Great Christmas recipes

Our gorgeous guide to some special Christmas recipes that will get your guests excited this festive season

375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry ½ small garlic clove 1 beaten egg, to glaze 400g high-quality sausagemeat 150g cranberry sauce 1 x pack sage & onion stuffing mix 50g sesame seeds

XMAS TIP: Cook the sausagemeat in the oven alongside your Turkey for fabulous sausagemeat stuffing for the main meal

1tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp chutney (ideally caramelised onion, or a cranberry variety) 4 parsnips 4 carrots 200g sprouts 2 red onions 2 bay leaves A handful of both Rosemary and Thyme (or whatever herbs you used for the main dish) 1tbsp honey

TIS THE SEASON…

CRANBERRY AND SAGE SAUSAGE ROLLS

These flavourful treats are perfect to have on the side throughout the holiday season. Boil the kettle and make the stuffing as per the instructions. Meanwhile, while the stuffing is cooling, finely chop the onion, and in a large bowl add the sausagemeat, chopped garlic and 100g of the cranberry sauce. Once the stuffing has cooled, add it to the mixture, and with your hands, knead and mix together until fully mixed. On a floured side, roll out the puff pastry into a 5mm thick, long rectangle. Preheat the over to 220c Spread the remaining cranberry sauce along the middle of the pastry, in rows, leaving space to seal, then scoop the sausagemeat mixture along the rows. Fold the pastry over and seal before cutting into whatever size sausage rolls you require. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle over the sesame seeds, before making small slashes across the tops with a sharp knife. Place on a baking tray with baking paper and cook in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown.

CHRISTMAS DAY VEGGIE TRAYBAKE

Preheat the oven to 210c and mix the oil and chutney together in a roasting tin and season well. Trim and halve the sprouts, cut the onions into wedges, and cut the parsnips and carrots into chunky pieces. Put the veg in a large roasting tin before pouring the olive oil and chutney mix over, then put in the oven for 25 mins. Remove the tin and add the herbs, give it a toss and put back in the oven for 30 mins more, until the veg are soft. Finally, remove the tin and pour the honey over all the veg before returning to the oven for 5 more mins. Once ready, serve immediately. XMAS TIP: For a meaty option, add chipolatas wrapped in streak bacon to the tin after the first 25 mins.

TO EAT BE MERRY

1kg Maris Piper, Desiree red potatoes or homegrown potatoes A handful of fresh thyme A handful of fresh rosemary 50 ml sunflower oil 2 tsp plain flour Rock salt (not finely ground)

XMAS TIP: You can use other herb combinations depending on what meal you are having, for example, sage with beef, or oregano and basil with chicken

ULTIMATE ROAST POTATOES

Forego the oven-ready roasts, and goose-fat, for these super-easy, yet incredible roast potatoes from scratch. Preheat the oven to 210c and put a large roasting tin in the oven. Peel the potatoes and chop into even-sized pieces approximately 5cm. Put the peeled potatoes in a saucepan and pour over cold water until they are just covered. Add plenty of rock salt and then wait for the water to boil. Once boiling, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, add the sunflower oil to the hot roasting tin and put back in the oven. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then pour back into the pan before, using the colander as a lid, giving them a vigorous shake to bash and fluff up the outsides. Sprinkle with the plain flour and give another shake until they are evenly coated. Carefully pour the potatoes into the hot fat, tear up the thyme and rosemary and sprinkle over the potatoes before turning them so they are all covered. Finally, sprinkle some more rock salt over the potatoes before putting them in the oven. Roast for 15 mins before removing from the oven and turning them, then after another 15 minutes do this again. Now leave them for approximately 10-20 minutes, or until they are golden and crispy. Serve straight away once they are ready.

Images for illustrative purposes only