Festive Rosh Hashanah Menu Inspiration & Sweet New Year Recipes

Rosh Hashanah is a time of renewal, gathering around the family table, and welcoming the Jewish New Year with symbolic foods that express our hopes for sweetness, abundance, and blessing. As the High Holidays approach, planning a multi-course menu that balances traditional roots with fresh culinary ideas can feel like a daunting task.

Whether you are hosting a large family feast or preparing an intimate holiday dinner, Kosher.com serves as the ultimate destination for High Holiday inspiration. Featuring thousands of professionally developed recipes, instructional videos, holiday menus, and practical guidance from respected chefs and cookbook authors, Kosher.com offers everything you need to elevate your holiday table.

High Holiday Spotlight: Adeena Sussman on Kosher.com’s Sunny Side Up

To kick off your holiday menu planning, Kosher.com’s flagship series Sunny Side Up, hosted by Naomi Nachman, recently welcomed acclaimed cookbook author and food writer Adeena Sussman. Adeena brings her vibrant, Tel Aviv-inspired style to the Kosher.com kitchen, sharing a fast and flavorful 30-minute dish from her cookbook, Zariz: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-y Recipes.

Her featured dish, Israeli-Inspired Harissa Butter Roasted Fish with Summer Corn, Tomato, Avocado & Feta Salad, brings dynamic flavor and color to the Rosh Hashanah spread.

The tender roasted fish is seasoned with aromatic harissa butter and paired with a crisp, herbaceous salad that balances rich warmth with cool, refreshing brightness. It makes a stunning fish course—a classic symbolic food for the High Holidays representing fruitfulness and being "at the head" of the new year.

• Watch & Cook: View the full 30-minute episode and get the printable recipe on Kosher.com. (Photo Credit: Sunny Side Up with Naomi Nachman / Kosher.com)

Prettiest Round Flower Challah for Rosh Hashanah

Photo and Recipe Credit: Estee Chait of Kosher.com

This stunning loaf is braided and shaped to resemble a flower, with a double round braid to give a more delicate shape.

Ingredients

• 1 batch challah dough (Esty's Best Challah Ever works well)
• 1 egg, beaten in a small bowl
• Sesame seeds set in a small bowl

Holiday Specs

Oven Temp: 350°F

Medium Loaf: 300–350g base + (5) 15g rose pieces

Large Loaf: 750g base + (5) 30g rose pieces

Directions

1. Step 1: Prep

   Flour your work surface and cut off a nice-sized piece of dough (300 to 350 grams for a medium challah or 750 grams for a large challah). Roll out dough into a long rope.

2. Step 2: Twist

   Bend the rope into a "U" shape with the ends facing you. Pick up one strand in each hand and cross them over each other, right strand over left. Repeat right-over-left crossover down the entire length of the rope. Do not press the ends together.

3. Step 3: Finish the Ring

   Bend the twist into a circle shape and gently open up the rounded top end. Push one unfinished end through the top loop and tuck it underneath. Wrap the second unfinished end over the top of the challah and tuck it underneath.

4. Step 4: Make the Roses

   Measure out 5 pieces of dough per challah (15g each for medium, 30g each for large). Press into small flat circles and line them up vertically, overlapping slightly. Starting from the top, roll up all circles together into a cylinder. Stand on its side, slice straight down the center, and flip each half cut-side down to yield two roses.

5. Step 5: Assemble, Decorate & Bake

   Place the challah twist on a prepared baking sheet and nestle a dough rose into the center opening. Brush gently with egg wash. Dip your finger into the egg, press into sesame seeds, and stamp onto each twist of the braid. Let rise until nearly doubled. Bake at 350°F until golden brown.

Rounding Out Your Menu: Global Flavors & Full Meal Planning

Beyond the challah and main fish course, Kosher.com provides a wealth of recipes to build a complete multi-course dinner:

• Apple & Honey Redefined: Try the Apple Honey Phyllo Twist by Esty Wolbe, a crispy, golden pastry that reinterprets the classic Rosh Hashanah ritual of dipping apples in honey into an elegant dessert.

• Melt-in-Your-Mouth Main: The Red Wine & Date Brisket by Sina Mizrahi combines tender slow-braised beef with the natural sweetness of dates and rich red wine, perfectly aligning with holiday sweet-and-savory themes.

• Global Seafood Options: Incorporate international Jewish traditions with Iraqi Sweet & Sour Fish, offering vibrant regional spices and tang.

• Streamlined Prep: Short on time? Check out Kosher.com's "Cook a Rosh Hashanah Meal in One Day" guide for step-by-step prep timelines, plus expert tips from featured chefs like Naomi Nachman, Mimi Sharaby, Esty Wolbe, and Kosher.com Director Goldy Guttman.

Explore thousands of recipes, video tutorials, and full holiday menus at Kosher.com, and follow along on Instagram at @kosher.com!