easy christmas

Pigs in blankets are too delicious to be reserved for a one-off Christmas side dish - try them as a party snack or with roast chicken.

Pigs in blankets

bacon

sausages

cocktail sticks, to secure the bacon

A jar of salted caramel sauce makes a great Christmas present. This is so easy - don't tell anyone. If you don’t want to include the rum, just leave it out. It still tastes amazing.

You will need to have sterilised jars to keep the caramel in. This recipe makes about 2 jam jars of caramel.

Salted caramel sauce

tin ready-made condensed milk caramel

unsalted butter

sea salt

tbsp rum (optional)

Fluffy inside, crunchy outside, these roast potatoes are a perfect sidekick to any roast dinner. (They're even better the next day, eaten straight from the fridge!)

Each serving provides 389 kcal, 7g protein, 65g carbohydrates (of which 3g sugars), 9.5g fat (of which 4g saturates), 7g fibre and 0.3g salt.

Perfect roast potatoes

tbsp duck fat

Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes (each about 175 grams/6 ounces)

garlic

thyme

Readymade puff pastry and three optional flavour twists using shop-bought mincemeat means making these mince pies is almost as simple as buying them – but gains you far more brownie points! 


Puff pastry mince pies 

300 grams/10½oz mincemeat

cranberries

½ pear, cored and finely diced, no need to peel

eating apple, peeled,

300 grams/10½oz mincemeat, sieved to remove most of the syrup

tbsp sloe gin

grams/1 ounces walnuts, finely chopped

cinnamon

tsp almond liqueur,

flour,

puff pastry

free-range egg, beaten

350 grams/12 ounces mincemeat (choose your favourite flavour from the suggestions above)

golden granulated sugar,

Improve your cheese straws with spicy manchego, chorizo and chilli. In 20 minutes your cheesy party canapés are covered. Try our other twists on twists in the tip below. 

Cheese and chorizo twists

grams/3½oz manchego, grated

chorizo

tsp dried red chilli flakes

egg,

Learn how to make the best roast potatoes! James Martin's foolproof recipe gives perfect crispy potatoes every time.

Best roast potatoes

King Edward potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks

grams/1¾oz lard, dripping or vegetable oil

Classic bread sauce is a British classic perfect with any white meat, but especially Christmas turkey!

It can easily be made ahead of time too, win-win.

Easy bread sauce

onion,

cloves

bay leaf

black peppercorns

570 milliliters/1 pint full-fat milk

breadcrumbs

grams/1½oz butter

salt and black pepper

Christmas pasta

g fresh lasagne sheets

pork sausage

rasher of smoked streaky bacon

¼ of a small red onion

sage

Parmesan cheese

olive oil

vac-packed chestnuts

nutmeg

extra virgin olive oil

Nigella's easy roast parsnips with a generous glug of maple syrup. A wonderful Christmas dinner accompaniment. 

Maple-roast parsnips

parsnips

125 milliliters/4fl oz vegetable oil

maple syrup

This is rich and indulgent (as all festive puds should be) and suitably Christmassy with its red cherries and green pistachios. December isn’t known for its cherries so use frozen instead; poached with wine and spices, they are full of festive cheer.

Pistachio tiramisu with boozy cherries

pack 10 Essential Chocolate Mini Rolls, halved lengthways

75 g dark chocolate, finely grated

Step 1

For the cherries, put all the ingredients ina frying pan over a low-medium heat; cover with a lid and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook on
a moderate heat, giving an occasional stir to prevent sticking, until the liquid has reduced down and become syrupy. Discard
the cinnamon sticks and set aside to cool.

Step 2

For the pistachio cream, toast the pistachios in a frying pan over a medium heat for a few minutes, then leave to cool
slightly. Tip into a food processor and whizz to a fine powder. Spoon out 40g and set aside, then continue to whizz the remaining nuts for several minutes until they form a paste; set aside. In a large
bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and flour with a pinch of salt, until pale and thick. Gently heat the milk until almost boiling, then slowly pour over the egg yolk mixture, whisking until smooth. Return to the pan and cook over a low-medium heat, whisking constantly for about 10 minutes, until thickened. Spread over a plate, cover the surface with baking parchment, cool and chill. Once cold, whisk the cream to soft peaks, fold 1 tbsp of it into the pistachio paste to loosen it, then fold into the chilled egg mixture with the pistachio paste until combined.

