The Best Hanukkah Recipes 2016

From a large-format latke to braised short ribs, dinner will be delicious

When Hanukkah falls, as it typically does, on a weeknight in early or mid-December, finding time to host a special holiday dinner party can be a challenge. But it's the perfect opportunity to invite friends over and host a fry fest, using the holiday's signature ingredient: oil.

This year, we're sticking with tradition but updating it a bit. Think scallion pancake-inspired latkes that are as big as pizzas and Moroccan spiced doughnuts with espresso fudge sauce. Check out the slideshow for our ultimate menu for a Hanukkah feast.

No offense to all other latkes, but this large-format latke with scallions and an Asian pear sauce is our favorite way to feed Hanukkah party guests.

If the giant latke is too much for your party, stick with the classic size, but pair it with Ilan Hall's smoky applesauce.

Save your grandmother's brisket with ketchup for another holiday and make Alon Shaya's braised short ribs. Served over lentils and rice, this one dish is an entire meal.

This roast chicken with carrots, apples, dates and a homemade spice blend is a sweet way to ring in the holiday. (Make sure to save any extra spice blend for another day.)

With all of the holiday parties this year, you may have run out of time to plan a big holiday main. Not to worry. This chicken with garlic, lemon and Greek olives is simple to make, but still impressive enough to put on a holiday table.

If you're serving latkes (do you really need convincing? try this one), you will need a bright salad to balance the meal. Michael Solomonov's take on tabbouleh, made with kale, walnuts and pomegranate seeds, adds a burst of freshness to dinner.

For something colorful, April Bloomfield's spiralized root vegetable salad is the way to go.

A bitter green like chicory is an excellent counterpoint to a rich meal. In this salad, it plays nicely with oranges and walnuts.

Morocco's warming baharat spice blend combines with sugar for the coating on these holiday doughnuts called sufganiyot. Oh, and don't forget the espresso fudge sauce.

While doughnuts are traditional fare, no one—and we really mean no one—will complain if you serve Nigella Lawson's hard cider-spiked spiced Bundt cake for dessert.