We’re all for breaking with convention and trying something new on special occasions, but sometimes only classic dishes will do on Christmas Day.
We’ve put together a menu of our favourite traditional festive recipes for inspiration.
This menu serves eight, but we’ve also included alternative options if you’re catering for less or more guests. Our helpful Christmas portion planner will make sure you serve the perfect amount.
For even more inspiration, see our Christmas dinner hub and more Christmas menu ideas.
Classic Christmas dinner menu
Christmas morning ideas
Bake this Middle Eastern-inspired loaf to serve for a festive brunch. To make things extra-indulgent, spread thick slices with our moreish honey & tahini butter.
- Twisted spiced bread with honey & tahini butter
- Breakfast casserole
- Cured salmon build-your-own bagel board
- Gingerbread pancakes
- Mushroom brunch
- Brioche breakfast bake with crispy bacon
See more Christmas breakfast recipes
Christmas dinner ideas
Starters
Perfect pâté, parfait & pickles
Pâté, terrine or parfait are perfect make-ahead starters. Take them out the fridge just before serving and put on a serving platter with toasts or, for even less hassle, oatcakes or crackers. Our homemade fig chutney is also a sweet and sticky accompaniment.
- Port & chicken liver pâté
- Chicken liver pâté
- Smoked salmon, dill & lemon pâté
- Duck & pork terrine with cranberries & pistachios
Prawn cocktails
Breathe new life into prawn cocktail, a classic Christmas starter. With the addition of some Cajun spices, it’s a flavour-packed modern twist.
- Rainbow prawn cocktails
- Cucumber prawn cocktail cups
- Classic prawn cocktail
- Prawn cocktail squares
- Prawn cocktail cups
See more prawn cocktail recipes
Smoked salmon
Keep things light before the onslaught of roast dinner with all the trimmings. Stocking smoked salmon in your fridge is a wise choice at Christmas. Make a canapé classic of salmon & herb blinis, which you can rustle up in less than 20 minutes using four ingredients.
- Smoked salmon with horseradish crème fraîche & beetroot
- Smoked salmon, leek & dill tart
- Hot smoked salmon & beetroot platter
- Smoked salmon pâté with tear & share brioche buns
- Gravadlax with celeriac & fennel salad
- Pastrami-cured salmon
See more festive smoked salmon recipes
Christmas soup
Serve a warming bowl of soup for a light yet satisfying Christmas starter. Try our creamy celeriac soup, or if you’re feeling extra luxurious, our celeriac, hazelnut & truffle soup. Capture more seasonal flavours by blitzing chestnuts and parsnips into a silky-smooth blend and topping with crispy bacon pieces.
- Celeriac, hazelnut & truffle soup
- Spicy roasted parsnip soup
- Vegan leek & potato soup
- Mushroom soup
- Chestnut, bacon & parsnip soup
- Cauliflower soup
See more Christmas soup recipes
Traditional turkey ideas
For some, there will never be a centrepiece that can replace turkey. If you want to stay traditional, make our classic roast turkey recipe with a rich red wine gravy. Placing pancetta under the skin will keep the meat beautifully succulent and add a hint of saltiness.
If you’re serving fewer people, a turkey crown can often be more suitable than a whole bird. We’ve added flavour and moistness to our turkey crown with a dry-brining recipe.
If turkey isn’t your thing, roast beef with Yorkshire puddings should fit the bill without straying too far from tradition.
- Roast turkey
- Roasted garlic & herb turkey crown
- Jerk turkey
- Perfect pancetta & roast shallot-stuffed turkey
- Brined roast turkey crown
- Cider roast turkey
See more turkey recipes
Watch our video on how to carve a turkey:
View Green Video on the source website
Side dishes and trimmings
Serve your centrepiece with all the trimmings. It wouldn’t be Christmas without the much-debated Brussels sprouts, but parsnips, carrots and potatoes are all solid choices, along with one of our favourite parts of Christmas: pigs-in-blankets.
- Brussels with chestnuts & sage
- Garlic mashed potatoes
- Honey-roast carrots
- Triple-cooked roast potatoes
- Crisp honey mustard parsnips
- Christmas spiced red cabbage
- Bacon, sausage & prune rolls
- Caramelised shallot mash
See more Christmas sides
Sauces
Elevate bread sauce by adding buttery, crisp onions. It’s an ideal condiment for the Christmas dinner table or to serve with your Sunday roast.
- Bread sauce with flaked almonds & caramelised shallots
- Crispy onion & bread sauce
- Brown butter bread & onion sauce
- Vegan bread sauce
- Port & cranberry sauce with juniper
- Make-ahead gravy
- Simple cranberry sauce
See more Christmas sauces
Christmas dessert ideas
Christmas pudding
Love it or hate it, a fruity basin pudding embodies the spirit of Christmas. Serve with rich and luxurious brandy butter.
- Classic Christmas pudding
- Vegan Christmas pudding
- Christmas sticky toffee pudding
- Individual chocolate, pear & amaretti puddings
- Lighter Christmas pudding
See more Christmas pudding recipes
Christmas trifles
Take trifle to the next level for the festive season. Make the jelly with raspberries and enrich the custard with clotted cream for ultra indulgence.
- Retro trifle
- Banoffee-tirami trifle
- Next level sherry trifle
- Chocolate orange trifle
- Chocolate brownie trifle
- Eggnog trifle
See more Christmas trifle recipes.
Christmas drink ideas
A bottle of fizz will serve a crowd if you add some juice or fresh fruit to the glass. Alternatively, get your spices melding and stir up some fragrant mulled wine. We also have a mocktail version for non-drinkers.
- Amaretto fizz
- Bellini
- Cranberry sangria
- Easy mulled wine
- Pomander spritz
- Peppermint mojito
- Non-alcoholic mulled wine
See more Christmas drink recipes
Want a plan that takes all the stress out of Christmas dinner? Try our easiest ever, next level or budget menu plans, complete with time plan, shopping list (to print out or use for online shopping) and all the recipes you’ll need for the big day.
If you’re still stuck for inspiration, visit our Christmas dinner page or browse more Christmas menus…
Complete Christmas menu: vegetarian
Vegan Christmas menu
Gluten-free Christmas menu
Complete Christmas menu: quick
2 hour Christmas menu
Complete Christmas menu: for a crowd
Complete Christmas menu: for two
All our Christmas menus
