Christmas recipes

Updated on 14 December 2022

Our best-ever Christmas recipes

From delectable canapés and easy starters to the best Christmas roasts and fabulous festive treats, this is your essential Christmas food guide to help you plan for the big day.

Best Christmas canapés

These canapés will not only be easy to make, they're all packed with flavour and are great for nibbling on throughout Christmas Day. There's Scandinavian-style smoked salmon for seafood lovers, a creative and modern take on a retro classic and delicious tartlets made with everyone's favourite festive cheese. Here's what to make:

Salmon gravadlax with sweet mustard relish

Aubergine and halloumi wraps

Devilled eggs

Ham and stilton tartlets

Parma Ham palmiers

Parma Ham palmiers (Image: Prosciutto di Parma/loveFOOD)Prosciutto di Parma/loveFOOD

READ MORE: Discover the best supermarket mince pies of 2021

Easy Christmas starters

Celebrate the day when indulgence is not only allowed but encouraged and kick things off with a celebratory starter, whether that be a savoury tarte tatin or a gooey whole baked camembert. A retro classic, prawn cocktail is a definite crowd-pleaser as is our savoury galette with in-season mushrooms and blue cheese. Take a look at these recipes:

Whole baked camembert with garlic and rosemary

Prawn cocktail

Mushroom and spinach en croûte

Cheese and potato galette

Chestnut and shallot tarte tatin

Chestnut and shallot tarte tatin (Image: Merchant Gourmet/loveFOOD)Merchant Gourmet/loveFOOD

Christmas Day roasts

Christmas Day is nothing without a centrepiece festive roast, be that bird, beef or even fish. Stick with a traditional turkey, test your cooking skills with a technical beef wellington or go all out with a roast goose. For something completely different, try a Scandinavian approach and serve an impressive whole baked salmon. Check out these fabulous Christmas dinner ideas:

Roast goose with pecan stuffing

Beef wellington

Whole baked salmon with kale, butternut squash and pomegranate salad

Roast turkey with stuffing and gravy

Rum-spiced roast ham

Rum-spiced ham (Image: Maldon/loveFOOD)Maldon/loveFOOD

Vegetarian and vegan Christmas recipes

With plenty of root vegetables in season and excellent availability of nuts, there isn't a better time to cook and eat flavoursome meat-free dishes. Traditionalists will appreciate a classic nut roast or a vegan chestnut wellington while a vegetarian pithivier will look very impressive as a centrepiece. There are also handy recipes for vegan gravy and stuffing that will appeal to meat-eaters too. Here's what to make:

Vegan gravy

Nut roast with vegetarian gravy

Vegetarian pithivier with watercress and pistachio pesto

Vegan stuffing

Butternut squash and mushroom wellington

Vegetarian wellington Christmas recipe (Image: Maldon/loveFOOD)Maldon/loveFOOD

READ MORE: For other festive veggie and vegan recipes, take a look at our favourites

Best Christmas dinner sides

A great Christmas Day feast must have an excellent selection of sides. Obviously, crispy roast potatoes and roasted root veg take centre stage, but why not try something completely different this year or give Brussels sprouts another chance? Our recipe pairs them with deliciously salty Parma Ham while a parsnip and hazelnut gratin is the ultimate Christmas comfort food. And don't forget the gravy too.

Crispy roast potatoes

Parsnip and hazelnut gratin

Honey-roasted vegetables

Easy gravy

Brussel sprouts with Parma Ham

Brussel sprout with Parma Ham (Image: Prosciutto di Parma/loveFOOD)Prosciutto di Parma/loveFOOD

Christmas desserts

End your Christmas feast with a bang – serve classic Christmas pudding, indulgent profiteroles or creamy After Eight mint chocolate ice cream. For something a bit more fruity, our clementine tart incorporates both sweet and zesty flavours while for a boozy finish, opt for an Irish liqueur-infused roulade or a Baileys crème brûlée. Have a look at these recipes for inspiration:

Easy Christmas pudding

Ultimate profiteroles

Chocolate and hazelnut boozy roulade

After Eight mint chocolate ice cream

Baileys crème brûlée

Caramelised clementine tart

Christmas desserts: caramelised clementine tart (Image: Waitrose & Partners/loveFOOD)Waitrose & Partners/loveFOOD

Don't miss our pick of the best supermarket Christmas desserts for 2020

Best Christmas cakes and baking

Fill your home with the incredible festive aromas of spice and citrus as you get baking. Fun gingerbread men and reindeer will be a great activity for the whole family, or you could try your hand at making homemade yule log. Whether you're a mince pie fanatic or want to give new recipes and ideas, like our mince pie streusel tart, a go, there's something for everyone. Here are a few Christmas baking ideas:

Mince pies

Chocolate yule log

Gingerbread men and reindeer

Mince pie streusel tart

Spiced latte cake

Gingerbread Christmas cookies

Gingerbread Christmas cookies (Image: Maldon/loveFOOD)Maldon/loveFOOD

READ MORE: Take a look at our top Christmas baking recipes here

Christmas cocktail and mocktail ideas

Whether you're opting for an alcoholic tipple or going teetotal this Christmas, there's something for everyone. From a refreshing apple mockjito and a festive grapefruit and blood orange cocktail, to a lip-smackingly delicious almande apricot flip and retro classic snowball.

Apple mockjito

Almande apricot flip cocktail

Lemon gin fizz cocktail

Festive grapefruit and blood orange cocktail

Classic snowball cocktail

Classic snowball cocktail (Image: Warninks/loveFOOD)
Warninks/loveFOOD

Easy Christmas leftovers

It's more likely than not that you'll end up with a mountain of leftovers. However, there's no need to eat dry reheated turkey and not-so-crispy roast potatoes on Boxing Day. This selection of recipes, from the ultimate leftover turkey sandwich to an all-in-one Boxing Day pie, will help you repurpose your leftovers into delicious meals. And don't worry, there's panettone bread and butter pudding and Christmas pudding crumble to be made with dessert leftovers as well. Take a look at these brilliant recipes:

Ultimate leftover turkey sandwich

Christmas mac 'n' cheese

Boxing Day pie

Turkey and ham casserole

Leftover Christmas pudding crumble

Panettone bread and butter pudding

Panettone bread and butter pudding: Christmas leftovers (Image: Nature's Finest/loveFOOD)
Nature's Finest/loveFOOD

READ MORE: Here are other ideas to use up your Christmas leftovers

Lead image: Table Manners: The Cookbook/Ebury Press

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