Beef tenderloin may be your traditional Christmas dinner, but what about other special-occasion roasts? Are you game for something different? Roast goose makes perfect holiday fare (ah, Dickens!), as does whole duck brushed with glaze and always-elegant Cornish game hens.

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Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry-Port Sauce

Cornish game hens look and taste great (without much effort, in fact) but the sauce here, truly makes the dish. Reviewers recommend doubling it from the get-go.

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Roasted Goose with Brandied Prune Stuffing & Red Wine Gravy

The rich, all-dark, almost beefy taste of goose makes it especially holiday-worthy. Plus, who can resist the lure of a traditional Dickensian Christmas?

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Roasted Turkey with Juniper-Ginger Butter & Pan Gravy

Freshly-ground juniper flavors the butter beautifully and gives this juicy turkey a Christmas-y vibe.

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Cranberry-Honey-Glazed Chicken

The sugar in the honey and the red color from the cranberries help the chicken brown to a beautiful burnished glow, and the slightly sweet skin is a nice complement to the juicy chicken meat.

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Truffle-Scented Cornish Game Hens with Prosciutto & Wild Mushrooms

An earthy mix of chanterelle, porcini, and morel mushrooms and rich, heady truffle oil make this dish a holiday standout.

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Butter-Rubbed Roast Turkey

Basting with cider during the last hour of roasting creates a sweet and beautiful bronze-glazed finish on this simple holiday bird.

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Roasted Ducks with Tangerine-Hoisin Glaze

The ducks are made abundantly flavorful by a rub of garlic, tangerine zest, five-spice powder, and coriander and an Asian-inspired glaze during the last few minutes of roasting.

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Glazed Cornish Game Hens with Couscous Stuffing

These tender little birds are easy yet elegant, and you can brush on a glaze that suits your taste: a warm Port-Spice Glaze or a Gingery Citrus Glaze.

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Roast Chicken with Fingerling Potatoes, Leeks & Bacon

This traditional Sunday dinner is certainly special enough for a holiday. The chicken comes out incredibly juicy, with delicate herbal notes, and the vegetables are meltingly tender.

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