Step 3

For the whipped mascarpone, in a large bowl use electric beaters (or a stand mixer) to whisk the mascarpone and cream until smooth, then add the sugar and Marsala; continue to whisk until it forms stiff peaks.

Step 4

To assemble the tiramisu, in a deep-sided 2 litre dish lay out ½ the mini rolls (in one layer). Spoon over ½ the cherries and their syrup, then ½ the pistachio cream, followed by ½ the whipped mascarpone. Repeat the layers, then sprinkle over the grated chocolate and reserved ground pistachios (in diagonal stripes, if liked). Chill for a few hours before serving.

Potato dauphinoise doesn't need to be a labour of love – this easy version is on the table in just 30 minutes. If you're after a next-level side dish for roast dinners, Christmas or Thanksgiving, this ticks a lot of boxes.

Easy potato dauphinoise

onion

kg Maris Piper potatoes

x 300 ml tub of single cream

anchovies

bay leaves

½ a bunch of fresh rosemary, thyme or sage (10 grams)

Use our best stuffing recipe to make classic sage and onion stuffing balls with no "box" flavour. This stuffing is great for vegetarians or to stuff your turkey this Christmas.

Sage and onion stuffing

vegetable oil

tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped

salt and pepper

egg, beaten

These easy party flatbreads make such a simple canape for Christmas or New Year parties. We've used smoked salmon and chilli cheese but you can top them with anything you like. 

Easy party flatbreads  

flatbread

cream cheese

grams/1¾oz smoked salmon, sliced into 2.5cm/1in strips

½ lemon, zest only

½ tbsp small capers, drained

dill

½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil

black pepper,

lemon slices,

chilli jam

grams/1¾oz cheddar, grated

red chilli, thinly sliced

The perfect Christmas party nibble. These party flatbreads are so easy to make.

Easy party flatbreads

This is my favourite way to cook my Christmas veg. Keeping the skins on gives incredible flavour, and tailoring flavourings to the veg means you’ve got a proper streamlined taste profile. They’re just really good veg!

Really good roast veg

kg carrots

runny honey

clementines

½ a bunch of fresh thyme (15 grams)

red wine vinegar

The quickest chocolate mousse you will ever make – no raw eggs or gelatine. It’s very rich but that’s perfect for a small serving after a meal. Serve in small espresso cups or shot glasses, you will need 8-12 depending on size.

Chocolate and brandy shots

dark chocolate (approx. 52% cocoa solids)

brandy

150 milliliters/¼ pint pouring double cream

250 grams/9 ounces full-fat mascarpone cheese,

James Martin roasts his parsnips in honey and sherry to bring out their natural sweetness. A Christmas dinner must.

Roast parsnips

500 grams/1lb 2 ounces parsnips, peeled and cut into quarters lengthways

tbsp sherry

tbsp clear honey

A great side dish to any roast, or with Christmas dinner, these thyme-speckled honey roasted carrots are cooked to enhance their natural sweetness.


Honey roasted carrots

carrots, carrots

lemon juice

Christmassy flavours are coming in loud and clear in this gorgeously festive pud. You can make this on Christmas Eve, then simply assemble on the day – so easy!

Top 18 easy christmas recipes from across the web

The most viewed easy christmas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Pigs in blankets

Salted caramel sauce

Perfect roast potatoes

Puff pastry mince pies

Cheese and chorizo twists

Best roast potatoes

Easy bread sauce

Christmas pasta

Maple-roast parsnips

Pistachio tiramisu with boozy cherr...

Easy potato dauphinoise

Sage and onion stuffing

Easy party flatbreads

Really good roast veg

Chocolate and brandy shots

Roast parsnips

Honey roasted carrots

Baked cheesecake with fig compote

Top 18 easy christmas recipes from across the web

The most viewed easy christmas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Pigs in blankets

Salted caramel sauce

Perfect roast potatoes

Puff pastry mince pies

Cheese and chorizo twists

Best roast potatoes

Easy bread sauce

Christmas pasta

Maple-roast parsnips

Pistachio tiramisu with boozy cherr...

Easy potato dauphinoise

Sage and onion stuffing

Easy party flatbreads

Really good roast veg

Chocolate and brandy shots

Roast parsnips

Honey roasted carrots

Baked cheesecake with fig compote

The most viewed easy christmas recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Easy party flatbreads 