For any home cook, Christmas dinner is an occasion where you want to pull out all the stops, make sure everything is as delicious as it can be and impress everyone with your culinary skills. But what often happens is that you’re so concerned with the main event – be it a turkey, rib of beef or nut roast – that all the delicious trimmings fall by the wayside. A perfectly cooked turkey is all well and good, but if you’re pairing it with underdone spuds, boiled sprouts and burnt parsnips then those will be what the family remember.
We’re firm believers that the side dishes on a Christmas table can be just as popular and delicious (if not more so) than the centrepiece. Provided you treat the vegetables with the same care and attention as you would the main event, they can really sing – and we’ve collected an incredible array of recipes from some of the best chefs in the UK to help you put your festive menu together.
From easy purées that act as both a side dish and a sauce to familiar vegetables given a little contemporary twist (plus some fantastically unique dishes that are bound to impress), the recipes below will make this year’s Christmas dinner the best ever. Mix and match your favourites and you’ll be left with an incredible array of sides that will quickly steal the limelight. If you’re getting a bit bored of the same old dinner year after year, then give some of these recipes a go. They’ll get you right out of that festive rut and spread some Christmas cheer with a difference.