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.
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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
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
Mushroom and spinach en croûte
Chestnut and shallot tarte tatin
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
Whole baked salmon with kale, butternut squash and pomegranate salad
Roast turkey with stuffing and gravy
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:
Nut roast with vegetarian gravy
Vegetarian pithivier with watercress and pistachio pesto
Butternut squash and mushroom wellington
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.
Brussel sprouts with Parma Ham
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:
Chocolate and hazelnut boozy roulade
After Eight mint chocolate ice cream
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:
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.
Festive grapefruit and blood orange cocktail
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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
Leftover Christmas pudding crumble
Panettone bread and butter pudding
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READ MORE: Here are other ideas to use up your Christmas leftovers
Lead image: Table Manners: The Cookbook/Ebury Press