Quick Christmas menu

Christmas morning

Base your breakfast around eggs or whip up some speedy pancakes. Both cook in minutes and provide a suitably savoury start to a day of serious feasting. Combine fried eggs, avocados, chutney and cream cheese in our breakfast naans for a flavoursome breakfast that takes just 10 minutes. It also counts as one of your 5-a-day, setting you up for some serious indulgence later.

Get more quick breakfast inspiration

For one (can easily be doubled to serve more)...
Flash-fried smoked salmon & egg bagel (Ready in 5 mins)
Cheese omelette (Ready in 10 mins)
Smoked salmon & lemon scrambled eggs (Ready in 10 mins)
Overnight oats (Prep 10 minutes)
Ultimate French omelette (Ready in 5 mins)
Soft-boiled eggs (Ready in 4-7 mins)

For two...
Herb omelette with fried tomatoes (Ready in 10 mins)
Air fryer fried egg (Ready in 8-10 mins)
Cinnamon porridge with baked bananas (Ready in 13 mins)
Three-minute blender banana pancakes (Ready in 3 mins)

For four...
Cheesy scrambled egg croissants (Ready in 10 mins)
Breakfast egg wraps (Ready 12 mins)
Smoked salmon tartines (Ready in 10 mins)
Oat & chia porridge (Ready in 14 mins)
Prosciutto, cranberry & brie croissants (Ready in 10 mins)

Find more quick Christmas breakfast recipes to begin the festivities right.

Christmas dinner

Starters

Get ahead with dishes you can make in advance or serve an array of luxurious products, such as smoked salmon and fine cheeses – a classic cheat’s choice. Smoked salmon dishes are always a popular choice and can be whipped up in a few minutes. For a light veggie starter, try our zingy halloumi, carrot & orange salad with a punchy mustard and honey dressing. This easy, colourful dish is ready in just 20 minutes and adds a vibrant start to your menu.

Try our other speedy starters

For two...
Seared garlic seafood with spicy harissa bisque (Ready in 15 mins)
Potted crab (Ready in 12 mins)
Triple cheese & tarragon-stuffed mushrooms (Ready in 15 mins)

For four to six...
Baked camembert (Ready in 25 mins)
Roasted red pepper soup with crispy croutons (Ready in 27 mins)
Smoked salmon with beetroot & vodka crème fraîche (Ready in 15 mins)
Cucumber prawn cocktail cups (Ready in 15 mins)
Marinated smoked salmon with poppy seeds (Ready in 15 mins)
Hot-smoked salmon & beetroot platter (Prep 10 mins)

For eight...
Smoked salmon flatbreads (Ready in 8 mins)
Raclette (Ready in 25-28 mins)
Smoked trout & radish remoulade tartines (Ready in 25 mins)

Check out our guide to quick Christmas starters for inspiration on more speedy starters.

Main courses

A huge joint of meat is always going to take hours roasting, so think outside the box when it comes to your choice of cut or alternative centrepiece. These festive mains can be prepared and cooked in an hour or less, so there'll be no need to watch the oven all day.

For one (can easily be doubled to serve more)...
Cranberry & lentil bake (Ready in 30 mins)
Pea & ham pot pie (Ready in 40 mins)

For two...
Partridge with wine & cinnamon (Ready in 55 mins)
Roasted duck breast with plum sauce (Ready in 35 mins)
Creamy salmon, leek & potato traybake (Ready in 40 mins)
One-pan pigeon breast with spinach & bacon (Ready in 20 mins)
Lemon dressed salmon with leek & broad bean puree (Ready in 30 mins)

For four...
Christmas poussin (Ready in 45 mins)
Pot-roast pheasant with cider & bacon (Ready in 1 hour)
Honey-roasted duck with creamed cauliflower (Ready in 1 hour)
Spiced salmon with traybaked sag aloo (Ready in 55 mins)

For six...
Roast rack of lamb with rosemary (Ready in 50 mins- 1 hr)
Rain-or-shine leg of lamb (Ready in 45 mins)
Charred squash and spiced lamb (Ready in 45 mins)
Herby cheese roulade (Ready in 45 mins)
Bay-crumbed salmon with creamed spinach & wild mushroom (Ready in 55 mins)

For eight...
Clementine & vodka-baked salmon with beetroot crème fraîche sauce (Ready in 1 hour)
Salmon & watercress parcels (Ready in 25-40 mins)

Side dishes

Prepare a delicious array of sides, each of which can be on the table in 20 minutes or under. From stir-fried festive cabbage to crushed olive oil potatoes, our speedy shortcuts mean you can enjoy all the trimmings with less hassle.

