It was difficult to choose from over 250 recipes spanning 35 seasonal menus, but these recipes stand out as our favourites.

Be it a formal family dinner or a casual backyard barbecue, nothing brings people together quite like food does. The recipes in "The Special Occasions Cookbook" are tested-till-perfect, and guaranteed to gather friends and family and garner yum's and mmm's from all.

Here are our most-loved recipes:

Trifle and traditions

"Since I can remember, my family’s annual holiday potluck has always featured a glorious trifle, with dreamy layers of sponge cake, custard and fruit nestled in a huge glass bowl. I’m a big fan of sour cherries, so this Sour Cherry Trifle is my new go-to recipe to carry on the tradition," says our Editor-In-Chief, Jes Watson.

Not your Nonna's meatballs

"This season I’ll be making Bison Meatballs with Cider Mustard Sauce. They’re a great freeze-ahead that will wow ‘em at dinner (think casual entertaining), or size them down to bite-sized beauties for appies and fancy cocktail nibblies," says Jennifer Danter, Acting Executive Food Editor.

Any time is pie time

"I have a serious sweet tooth, so I often make cakes and crumbles—but the one thing I've been scared to tackle is pie. Maybe I've just read too many food blogs, but the thought of making pie crust from scratch honestly terrifies me. Or at least it did, until I saw our recipe for the Ultimate Peach Pie. I love that it's topped with overlapping circles of flaky dough (no braiding a lattice top!) and that it comes together so easily. There's even a  suggested substitution using frozen fruit, perfect for those mid-winter peach pie cravings," says Stacy Lee Kong, Senior Editor.

Breakfast and barbecue

"I love the Barbecue Breakfast Packets, made with cheese instead of ham! These little gems take me back to the summers I spent at overnight camp, building bonfires and eating by the lake with my friends. This all-in-one meal is not only easy to make, but also uses virtually no dishes, which means more time to relax on the dock and swim in the lake. I am already counting down the days until next summer," says Jessica Bronstein, Associate Food Editor.

Fast and flavourful desserts

"There’s nothing I love more than a good dessert to end off a scrumptious holiday meal. The Apple Cinnamon Crumble is packed with the warm winter flavour, cinnamon, and only requires 15 minutes of prep-time! Instead of the whipping cream, I would serve mine up with a generous serving of vanilla ice cream," says  Linda Cotrina, Web Producer.

Impressive Pâtés

"For me, nothing beats a cozy winter gathering filled with bold and hearty flavours that guests can graze on. The Smoked Trout Cakes with Lemon Mayo and Swiss Chard Kimchi, Wild Mushroom Pâté, and Bison Meatballs with Cider Mustard Sauce are recipes that can be prepared well in advance, leaving you plenty of time for socializing and cocktails (my suggestion: the whisky-based Canadian Kiss, of course)," says our Web Editor, Jenny Tang

A cheesy kind of love

"What's better than cheese? Trick question. Nothing is better than cheese, except for maybe melted cheese. So I am really excited to try the Cheddar and Oka Fondue in this cookbook. I can't wait to come home in the winter and warm up with this marvelously melty meal," says Sarah Dziedzic, Editorial Assistant.