Budget Christmas recipes
Going all out for Christmas doesn’t require you to overspend – discover our budget Christmas recipes that still deliver on festive decadence without breaking the bank. These recipes can keep costs per head down or go far in terms of portion servings. Other thrifty ways to make the most of your Christmas budget are to make homemade food gifts, serve wallet-friendly party food, and familiarise yourself with our Christmas leftover recipes.
Try our speedy Glow-Up hacks, from a fruity glaze to brush onto pigs in blankets to a savoury granola to scatter over bread sauce…
Showing 1-16 of 77 recipes
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Carrot recipes
Orange and honey-roast carrots and parsnips
Carrots and parsnips are a key part of a roast dinner because they add colour and sweetness – especially with a good drizzle of honey.
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Red cabbage recipes
Braised red cabbage with pickled walnuts and tarragon
Red cabbage is an essential element of the festive plate, thanks to its sweetness and acidity. Make this Christmas side dish ahead.
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Christmas trimmings, sides and sauces
Christmas peas
Buttery peas flecked with pink grapefruit provide a flash of green at the Christmas table. Not traditional, but zingily flavoursome.
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Christmas trimmings, sides and sauces
Sprouts in blankets
Two Christmas icons combine to make sprouts in blankets. Even sprout haters will change their beliefs when they taste them wrapped in bacon.
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Budget Christmas party food recipes
Pickled walnut and cheese rolls
These moreish walnut and cheese rolls are a perfect no-fuss nibble for Christmas parties. Make them ahead, then pop in the oven on the night.Â
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Roast chicken recipes
Air fryer roast chicken
Wondering how to roast a chicken in an air fryer? The results are surprisingly good – super-crisp golden skin and, because of the way an air fryer works, the meat remains super juicy.
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Festive desserts
Sweet golden dumplings with ginger sauce
These golden, sweet dumplings are a Christmas favourite in Hungary and Romania. Serve the warm, yeasted buns with a jug of vanilla sauce.
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Brussels sprouts recipes
Garlic butter sprouts
Gently cook sprouts in butter until crisp and caramelised, then add garlic. This is how we cook our sprouts every Christmas.
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Christmas leftover recipes
Christmas leftovers stew with bread sauce dumplings
This versatile Christmas leftovers stew makes the most of leftover roast turkey, veg and pigs in blankets, turning them into a hearty dinner.
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Christmas recipes for four
Root veg in blankets
Fresher and lighter than their sausagey counterparts, these roots in blankets are the best side dish you can serve up at Christmas dinner.
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Budget Christmas recipes
Marmite parsnips with poppy seeds
Marmite's deeply savoury flavour mellows out into something sweeter and almost smoky once heated, making it the perfect match for parsnips.
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Roast potato recipes
Garlic roast potatoes with bay leaves
Looking for a roast potatoes recipe that won't let you down? Our garlic and bay roast potatoes are crisp and golden with soft fluffy insides.
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Easy vegan recipes
Nut roast balls, onion gravy and greens
Clodagh McKenna's nut roast balls with onion gravy and greens makes a fantastic vegan alternative to roast dinner or a simple Christmas lunch.
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Sausage roll recipes
Sausage roll wreath
Pair a sausage roll wreath with tangy chutney for an irresistible Christmas buffet dish. The filling includes cranberries for extra flavour.
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Cookie recipes
Sheet pan cookie with Christmas chocolates
Looking for an easy Christmas dessert with wow factor? Meet our two-step, one-pan sheet cookie with Christmas chocolates.
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Roast potato recipes
Roast potatoes with polenta, balsamic and thyme
You can make these crispy roast potatoes ahead so that, when the meat has cooked, you can pop the potatoes in the oven while the meat rests.
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