Kickstart the celebrations early with a showstopping Christmas Eve dinner. The main event often takes the spotlight (stuck for ideas? Have a look at our Christmas Day dinner recipes), so try something different the night before.
Think easy wins like a cracking cheeseboard and fish pie; mouthwatering mains including roast duck and porchetta; and desserts that’ll impress a crowd. Go on, give them a go — it’s Christmas!
Easy wins
Whether you’re planning to celebrate with friends and a few canapés, or want to keep it simple with a one-pot crowdpleaser or traybake, these dishes can be on the table in no time at all and require little effort to pull together.
Sweet, sticky prunes are stuffed with blanched almonds and wrapped in smoky bacon. Finish off with a cocktail stick (a drizzle of honey works wonders too) for a party platter. It’s classic retro but that’s why we love it.
Christmas celebrations wouldn’t be complete without a few vol-au-vents. Jamie’s vegetarian version – made with mixed mushrooms, crème fraîche, parsley and a spicy hit of chilli – will be your next go-to festive party canapé.
Fresh, crispy squid is simply glorious when dunked into this beautifully bold harissa mayo. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd – and can be on the table (or on a party platter) in just 40 minutes.
Mussels are quick to cook, readily available and utterly delicious. Packing a boozy punch, this recipe uses smoky bacon, cider and yoghurt to bring the best out of these tasty little morsels. Don’t be shy with the toast!
Crisp winter leaves and juicy clementines are tossed with a punchy honey mustard and walnut dressing. It’s fresh, it’s simple, and it’s the perfect dish to start off a luxurious dinner.
Just like the title suggests, this easy strudel can be made with just about anything! Fresh fruit, leftover Christmas treats like biscuits, chocolate and roasted nuts – it all works! A humble pack of filo is used to bring all the festive flavours together in layers of crisp, golden pastry. Delicious.
This easy tear ’n’ share bread with oozy Camembert is just the thing if you’re having friends and family over for pre-Christmas nibbles. It’s fun to make, too, and great for getting the kids involved in a bit of party prep.
Crostini are a win-win for pretty much any occasion. Feel free to play around with the toppings, although we recommend this version made up of sweet tomatoes, juicy olives, a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil. It’ll bring sunshine to any party.
Try using baby potatoes to make mini versions of these air-fryer potato skins – perfect to enjoy while holding a glass of fizz! This combo of pesto, goat’s cheese and spinach is so good, but feel free to play around with your favourite festive ingredients – think cranberries, Brie, bacon… Go to town!
Hot, crispy, soft Yorkshire puddings paired with creamy, smoky trout and a hit of horseradish. It’s a combination made in heaven, and is actually much easier to make than it looks. Serve with lemon wedges and you’ll have guests jostling for seconds.
Think of this as Christmas carpaccio: sweet butternut squash, seared beef, a gorgeous mustardy dressing and a beautiful touch of rosemary (when teamed with beef, they’re like Romeo and Juliet – completely in love). This makes a sophisticated light dinner to kick-start any celebration.
We all love a good focaccia, and this festive version made with Tipo 00, semolina and chestnut flour is next-level delicious. Finished with a sprinkle of heady rosemary, chestnuts, crispy pancetta and olive oil, it’s a total knockout. Try it and find out why.
A fish pie is one of the most comforting dinners to exist and, during the cold, dark nights of winter, this recipe – with fresh fish, spinach, luxurious double cream and mature Cheddar – is a much-needed hug in a bowl.
An old-school punch bowl is a great idea for a party, and this festively flavoured one made with clementine juice, cognac, cranberry juice and Benedictine liqueur is an ideal tipple for this time of year.
Push the boat out
Porchetta is a thing of complete joy. You can cook this as the epic centrepiece of a big feast with all the trimmings, or serve it up on a board with a carving knife at a party with buns, chutneys, salad and gravy for dunking. Just wow.
“A roast before the roast of the year?”, we hear you ask. We’ve included it in this list for good reason – it’s absolutely delicious! Spiced with bay, clementine and five-spice, this roast duck is infused with the flavours of Christmas (and don’t forget Marsala wine). Fa, la, la, la…
A festive showstopper of two halves – one being the classic sausage roll, using shop-bought sausages for a perfectly seasoned filling, and the second being a veggie cheese roll, packed with beautiful flavour. It’s a real stunner.
Mac ’n’ cheese is one of the most famous comfort foods in the world, and this incredibly indulgent version filled with fresh lobster, Gruyère cheese, white Burgundy and a pinch of fragrant saffron is a (very) special take on the classic. A Christmas win.
Christmas ham at its finest. Succulent, fragrant and full of flavour, this dish makes a gorgeous festive centrepiece and is beautifully finished with a sticky mulled wine glaze. Plus, it’ll give you a stash of beyond-delicious leftovers.
Love them or hate them, this Brussels sprouts pie is a real winner! Here they’re packed into a three-cheese filling, wrapped in chestnut pastry and topped with crunchy almond breadcrumbs. Vegetarians will sing your praises!
This winter veg pie with roasted celeriac, creamy leek, mushrooms and blue cheese sauce wrapped in golden pastry makes for a stunning centrepiece. It’s a great get-ahead option for Christmas Eve, too, as you make and chill the filling the day before, leaving you free to wrap those last presents!
Desserts
Make the kids’ Christmas with this magical gingerbread house. Flavoured with maple syrup, caramel-like muscovado sugar and cinnamon, it’s a great Christmas Eve activity.
Affogato is the definition of “minimum effort for maximum reward”, which adds to the fall-in-love happiness it delivers every time it’s served. All that goes into this incredible classic version is vanilla ice cream and strong coffee – with a few genius tips to make it even better.
Name a more festive flavour combination than chocolate and orange? We’ll wait. It’s used here to flavour a buttery stack of shortbread with a dark chocolate drizzle. Trust us, it won’t be around for long. Pure joy!
If you aren’t a fan of a traditional Christmas cake, consider this your next go-to recipe. It’s a little grown-up, a little spicy, and choc-a-bloc full of hazelnuts, figs, chocolate and a hint of citrus. It’s simple to make, and even easier to eat.
This delicious upside-down treat from the brilliant Nicola Lamb heroes caramelised pears and toasted walnuts. It’s a cross between a cake and a hot pudding – the sort of thing to serve at the end of the day when you fancy something sweet. Pro tip: serve warm!
Creamy white chocolate and tart cranberry are a match made in cookie heaven. These are perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle – so good with a cuppa!
This tart is a super-fun twist on the traditional bread pudding that we all know and love. Quality dark chocolate, bitter orange marmalade and panettone melt together beautifully to create a soft, squidgy dessert that’ll keep you coming back for more.
Last but not least, the mince pie has to get a mention on our list! Flaky pastry, mincemeat, butternut squash, almonds and maple syrup meet in this gorgeous version that beats store-bought varieties by a country mile. Make them and you won’t go back.
For more Christmas inspiration, check out our festive hub.
