Looking for rosh hashanah recipes to help plan your holiday table? Round challah, golden apple cake and colorful vegetable platters give you plenty to start with.
These pictures bring together main dishes, sides and sweet ideas, whether you’re planning a full menu or choosing one extra dish.
You can keep things simple or bring out a big centerpiece platter.
Rosh Hashanah dishes worth saving
golden round challah
We’re starting off strong with these gorgeous round challah loaves. I love the glossy brown tops and the way the braids tuck into circles.
Keep the serving setup simple with a little dish of honey beside your bread, just like this. The braided shape deserves all the attention.
honey and apple cake
This apple cake may just be one of my favorites here. The picture labels it as an olive oil, honey and apple cake, with pale apple slices covering the top and a deep brown edge.
I’d serve it on a plain white plate like this one. You don’t need much extra decoration when the fruit makes such a pretty pattern.
roast chicken with pomegranate
How gorgeous is this chicken platter? The golden-brown skin, red pomegranate seeds and little green herb sprigs look so pretty together.
If you want to follow the presentation, leave space around the chicken for the garnish rather than covering the top.
glossy roasted carrots
If you are looking for a vegetable side without lots of extra toppings, this one is for you. These carrot pieces have browned edges, a glossy coating and a scattering of chopped herbs. I’d keep the wide white platter too.
Read also: 20 Brussels Sprouts Recipes and Ideas for Your Next Dinner
colorful tzimmes-style vegetables
There’s so much to love in this tzimmes-style dish. Orange carrot slices, small vegetable cubes and dark dried fruit fill the blue-handled pan.
That serving spoon tucked into the side is a nice reminder that you don’t need to transfer everything to another dish. A pretty cooking pan can have a place on the table too.
noodle kugel with raisins
I love this noodle kugel with its golden curls and raisins scattered throughout. The browned noodle tips around the edges are my favorite part of the picture.
You could bring it to the table in its baking dish and portion it there. No extra garnish needed.
sliced brisket and sauce
If you are looking for a centerpiece platter, then this one is for you. The brisket is partly sliced, with a deeply browned exterior and plenty of sauce underneath.
I love how the slices fan out across the plate. Try that same arrangement with a little chopped herb garnish when you serve yours.
beets carrots and greens
I am obsessed with the colors on this platter. Dark red beets, orange carrots and leafy greens sit beneath white crumbles and rosemary sprigs.
For a dairy meal, you could follow this look with your choice of cheese. For a kosher meat meal, choose a pareve topping instead.
couscous and pomegranate salad
Want something colorful alongside your main dish? This couscous salad has chickpeas, red onion, leafy greens and little pomegranate seeds mixed throughout.
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The red and yellow vegetable pieces make it even prettier. I’d serve it in a wide bowl like this so all those colors show.
salmon with green herbs
Don’t want a large roast as your main dish? No problem!
Take inspiration from these salmon portions with their glossy sauce and chopped green herbs. The white baking dish keeps the presentation nice and simple.
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three ways with stuffed dates
How cute is this date platter? I love the separate rows of nut-filled dates and chocolate-dipped versions with different toppings.
The labels include a salted baklava version, plus coconut and pistachio combinations. Pick a variation that suits your meal, especially if you need to keep dessert dairy-free.
braided fruit pastry
This is such a pretty way to serve a fruit-filled pastry. The overlapping golden strips leave little gaps where the filling shows through.
I especially love the thin icing drizzle and dusting of sugar. If you’re borrowing the presentation, keep the decoration light so you can still see that braid.
carrots with pistachio topping
Here’s another carrot idea, but it’s a little different from the one above. These long carrot halves have a pale sauce drizzled over them, plus chopped pistachios and green herbs.
The scattered topping is my favorite detail. You could serve extra sauce on the side if you’d rather let everyone add their own.
browned bites and pink slaw
The bright pink slaw is so pretty beside these browned, round bites. There’s a pale sauce underneath, with chopped pistachios and a darker drizzle across the plate.
Read also: 20 Crockpot Dinner Recipes and Ideas for Your Next Meal
You could borrow this presentation for meatballs or a vegetable version. Choose a pareve sauce if you’re serving meat at a kosher meal.
Read also: 20 Meal Ideas to Inspire Your High Protein Low Cal Meals
butternut squash soup
If you’re looking for a simple-looking starter, go with a butternut squash soup like this. The picture shows a smooth orange soup without a pile of toppings.
I’d serve small bowls before the main course and leave the garnish optional.
golden vegetable fritters
These little vegetable fritters look lovely with just lemon wedges alongside them. You can see chopped green pieces throughout and darker browned patches on top.
Keep that simple serving idea if you’re adding fritters to your menu. A long platter gives each one a little space.
honey-roasted pears
I am obsessed with these honey-roasted pears. The golden cut sides and stems left in place make such a pretty dessert.
There’s a white dollop beside them with little herb leaves and yellow zest scattered over the plate. For your own version, choose a dairy or dairy-free accompaniment to suit the meal.
golden onion-topped bake
Don’t want every side dish to come with a garnish? No problem there!
This golden tray bake has browned onion ribbons across the top and is served right in its parchment-lined pan.
I love those darker edges. You could use this as presentation inspiration for a savory kugel.
fruit and nut loaf
If you love a loaf cake with plenty going on inside, this one is worth saving. The cut slice shows dark fruit pieces and pale nuts throughout the brown crumb.
Try serving yours in thick slices on a board or plain platter. The fruit-filled middle is the part I’d want to show off.
cauliflower and pomegranate platter
Last but definitely not least, we have this gorgeous cauliflower platter. I love the browned florets with the pale sauce, leafy herbs and bright red pomegranate seeds.
Use a wide platter if you want to try a similar arrangement. That way, the sauce and little scattered toppings won’t all disappear underneath the cauliflower.