18 Delicious Christmas Recipes To Impress Your Guests With
Appetisers? Salads? Main courses? Desserts? We got you
By Terri Kue -
If you are on the hunt for Christmas recipes for your family get together or party, then look no further because we've got them all here. These festive recipes include show-stopping turkey dish and of course, crowd-pleasing desserts, all of which are perfect if you're planning to whip up a feast at home.
All recipes come with written instructions, and some even feature helpful videos for visual learners. Let's not waste any more time and jump straight in.
Need a banger of an appetiser to kickstart the meal? This Yummy Shrimp Cocktail Appetiser is served in a cheese basket and comes with zesty dipping sauce to tie everything together.
It's a great recipe for beginner chefs, because it's delicious, easy and takes only 40 minutes to do - from prep to finish.
Watch how to make it here.
Mini shepherd's pies make a cute appetizer. Originally a dish made with leftover roast, this delightful dish from the United Kingdom has become a Christmas favourite, so you can't go wrong with having it on your lineup of food.
Fair warning though: your house will smell so good while making this that you will have to stop yourself from digging in before your friends and family arrive!
Watch how to make it here.
After the appetizer comes the salad, and we have an absolutely festive one to share. It's shaped in a wreath, but it's not complicated. You only need the ingredients you find in any other normal salad.
This dish requires quite some time for preparation, but the good news is that you don't have to do it all at once. You can make the dressing early in the morning or the day before, and store in the 'fridge.
Have fun with letting your creativity flow and design your unique salad to your tastes (yes, a pun).
Moving on to the main courses, how about roasted turkey meat filled with pear, prune, and walnut stuffing? Easier and healthier than the traditional stuffed turkey dish, it also takes less time, which is a plus when you're hosting a whole party.
One serving serves eight people, so you won't have to make too many!
For those who prefer pork over turkey, you can still indulge in festive flavours with this recipe. The dried cranberry stuffing gives this dish a very Christmas flavour, but that familiar festive taste is updated with salami and pistachios. It looks so traditional and gourmet, your guests will rush to take photos. Do note that this recipe is best for more experienced cooks.
Stuffed and roasted chicken is a hit with everyone. This recipe is great for Christmas because it tastes of herbs and spices, in a good way. Working together, they bring out the dish's aroma and enhance the overall taste of the chicken. And if you and your guests like garlic, then this recipe is perfect, because we recommend adding as many garlic cloves as (reasonably or unreasonably) possible.
Beef Wellington is a cut of roast beef wrapped in pastry, then baked. You may worry that it will be difficult. Maybe you have seen chefs on cooking competitions struggling with Beef Wellington recipes?
But actually, this recipe is straightforward to make. You just have to follow the steps in order and relax - because unlike on television, there's no Gordon Ramsay to scream at you!
To help, this recipe comes with a video to help you along if you find yourself stuck at any step.
Watch how to make it here.
Add some Spanish flavours to your menu with this Spanish-style barbecued lamb leg. A fragrant and savoury dish with an extra zesty tang from the charred lemon halves, this dish serves ten people, so you will definitely have enough of this sumptuous meal to go around.
To get the best flavour, prepare this dish the day before you eat it. This gives the marinade longer to soak into the lamb. If you're rushing for time, then three hours in the marinade is good enough too.
Another recipe that makes use of citrus fruits, the ham is covered with caramelised orange slices that give it that zesty flavour of Christmas. The recipe also uses orange juice and orange marmalade, so you can be 100% certain that this dish will delight citrus lovers. With the combination of savoury-salty from the ham and sweet-sour from the orange, you can be sure this unique looking roast will be a crowd pleaser.
Ginger marmalade is a sort of acquired taste, but if you like it, then you will love this glazed ham recipe. This recipe puts a twist on the Christmas staple by combining the warm sharpness of the ginger with sweet undertones from the maple syrup and light brown sugar. By the end of your hard work, you will have a dish that not only leaves a delicate smoky flavour in your mouth, but that shines and glistens in the light.
Now that's what we call a must-have on the menu.
Now that we've got the main courses out the way, let's take a look at desserts. These chocolate cookies look amazing, but they're easy to make. It's a biscuit topped with a marshmallow, then covered in chocolate. Topped with red and green glace cherries, they look like mini Christmas pudding. If you want an Instagramable Christmas recipe, It doesn't get better than this.
The name says it all. This versatile eggnog recipe only requires 35 minutes to make. Eggnog is like a grown-up milkshake made with milk, beaten eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and beaten eggs. The cocktail is traditionally made with raw eggs, but not everyone can eat them - so we've updated this recipe to give you two versions; cooked and uncooked.
You can add alcohol to this eggnog to make a cocktail, or just leave it out to make a mocktail.
A quick tip: use vanilla beans over vanilla extract as it has a richer vanilla flavour.
Watch how to make it here.
Are you looking for a dish that will appeal to everyone, regardless of their age? This nut tart is a good option, with universally-loved flavours of icing sugar, syrup, nuts and condensed milk. You can use any type of nut you like and go crazy with this recipe - if you know some people in the party like two different types of nuts, there's nothing stopping you from putting, let's say, almonds on one half of the tart and cashews on another.
This recipe also calls for condensed milk that ensures the tart is moist, flavourful, and tender.
If you are looking for an absolute showstopper of a dessert, it really doesn't get better than this. A delightful feast for coffee and chocolate lovers, this recipe calls for flaked almonds for a bit of texture and that nutty flavour. It also uses mascarpone instead of cream cheese for a richer taste and more velvety texture.
And of course, don't forget the edible leaves and flowers that make this cake worthy for the gram. We assure you that your guests will be rushing to pull out their phones to capture this beauty.
With flavours of Italian cuisine married with a British twist, this rice pudding cake will bring a wave of nostalgia to all your guests. Warm the cockles of their hearts with the taste of nutmeg and top it all off with a concoction of seedless raspberry jam and lemon juice.
Creamy and indulgent, this is a rich dessert that will leave everyone feeling happy and content long after the party is over. The only thing you need to take note of is that you can't use any normal old rice: Arborio rice is the way to go with this recipe.
When we think about gingerbread, the first image that probably pops into mind is the smiling gingerbread man. This recipe is far from that, firstly because this is not a cookie recipe. With familiar flavours of ginger, cinnamon, and allspice, this gingerbread is aromatic, sticky to the touch, and soft and detectably chewy.
It resembles the texture of cake the best, so really, it can't go wrong no matter how fussy your guests are. This recipe requires that you make it a day or two before the party so that it tastes its best, so make sure to plan properly.
Tip: make sure you have all the ingredients before starting as some of them may not be found in your household. But we assure you that trip to the supermarket will be worth it!
These cute little shortbread Christmas trees are perfect for desserts that can be finished in just a few bites. With the hazelnuts lending a nutty and toasted taste to the dessert, the buttery brandy cream between the shortbreads brings everything together.
Tip: When zesting the orange, make sure to do it lightly and without too much force. Try to only get the orange part of the skin as the white part underneath is bitter and unsavoury.
Here's a secret about this Christmas nut tree: there's no baking involved. All you need are almonds, figs, and a generous amount of chocolate. This is another dish that you can start the day before so you can refrigerate the 'tree' and get on with other things you need to do. It's even fun to make with the kids, if they're old enough to be around hot melted chocolate.
Imagine walking to the dining table with a Christmas tree covered in chocolate and being able to proudly say, "We made this."