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.
You can kick things off with a fiery baked camembert with harissa honey, turkey and cranberry sausage rolls are a moreish snack that’ll go down a treat.
As for the main event, try our air-fryer roast chicken, fondant sprouts with bacon, or our root veg in blankets. Or, take the trouble out of a roast and give our air fryer festive traybake a go.
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 87 recipes
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Brussels sprouts
Marie Mitchell’s brussels sprout cheese
Brussels sprout cheese will be your new favourite festive side. This sprout-centric twist on cauli cheese is topped with sourdough croutons.
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Easy
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Onions
Hot candied cocktail onions
This three-ingredient pickle is a game-changer for cheeseboards. Cocktail onions are simmered in their liquid with added sweetness and heat.
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Easy
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Orange and clove Christmas tapenade
Olive-based dip tapenade gets an orangey twist and a hint of Christmas spice from the clove. Perfect for festive entertaining – and quick!
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Camembert
Baked camembert with harissa honey
Oozy, gooey cheese drizzled with a fiery, sweet topping; this easy baked camembert with honey recipe is perfect for entertaining.
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Easy
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Sausage rolls
Turkey and cranberry sausage rolls
These turkey and cranberry sausage rolls are perfect for preparing ahead and keeping in the freezer for those last-minute festive occasions.
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Easy
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Christmas chocolate
Advent calendar chocolate truffles
Enjoy a chocolate truffle a day during the month of December? Customise the recipe by coating the truffles in your favourite toppings.
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Carrots
Vichy carrots
This classic French technique is our favourite way to cook carrots. Add star anise, thyme and lemon for a perfect Christmas side dish.
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Christmas trimmings, sides and sauces
Butter-roast parsnips with hazelnuts and sage
Dish up your best-ever roast parsnips this Christmas. Crisp sage and a scattering of toasted hazelnuts provide flavour and crunch.
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Easy
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Brussels sprouts
Fondant sprouts with bacon and chestnuts
Crisp, buttery sprouts with chestnuts and bacon is our favourite festive side. A two-step cooking process gets the best out of every sprout.
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Alternative Christmas roast
Air fryer festive traybake with gravy mayo
Everything you love about Christmas dinner in a single traybake, all cooked in the air fryer – perfect if you can’t wait until the big day.
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Carrots
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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Easy
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Red cabbage
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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Easy
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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
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.
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Easy
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Roast chicken
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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