10 alternative Christmas dinner recipes
Bored of the traditional roast or in need of a vibrant veggie main course this Christmas? Try our alternative Christmas dinner recipes for festive twists.
If you're not a fan of traditional turkey or standard sides and fancy a change this Christmas, try our mouth-watering alternative Christmas mains and desserts with a twist. Plan the ultimate Christmas dinner with hearty sharing recipes, including our vibrant veggie mains using seasonal ingredients.
Looking for even more stunning Christmas centrepieces? Check out our fabulous collection of roasts, pies and pastries.
Check out our ideas below, then have a look at our vegetarian Christmas recipes, freezable Christmas centrepieces and impressive no-bake Christmas dessert recipes. And make the most of what you buy with our Christmas leftover recipes.
Top 10 alternative Christmas dinner centrepieces
Top 5 alternative meaty mains
Do Christmas a little differently this year and try a turkey alternative. Don't fancy cooking a bird? Try a glistening glazed ham, roast lamb or a decadent duck recipe. Experiment and find your new favourite.
1. Quick roast Christmas chicken & sticky veg
Enjoy an energy and cost-efficient festive lunch with our quick roast chicken. We’ve used a few tricks to cut down on the oven cooking time, but the result is still a succulent chicken.
Discover even more amazing roast chicken recipes in our main collection.
Add a sticky honey and mustard glaze to gammon for a delicious sweetness that contrasts with the saltiness of the meat. It's great for a celebration supper.
Watch our video tutorial and learn how to glaze and cook a ham.
Master roast pork with crispy crackling using our easy recipe. This succulent main requires just four ingredients, a great way to simplify your Christmas Day cooking.
See our roast pork recipes for more ideas.
4. Marmalade glazed roast duck
Roast duck makes a delicious, easy alternative to turkey and our addition of sticky Seville oranges and marmalade makes it all the more festive. It takes just five minutes to prep this beautiful bird and it's a great size for a smaller family meal on the big day.
Try even more versatile roast duck recipes in place of your traditional roast.
Roast leg of lamb is a great crowd pleaser that will go down a storm on Christmas Day. See this easy version, infused with fragrant rosemary.
Get your fill of our moreish roast lamb recipes – they're not just for Easter.
Top 5 vegetarian alternatives
Never fear, nut roast alternatives are here! Try a savoury slice of veg cake, a cheesy truffled pudding or an Italian-inspired gnocchi dish. Take a look at our vegetarian Christmas collection for more enticing meat-free meals.
Wow family and friends at Christmas with a spectacular whole roasted cauliflower. With festive pomegranate jewels, it's a great veggie main.
See more roasted cauliflower recipe ideas.
2. Parsnip, mushroom & barley wreath
Nothing says Christmas like an edible wreath, packed with your favourite winter veg. This show-stealing recipe tastes as good as it looks, and even the carnivores will be asking for a second slice. The mushrooms add a rich, umami depth that brings out the earthy flavours of the root veg. Top with colourful root veg crisps for added crunch. It's also delicious the next day, layered into Boxing Day sandwiches.
3. Truffled parsnip & brioche pudding
Go for full on indulgence and pig out on our truffled parsnip & brioche pudding, with crunchy hazelnuts and thyme butter. This decadent, savoury twist on the classic pudding is pure comfort food. A spoonful of this ultra-rich bready delight will take a plateful of roast veg and crispy potatoes from standard to something special.
More like this
4. Vegan pie
Make this fantastic vegan beetroot, sweet potato, chard and celeriac rainbow-layered pie as a stunning centrepiece for a meat-free Christmas.
For more ideas, see our vegan Christmas mains.
5. Beetroot & red onion tarte tatin
Bring a splash of colour to an overly beige plate of treats with our beetroot and red onion tarte. Although it looks impressive, this easy recipe takes just 10 minutes to prepare, so you can dazzle your guests with very little effort. Top with orange zest and a sprinkle of salt, and serve with a peppery salad.
Alternative Christmas desserts
Christmas pudding
If you love baking but aren't a fan of traditional puddings, we have a whole host of brownies, cakes, cheesecakes and ice creams to get your mouth watering. Take Christmas pudding and turn it on its head. Try a scoop of Christmas pudding trifle, a slice of pudding cheesecake or a bowlful of Christmas pud ice cream.
See more Christmas pudding recipes and leftover Christmas pudding ideas.
Christmas cake
Want a stunning sponge to take centre stage this Christmas? Embrace all the flavours of the season, with our own clever twists. Our gingerbread cake with caramel biscuit icing is deliciously decadent, complete with coconut 'snow'. Get a taste of the tropics with our pineapple & rum cake, filled with sunny Caribbean flavours. Ditch the fruit cake and try our white chocolate, orange & cranberry cake with picture-perfect meringue toppers.
Find more Christmas cake recipe ideas.
Mince pies & yule log
Perk up your standard sweet offering with our golden-brown cinnamon swirl mince pies. They're easy and can be made with just a handful of ingredients. Try another glorious mash-up in the form of our mince pie baklava – serve small bites with coffee or a hearty serving warm with ice cream. Bring a pop of colour to your dinner table with our stunning rainbow yule log, a striped Swiss roll makes a centrepiece that'll get everyone talking. If you need something sweet to satisfy your cravings, try your hand at our salted caramel yule log. A slice of this is the perfect end to a festive meal.
Discover even more mince pie and Yule log recipes.
Enjoyed these recipes? Try our other Christmas classics...
Easiest ever Christmas dinner
The best ever Christmas cocktails
Christmas projects for kids
What's your essential Christmas dinner dish? Leave a comment below...
