Festive main course recipes
Lightly spiced lamb, Christmas pie and delicious citrus duck... this year try something different for your festive spread.
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Blackberry braised red cabbage with venison
By
- Ready in 1 hr 25 mins
Red cabbage dotted with berries perfectly cuts through game meat - serve with buttery mashed potatoes
1
rating
Moderately Easy
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Christmas pie
- Ready in 1 hr 45 mins
Combine a few key Christmas flavours here to make a pie that both children and adults will adore
84
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Lamb with Christmas spices
- Ready in 1 hr 20 mins
Keep this in the freezer ready for dinner parties and serve it with rice and salad or crunchy potatoes and vegetables
10
ratings
Easy
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Christmas poussin
- Ready in 45 mins
Prepare ahead and pop in the oven when your guests arrive. Perfect if you don't want to be tied to the kitchen
2
ratings
Easy
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Glazed Christmas ham with pineapple chutney
- Ready in 3 hrs 15 mins
Try Matt's spiced chutney alongside this traditional Christmas meat
2
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Pork & ham pie
- Ready in 2 hrs 45 mins
Gordon's delicious pork pie recipe is perfect for a buffet, picnic or grown-up lunch box
35
ratings
For The Keen Cook
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Easy cheese & onion slice
By
- Ready in 1 hr 15 mins
This cheesy dish is a great buffet recipe for guests to just help themselves to
40
ratings
Easy
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Sticky pork with cranberries
By
- Ready in 40 mins
Use up leftover Christmas cranberry sauce in this quick pork braise, lovely with a dollop of mash
15
ratings
Easy
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Roast fillet of beef with mushroom stuffing
- Ready in 1 hr 30 mins
Serve up a spectacular centrepiece of roast beef with a rich stuffing, and a clever twist on Yorkshire puddings
16
ratings
For The Keen Cook
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Festive squash jalousie
By
- Ready in 2 hrs
Perfect for a veggie Christmas Day centrepiece, this easy pie tastes great with all the traditional trimmings
10
ratings
Easy
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Ginger beer & tangerine glazed ham
- Ready in 4 hrs 30 mins
This warming ginger beer-spiced ham is great for Christmas entertaining as it's simple to prepare ahead of time
20
ratings
Easy
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Parsnip, cranberry & chestnut loaf
- Ready in 2 hrs
A modern take on the nut loaf, this makes a great vegetarian centrepiece for Christmas Day or a special dinner
20
ratings
Easy
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Spiced rice & mushroom en croute
- Ready in 1 hr 30 mins
This festive centrepiece makes a great veggie main course
8
ratings
Easy
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Roast duck two ways with spiced clementine sauce
- Ready in 3 hrs 50 mins
Christmas dinner for two? Forget having to carve a whole duck and enjoy this meltingly soft, crispy skinned leg and breast meat version instead
6
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Garland sausage roll slice
By
- Ready in 1 hr 15 mins
This party recipe adds a touch of sophistication to traditional sausage rolls, and can be made one day ahead for minimum stress
6
ratings
Easy
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Polenta & goat's cheese stacks
By
- Ready in 3 hrs 40 mins
This show-stopping vegetarian main will dazzle dinner party guests and it's special enough to serve on Christmas Day
4
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Fennel & chestnut loaf with cranberry relish
By
- Ready in 1 hr 15 mins
Good Food reader Barbara Keen shares her vegetarian loaf recipe with seasonal chestnut and cranberry
5
ratings
Easy
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Pistachio & cranberry pork pie
By
- Ready in 1 hr 50 mins
Make this extra special pork pie recipe a couple of days ahead, ready to slice into at your festive buffet party
3
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Venison & wild mushroom Wellington
- Ready in 3 hrs 15 mins
A stunning centrepiece for any dinner party - how about trying it as an alternative to turkey at Christmas?
4
ratings
For The Keen Cook
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Squash & sage pithivier
By
- Ready in 50 mins
This simple pie for one makes a great veggie option for Christmas Day - make as many as you need and freeze ahead
3
ratings
Easy
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Mini venison Wellington with parsnip purée
- Ready in 2 hrs 10 mins
This is perfect if there are only two of you eating Christmas dinner, and you can make it all ahead
2
ratings
Easy
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Turkey cacciatore with a twist
- Ready in 1 hr
This tasty Italian cheese and tomato bake is a fab way to use up leftover meat and a true family favourite
7
ratings
Easy
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Roast rib of beef with horseradish breadcrumbs & duck fat potatoes
- Ready in 3 hrs 15 mins
Michelin-starred Jason Atherton's beef and roasties makes a stunning restaurant-style centrepiece
0
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Spiced roast side of salmon
- Ready in 30 mins
Serve salmon with paprika, ginger and honey mustard glaze for an Indian-inspired, original roast
9
ratings
Easy
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Roast beef with caramelised onion gravy
- Ready in 2 hrs
Rare roast topside is the ultimate centrepiece - make it extra special with Marmite and sweet onion gravy
3
ratings
Easy
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Slow-roast shoulder of lamb with anchovy & rosemary
- Ready in 4 hrs 10 mins
This generous dish of melt-in-the-mouth lamb feels extravagant, but is an inexpensive way to feed a crowd
23
ratings
Easy
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Mustard pork fillet with apple lentils & herb aioli
- Ready in 35 mins
An elegant dinner party dish which is inexpensive and easy to prepare
3
ratings
Easy
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Roast loin of pork with sage & onion stuffing & gravy
- Ready in 2 hrs 5 mins
Sage and sausage meat are stuffed inside a pork loin to create a moist, flavoursome Sunday lunch main for a crowd
2
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Parcel-poached salmon with herby mayonnaise
By
- Ready in 2 hrs
Beautiful served hot or cold, this poached salmon makes a stunning yet stress-free centrepiece for a buffet lunch
3
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Pheasant, leek & bacon pie
By
- Ready in 1 hr 40 mins
Don't be scared of cooking game - you can cook pheasant breasts as you would chicken
4
ratings
Easy
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Slow-roasted pork belly & chicory
- Ready in 4 hrs
A relaxed roast to feed a crowd - the tender chicory and delicious juices mean you needn't cook separate veg and gravy
4
ratings
Moderately Easy
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