Budget Christmas recipes

Enjoy an energy- and cost-efficient festive lunch – we’ve used a few tricks to cut down on the oven cooking time, but the result is still a succulent chicken

Cook canned potatoes in an air fryer to make these alternative roasties. Though they're not the same as oven-cooked, they do turn golden and crisp

Cook the British classic, cauliflower cheese, easily by making it in the microwave. It can work as a main or side dish for a Sunday roast

Use up any extra brussels sprouts in your veg box this winter by making this sprout slaw. It will go particularly well with cold cuts on Boxing Day

Transform stuffing into a new version of pigs in blankets to save oven space. You’ll also need to buy fewer sausages, as this makes good use of just a few

Make our no-waste gravy using overripe tomatoes, mushrooms, herb stalks, leek tops and celery leaves to give it added flavour

Marmite and brussels sprouts may sound like an unusual combination, but trust us: it works. Try this recipe for your next Christmas feast or as a winter side dish

Prep these festive chocolate robins' nests in less than 30 minutes. Made with cornflakes, they‘re ideal for getting younger children involved in the kitchen.

Try skin-on roasties – not only do they dramatically cut down the prep time, but it makes them more filling and gives them a deeper baked potato flavour

Maximise your oven space by throwing everything into one dish and roasting with goose fat

Enjoy the best of Christmas in a traybake. A perfect Boxing Day feast for using up leftovers like potatoes, parsnips, carrots, sprouts and pigs-in-blankets

Make a flavourful bread sauce to accompany your Christmas dinner. The sauce is silky and thick thanks to butter and whole milk – no need to add cream

Make this vegetable tatin with nuts and cheese as a Christmas showstopper. Perfect for a veggie family, it also makes a great Boxing Day buffet centrepiece

Feel free to add other bits to this Christmas pudding fridge cake, such as nuts or shop-bought chocolates. You could add a splash of your favourite tipple, too

Adapt this festive rocky road however you like. It’s great for using up leftover Christmas sweets and biscuits, and you can get kids involved in making them, too

Unexpected guests and no Christmas cake to serve? This last-minute loaf tastes as if it had been made in November. Decorate with a snow shower of icing sugar

Looking for an alternative to turkey at Christmas? This festive lunch loaf is packed with flavour, plus it's cheaper and easier to prep and serve

Cooking for a smaller crowd this Christmas? Try this roast turkey breast as an easy alternative to cooking a whole turkey, plus we've included instructions for adapting the recipe to make air fryer turkey breast

Make a fuss-free Christmas dinner with this two-tray method that includes stuffing, veg and the turkey. It's ideal if you have a small oven, and saves on the washing-up

Love crinkle cookies? Try our extra-festive version for Christmas, with orange zest, mixed spice and cinnamon – and not forgetting the classic fudgy centre

Each piece of this pull-apart bread has a melted mozarella centre. Brushed with garlic butter and served with a tomato dipping sauce, this will be a hit at any Christmas party buffet table

A modern dinner party starter that’s great for a budget - salty feta, sweet grapes, tangy sumac and aniseed dill create contrasting yet complementary flavours

Save precious time when planning a group meal by prepping and freezing your potatoes in advance.

Salt the red cabbage overnight to soften – this way, it will only need cooking for a fraction of the time. It still retains all the flavour and texture