Holiday feasts and treats are among the best traditions of the year. Massive spreads bursting with your favorite seasonal flavors are sure to satisfy even the hungriest bellies and strongest cravings.

The best part? This is the perfect time to show off your chef skills, whipping up recipes that your family and friends might mistake for coming out of the kitchen of a fancy restaurant.

But what's not so great? The dreaded—and often last minute—trip to a jam-packed grocery store in search of the dozens of ingredients needed for your tasty dishes.

So we decided to make this experience easier and more enjoyable with a simple holiday shopping list featuring versatile ingredients you can use across many holiday recipes. Here's the list:

Spices

  • Cinnamon
  • Crystalized Ginger
  • Cardamom
  • Whole Cloves

Produce

  • Shallots
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Baby Kale
  • Cauliflower
  • Oranges and Grapefruits
  • Beets
  • Green Beans

Meat/Seafood

  • Protein of your choice, we recommend a crown roast of pork, turkey, duck, or a standing beef rib roast

Baking Aisle

  • Molasses

Bakery

  • loaf of Brioche

These ingredients are the stars of the holiday menu outlined below. The root vegetables supply the savory foundational flavors of traditional soups and side dishes, and also add a seasonal flair to dressings, sauces and even aioli. The spices combine into a festive blend to boost the holiday flavor profile in everything from dressings, to sweet potatoes, stuffing, meat glazes, and of course, desserts.

When you're planning your next holiday feast, use these Vitamix-friendly recipes and the shopping list above to create a delicious, easy and wintery meal.

Starters

Entrées with Sides

Desserts and Cocktails