Easy Christmas recipes

Try this lighter version of a classic Christmas fruitcake, bursting with festive spice and juicy fruit. Decorate with candied fruit and glacé cherries

Make the most of Christmas Day leftovers in this celebratory sandwich with pickled cabbage to cut through the richness. It's the ideal lunch for Boxing Day

Serve a traditional roast turkey for Christmas without the fuss. Use the sticky glaze you'd get on a ham to add flavour and golden colour to a turkey crown

Try a clever Christmas-themed update on the ‘butter board’ trend (that’s butter spread on a board with various toppings, ready to slather on bread)

Combine two very traditional Christmas bakes - gingerbread and mince pies - to create a brilliant modern classic. Top with mini gingerbread people.

Give the classic prawn cocktail a makeover with a boozy twist – you then need to choose whether to shake or stir the martini dressing

Indulge in these soft and squidgy Christmas cookies with moreish mincemeat flavours. Make ahead and freeze, then simply pop in the oven when guests arrive

Quick to make on Christmas Day, you can swap fresh cranberries here for frozen – just keep an eye on them during cooking, as they won’t take as long to break down

Use shop-bought stuffing and a fruit-and-nut snack pack for this easy recipe. You could also roll the mix into 12-18 balls rather than make a traybake

Save hob space by using a slow cooker to braise red cabbage – take the lid off for the last 30 mins to reduce the juices for a lovely, sticky texture

Don’t waste stale croissants from Christmas morning – use them to make a rich bread sauce. For total indulgence, finish with a knob of butter to melt over the top

Make pigs in blankets even more special using maple syrup and a little mustard. If you can’t find cocktail sausages, use chipolatas, each cut into three pieces

Combine salty popcorn, pretzels, sweet marshmallows, chocolate and tangy dried cranberries to make the perfect Christmas movie snack

Try this easy no-bake dessert which uses just five ingredients. As well as looking great as a centrepiece, it's easy to carry to a gathering.

Get kids in the kitchen to make this simple circular puffed rice cake, cut into wedges and decorated to look like reindeer. It's a great festive family bake

Get that festive feeling with this smooth mulled wine made with figs, sliced clementine and spices. Great for a Christmas party or just to cosy up with

Make this subtly flavoured gravy base ahead and freeze to make life a bit easier when entertaining – just stir in the roasting juices before serving

Make a simplified version of our magical meringue Christmas tree, using shop-bought meringues assembled in a tree shape, then decorated with white chocolate

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