Taste tested: The best supermarket food to buy this Christmas

5 of the best ready-made canapés

Lidl Deluxe Mini Croque-Monsieur with Emmental Cheese
Price: £2.99 for 20 (240g)
Available: In store now

Tiny ham and cheese-saucy toasties (would you bother making your own?) and lots of them. They brown nicely from frozen and taste pleasingly mustardy.

Co-op Irresistible Sticky Toffee Pudding Bites
Price: £4 for 12 (269g)
Available: In store from 15 Dec

Squidgy little sweet canapés made with dates, simple to pop in the microwave. Our only complaint? We want more sticky sauce!

M&S 10 Molten Cheddar Cheese Profiteroles
Price: £5 for 10 (220g)
Available: In store now

Light, puffy canapés full of delectable molten cheese filling. Easy to eat with drink in hand and they warm in the oven in moments. Win!

Co-op Irresistible Sea Salt & Chardonnay Fish & Chip Stackers
Price: £5 for 303g
Available: In store from 15 Dec

The seasoning from Co-op’s cult favourite sea salt and chardonnay crisps delivers an appetisingly acidic bite.

Asda Extra Special Vegan Crab Croquettes with Red Pepper & Roasted Garlic Purée
Price: £2.59 for 218g
Available: In store now

White mock ‘crab meat’ mimics seafood’s clean, sweet taste astonishingly. Less love for the sauce.

Best buffet food

Booths Lathams Glasson Dock Smoked Salmon & Chive Quiche
Price: £12.50 for 1.2kg, serves 8
Available: To order online at booths.co.uk to collect in store

Just-set-but-slightly-wobbly-when-warm filling with well-judged fish and herbs: totally delicious. The Med veg and goat’s cheese version is also good.

5 of the best ready-made desserts

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Millionaire’s Torte
Price: £10 for 1.08kg, serves 10
Available: In store from 20 Dec

A large baked cheesecake with layers of chocolate and caramel, finished with Belgian chocolate ganache. The flavour and look are a cut above.

Tesco Wicked Kitchen Belgian Chocolate & Salted Caramel Log
Price: £6 for 570g, serves 6
Available: In store now

Glossy mirror glaze ganache, lush choc mousse and balanced salted caramel: impressive for a frozen, vegan pud. “I went back for seconds,” said our tester.

Aldi Vegan Speculoos Cheesecake
Price: £2.49 for 450g
Available: In store from 10 Dec

A dairy-free pud for speculoos lovers, with properly creamy filling, sweetly spiced speculoos sauce and biscuit crumble. “A great cheat’s dessert,” said our tester.

Waitrose Vegan Winter Pudding
Price: £5 for 405g, serves 4.
Available: In store from mid Dec

This light-textured Xmas pud alternative is a fetchingly festive crimson and tartly juicy with berries. Just add whipped cream (plant-based, if needed!).

Iceland Baileys Macarons
Price: £4 for 12 (132g)
Available: In store now

Moreish after-dinner treats in chocolate, salted caramel and coffee flavours with Baileys buttercream filing to stash in the freezer. Also at Iceland: a Luxury Giant Chocolate Bar (£6 for 600g, serves 8, in store now) with layers of brownie, peanut caramel and chocolate mousse.

3 of the best supermarket panettone

Waitrose Tiramisu Panettone
Price: £10 for 750g, serves 10
Available: In store now

Fluffy enriched bread with addictive flavour from the coffee syrup and sweet wine-infused mascarpone. The chocolate is the icing on the cake, literally. Delightful.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Prosecco and Orange Panettone
Price:  £9 for 800g
Available: In store now

Soft and not too sweet, with candied orange and sultanas, this got a thumbs up from our pastry chef-trained tester. Smart packaging for gifting.

Morrisons The Best Chocolate Orange and Mascarpone Cream Panettone
Price: £7 for 750g, serves 8
Available: In store now

Swirls of cream in every slice, true orange flavour and buttery dough. Seconds (and more) were eaten. Smartly packaged too.

5 smart time-saver meals for two

Iceland Luxury Smoked Haddock Gratin
Price: £4 for 2 x 100g, serves 2
Available: In store now

Generous chunks of smoky fish in rich, creamy, lightly cheesy sauce, served in table-ready terracotta ramekins. Would make a handy starter in a pinch.

Aldi Partridge in a Pear Tree Wellington
Price: £9.99 for 400g
Available: In store from 19 Dec

Two smart-looking parcels with succulent partridge, plus pork and pear stuffing.

M&S Seafood Bouillabaisse
Price: £25 for 942g.
Available: Food to order & in store from 21 Dec

Not as soupy as the classic recipe (and would be a main meal for two), but rich, complex and packed with juicy prawns, mussels and fish. A special treat.

