Christmas is an excuse to pause healthy eating and diets and become a bit gluttonous; it’s the season to eat, drink and be merry after all! Make sure you’ve selected the right menu to keep your attendees happy (and most importantly well fed!)
We’ve picked out 10 different festive food ideas from canapés on arrival, right the way through to desserts, that will make sure everyone has had their festive fill of delicious dishes.
Christmas dinner on a stick
Why not start the evening by giving your attendees a taste of what’s to come? Roll up a slice of turkey with some stuffing in the middle, add a roast potato, with a dollop of cranberry sauce for good measure. There you have yourself Christmas dinner on a stick. This is also a great option if you won’t be serving a traditional Christmas dinner. This way at least they get a mouthful of it.
Festive Pâté
What is festive pâté? Okay, you’ve got us, it’s just normal pâté, but with a festive twist! Add some winter berries on the side, some cranberry sauce and a liberal helping of sea salt, which can create the illusion of a pile of snow. Cutting the pâté and bread it’s served on into a festive shape, like a star, or a Christmas tree, just adds an extra festive feel to the dish.
Turkey with a twist
When you invite people to a Christmas Gala, or your event mentions a sit-down Christmas meal, the first thing people will expect is turkey. Like marmite, people both love and hate turkey, mostly people are just overwhelmed with the amount of turkey they may ending up eating at different events. That’s why we’ve picked this turkey dish with a twist. This is turkey breast rolled and filled with cranberries, hazelnuts, cheese and spices. This dish will beat all other turkey dishes your attendees eat this Christmas!
Roasted goose
A rather Dickensian dish to serve, and very different from turkey, which is great because not everyone is a huge turkey fan anyway. Goose isn’t as dry as turkey and not as fatty as duck so may be the perfect bird to serve.
Roast beef and horseradish served in a mini Yorkshire pudding
Keeping the theme of mini roasts, here’s a mouthful of a Sunday roast. Grab a mini Yorkshire pudding, add some horseradish (or a cheese sauce would work), roll up a slice of beef to add on top and you’ve got yourself a bite sized Sunday roast.
The feast of the seven fishes
Taking influence from the traditional food served in Italy on Christmas Eve, why not recreate your own feast of the seven fishes as a starter? Fish has always been a traditional dinner party starter and this festive link means it ticks both boxes.
Duck a L’Orange
Duck a L’orange is an oldie but a goodie. This dish was hugely popular in the 70’s and you make think it has run its course. However duck is another bird often served at Christmas, so what better way to turn a fatty duck into a deliciously succulent and fragrant dish, than with duck a l’orange?
Poached Pears
Not only do these poached pears look delicious, they taste it too. The example above is served with a cinnamon syrup, and let’s face it, cinnamon is the taste of Christmas.
Mince Pies
“Not mince pies!” we hear you scream, but you can’t ignore this classic Christmas treat. Instead of buying store bought, standard pies, why not order some unique mince pies, jazzed up with added ingredients? Why not make some with cranberries, with melted brie on top? Replace the top pastry with meringue? Or add some chocolate and hazelnuts to the mix? These will really get people talking.
