked applewood chips to the grill. For a deeply bronzed, almost mahogany look, brush the skin with a mixture of water and honey each time you go to rotate the bird.

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Lemon-Honey Chicken Thighs

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Lemon-Honey Chicken Thighs Recipe

These sticky, saucy chicken thighs are perfectly paired with any grilled zucchini sides (shown here with chopped tomato-basil salsa). You can also use chicken breasts; just cook them a little longer, about 6 minutes per side.

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Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole

Credit: Travis Rathbone; Styling: Megan Hedgpeth

Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole Recipe

Apples and sliced almonds make a glorious addition to classic sweet potato casserole. You can easily swap out the butter for vegan butter if you plan to serve this at a kosher meat meal.

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Herbed Wild Rice Dressing

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Herbed Wild Rice Dressing Recipe

Wild rice, apples, and walnuts combine to make a dressing full of flavor and crunch. You can easily swap out the butter for vegan butter if you plan to serve this at a kosher meat meal.

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Skillet Apple Chicken Thighs

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Skillet Apple Chicken Thighs Recipe

This dish is perfect for easing into fall and comes together in one pan to boot. The thighs will finish cooking in the apple mixture, and the flavors will combine beautifully as they sit in the pot.

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Cider-Glazed Turkey with Roasted Apples

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Cider-Glazed Turkey with Roasted Apples Recipe

An overnight wet brine infuses and plumps up the meat so it stays moist. Line a roasting pan with the brining bag before adding the liquid and the turkey so everything stays in place. You can easily swap out the butter for vegan butter if you plan to serve this at a kosher meat meal.

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Pomegranate Molasses-Glazed Chicken and Carrots

Credit: Annabelle Breakey; Styling: Randy Mon

Pomegranate Molasses-Glazed Chicken and Carrots Recipe

Pomegranate molasses, a staple ingredient in the Eastern Mediterranean, gives this one-pot dish a delectable tang.

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Whole Roasted Red Snapper with Potatoes and Onions

Credit:  Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Karen Rankin; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Whole Roasted Red Snapper with Potatoes and Onions Recipe

While cooking a whole fish definitely seems intimidating, this is the recipe to show you just how easy it really is. But don’t worry, no one has to know—because it’s gonna look ridiculously impressive when served, no matter what.

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Pear and Pomegranate Bellini

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Pear and Pomegranate Bellini Recipe

For an elegant and fruity cocktail ready in just 5 minutes, try this easy bellini made with brandy, pomegranate juice and prosecco. It's the perfect addition to your holiday table.

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