Booths Fish Pie with Lobster Bisque Sauce
Price: £9 for 720g, serves 2-3.
Available: Order online at booths.co.uk to collect in store

A super stopgap dinner for the freezer: generous chunks of moist fish (cod, salmon, smoked salmon, prawns), creamy sauce and soft mash topping. Tastes homemade.

M&S 2 Barber’s Cheddar Melt in the middle Cheese Fondants
Price: £4.50 for 270g, serves 2
Available: In store now

Bursting with oozy, cheesy gorgeousness, these are large enough to be a veggie main or posh lunch (served with salad) or a substantial starter.

5 great vegetarian buys

Waitrose Vegan Jewelled Roast with a Fruity Centre
Price: £5.99 for 530g, serves 4
Available: In store from early Dec

Firm, juicy meatloaf-style texture and satisfying umami flavour, with cranberry pieces, pine nuts and citrussy ooziness adding interest.

Tesco Plant Chef Portobello Mushroom Wellington
Price: £6 for 450g, serves 2
Available: In store now

Thin pastry, but a hearty filling with subtly sweet beetroot that would work well with all the festive trimmings.

Iceland Luxury Mac & Cheese Tart
Price: £3 for 400g, serves 2
Available: In store now

Vintage cheddar delivers the cheesiness, the toasted crumb topping delivers the crunch. Comfort food to the max.

Higgidy Cheeseboard & Fig Chutney Quiche
Price: £4.25 for 400g, Waitrose, Ocado & Sainsbury’s.
Available: In stores now

Stilton, cheddar and brie shine through in this properly festive quiche, finished with a brussels sprout and chestnut crumb.

Charlie Bigham’s Mushroom Risotto
Price: £7.95 for 700g, serves 2, Waitrose & Ocado.
Available: in store now

The variety of meaty mushrooms feels premium, with punchy but not overly earthy flavour. We rate the Lemon Drizzle Pudding too (£5 for 404g, serves 2 4, Waitrose) – the citrus equivalent of sticky toffee.

5 of the best last-minute lifesavers 

Morrisons Bake at Home Mince Pies
Price: £2.50 for 6, 402g
Available: In store now

Bake the in-store bakery’s buttery recipe from frozen at home for ultimate freshness. Simply pop some in the oven when cravings (or guests) arrive.

Natoora Delica Pumpkin & Farro Soup
Price: £3.79 for 350g, Ocado
Available: Online now

For when something nourishing is in order: a subtly spicy, veg-forward meal for one from the quality greengrocer. Made in their small kitchen in Bermondsey.

Tesco Finest Hollandaise Sauce with Champagne
Price: £1.20 for 150ml
Available: In store from 13 Dec

A microwave marvel that hits the spot with no faff. Enhance with fresh herbs.

by Sainsbury’s Hassleback Potatoes with Maple & Smoked Salt Butter
Price: £2 for 350g
Available: In store from 13 Dec

This easy to prep roastie alternative comes with flavoursome butter.

Morrisons The Best Honey & Mustard Baby Parsnips
Price: £3 for 600g, serves 3-4.
Available: In store from 15 Dec

Fluffy inside, crispy outside ­and with a lip-smackingly good glaze, these were a surprise hit.

5 sweet treats to spoil yourself with 

Asda Extra Special Cookies in Sticky Toffee and Chocolate Orange
Price: £1.50 for 8 (200g)
Available: In store now

Soft-textured treats that magically melt in the middle (helped by the microwave), creating a sweet, saucy centre. Fun.

Bahlsen’s Gewürz Spekulatius
Price: £1 for 200g, exclusive to Asda.
Available: In store now

These thin, crisp biscuits have sensational spiced flavour. Ideal with coffee and would make a stellar biscuit base.

Häagen-Dazs Irish Whiskey & Chocolate Waffle
Price: £4.80 for 460ml, major retailers.
Available: In stores now

Fittingly creamy, with welcome crunch from the waffle pieces and mild boozy kick. Look out for the rum, salted caramel and biscuit flavour, too.

Sainsbury’s Chocolate and Salted Caramel Tear & Share Bread Kit
Price: £3 for 242g.
Available: In store now

A great baking project with easy steps: mix, shape and bake your dough from the sachets provided for an impressive looking (and tasting) treat.

Morrisons Gluten Free Gingerbread Crumble Mince Pies
Price: £2.50 for 4 (200g)
Available: In store now

Excellent free-from pies with something special about them. Spiced, buttery pastry; contrastingly sharp, zingy filling; and crumble topping with a sugary crunch.