❄️ Holiday Traditions from the One Potato Table
Real families, real food, and the small rituals that make the season magic.
⭐ SMALL BITES — HOLIDAY GIFT REMINDER
Still shopping? No shame—we’re right there with you. 🎁
Before you dive into these family traditions, don’t forget to check out the One Potato Holiday Gift Guide for last-minute gifts that feel thoughtful without the shipping stress.
We’ve got virtual cooking classes, digital experiences, and no-deadline-needed subscriptions that arrive exactly when they’re meant to. You can even wrap a handmade “unboxing” card to open on Christmas Day—then celebrate each delivery as the gift that keeps coming all year long. ✨
And don’t forget to give the gift of One Potato! 🎁
We extended our BFCM offer—annual subscriptions are still 50% off (just $2.50/month).
A perfect last-minute gift… for them or for you. 😉
Food, family, and the traditions we build one bite at a time
At One Potato, we love asking families about the foods that matter most, because the dishes we repeat every year become the stories we pass down. This season, we reached out to our Order Up! guests and members of our community with one question:
What’s one dish or tradition that means a lot to your family this time of year?
The responses were heartfelt, funny, deeply nostalgic, and beautifully diverse—exactly what you’d expect from a community that celebrates food as connection. Some traditions are decades old, others are brand-new, but all of them remind us what holiday cooking is really about: comfort, culture, memory, and the joy of making something together.
Below, we’re sharing their quotes, plus a few ideas for starting (or continuing!) traditions of your own.
When the Dish Is the Tradition
For many families, one special dish shows up every year like an old friend. It might be make-ahead and unfussy, or it might be a treasured recipe passed down through generations—but it always holds a place at the table.
Lasagna at Christmas — Chef Arlena Strode, Children’s Culinary Institute
“We always have lasagna at Christmas time as a salute to our Italian heritage. It’s an amazing dish that you can make ahead of time and bake when you’re ready which allows family time when it’s most important.”
Pastitsio — Chef Ted Pappas
“My mom’s Pastitsio has been a Christmas tradition since I was a kid! The way those thick bucatini noodles, spiced meat sauce, and creamy béchamel layers come together is just perfect for the holidays. We always make sure to bring this delicious dish to every Christmas dinner to honor my late mother.”
Mac & Cheese — Katie Kimball, Kids Cook Real Food
“Every year we have homemade Mac and Cheese in the oven when we get home from Mass on Christmas Eve. Food doesn’t have to be fancy to be a tradition!”
Gigantes Beans — Katina Mountanos, Kosterina Olive Oil
“For some reason in our family, in fall we start to make a traditional Greek vegetarian bean dish on repeat. It’s called gigantes - made with white gigantes beans, onions, tomato sauces and spices. It’s so hearty and warming.”
Humitas — Chef Carmen Karlsgodt
“This time of the year, I really look forward to my mom’s ‘Humitas.’ They are very similar to Mexican sweet corn tamales, but they are made with corn and Peruvian spices so they taste differently.”
👉 If you’re hoping to start a dish-centered tradition of your own, One Potato favorites like Lazy Lasagna, Mac & Cheese Bar, or our winter soups are easy, make-ahead, and kid-approved.
When the Tradition Is Cooking Together
Some families don’t pass down a dish—they pass down the process. The real tradition becomes gathering in the kitchen, taking on a recipe as a group, and watching kids grow into their roles.
The Tamalada — Chef Jason Dady
“With our kids being born and raised in San Antonio, we have adopted the long family tradition of a Tamalada. Everyone pitches in with soaking the husks, making the masa, making the verde and cooking the chicken. We love it and they are always a huge hit with the entire family gathering.”
Blended Cultures — Chef Nelson German
“During the holidays, my Dominican and Chinese families come together to blend our traditions—there’s always plenty of laughter, vibrant food, and music filling the house. Now with our one-year-old son, it’s even more special as we begin creating our own little family traditions rooted in both cultures.”
Soulful Vibes — Chef Tashia Ferries
“Holidays in our household is always good music, positive vibes, and plenty of soulful dishes made with love.”
These stories remind us: traditions don’t have to be elaborate. They’re made one year, and then another, until suddenly they’re yours.
New Traditions, New Generations
One of our favorite things about the One Potato community is how many families are building their own traditions from scratch, especially those families that grew up celebrating the holidays across different cultures, countries, or family structures.
Emily, one of our longtime subscribers, shared how her family created theirs. After a childhood spent celebrating Christmas in England, Spain, and Canada, she and her husband found their first true tradition here in the U.S. It all started with a movie night:
“We had just moved to the U.S. with our new baby when I made my husband watch A Christmas Story. That scene where the family ends up eating Chinese food? We both fell in love with that idea and said, that’s going to be us someday!”
And now every year, it is—Chinese takeout, eaten straight from the little white boxes because her daughter insists on it. Simple, cozy, and perfectly theirs.
👉 Want to start something new? Check out Order Up! How to Create Your Own Christmas Traditions featuring Emily’s full story and family-friendly ideas for building your own seasonal rhythm.
Celebrating Your Story, Your Way
Thank you to the incredible families who shared their holiday memories with us. Whether your season sounds like bubbling lasagna, a tamale-making party, soulful music, or takeout in your PJs, your stories remind us that there’s no one right way to celebrate—only the way that feels like home.
And however you gather this year, we hope your table is full of joy, real moments, and food made with love.
❤️ From our One Potato community to yours, happy holidays.