For two...
Glazed baby veg (Ready in 5 mins)
Braised cavolo nero (Ready in 20 mins)
Crushed olive oil potatoes (Ready in 20 mins)
Garlic & shallot spinach (Ready in 20 mins)

For four...
Stir-fried festive cabbage (Ready in 20 mins)
Tangy chicory salad (Ready in 10 mins)
Tenderstem broccoli with sesame (Ready in 10 mins)
Creamy polenta with spinach (Ready in 5 mins)
Pan-roasted kale with lemon (Ready in 11-13 mins)
Simple green beans (Ready in 10 mins)

For six...
Hazelnut & mustard carrots (Ready in 18 mins)
Air fryer brussel sprouts (Ready in 13-20 mins)
Brussels sprouts with pancetta (Ready in 10 mins)
Microwave caraway & pomegranate red cabbage (Ready in 25 mins)
Rosemary-spiked cabbage (Ready in 15 mins)
Garlicky green beans (Ready in 10 mins)
Fresh mint & raisin sauce (Ready in 10 mins)
Spinach with pine nuts & garlic (Ready in 5 mins)

Dessert

If you've neither the time nor the patience to cook a traditional Christmas pudding or an intricate baked Alaska, our super-speedy sweets will save the day. You can whip up one of these elegant parfaits, mousses or meringues in just 10 minutes or under – guests need never know how little time they took!

For two...
Bellini granita (Ready in 10 mins)
Inside-out Alaska (Ready in 5 mins)
Microwave Christmas mug cake (Ready in 8 mins)
Blackberry & lemon fool (Ready in 10 mins)
Chocolate & hazelnut ice cream sandwiches (Ready in 5 mins)

For four...
Vanilla, apple & ginger biscuit fool (Ready in 10 mins)
Banoffee trifles (Ready in 5 mins)
Easy chocolate mousse (Ready in 7 mins)
Beer tiramisu (Prep 10 mins)
Almond & apricot trifles (Ready in 10 mins)
Amaretti affogato (Ready in 5 mins)

For six...
Black forest Christmas fool (Ready in 10 mins)
Coffee granita (Prep 10 mins)
Affogato (Prep 5 mins)
Baileys banana trifles (Ready in 10 mins)
After-dinner mint cream (Ready in 10 mins)

Snacking

If anyone gets the munchies between meals, a simple spread of quick bites, sandwiches and dips will bridge the hunger gap in no time.

For one (can easily be doubled to serve more)...
Date & walnut cinnamon bites (Ready in 5 mins)
Pan-fried camembert sandwich (Ready in 5 mins)

For two...
Mini saltimbocca sandwiches (Ready in 10 mins)
Chorizo & red pepper hummus (Ready in 10 mins)
Avocado with Virgin Mary dressing (Ready in 5 mins)

For four to six...
Smoked salmon & rice salad (Ready in 10 mins)
Smoked trout & horseradish pâté (Ready in 5 mins)
Ricotta & spring onion dip (Ready in 5 mins)
Choc & ginger dippers (Ready in 7 mins)
Feta & cucumber bites (Ready in 10 mins)

For a crowd
Quick and easy party nibbles (Ready in 1 hour)

Drinks

Whether your guests are going booze-free or fancy a classic festive tipple, we've got plenty of quick drinks you can mix up in 15 minutes or fewer. All that's left to do is grab a glass and join in the evening's festivities.

For one...
Whisky mac (Ready in 2 mins)
Piña colada (Ready in 5 mins)
Spiced piña colada mocktail (Ready in 15 mins)
Irish coffee (Ready in 5 mins)

For two...
Sloe Royales (Ready in 2 mins)
Hot toddy (Ready in 5 mins)

For four...
Eggnog (Ready in 10 mins, plus 2 hours chilling)
Spiced Bloody Marys (Ready in 5 mins)
Mulled wine cocktail (Ready in 12 mins, plus 2 hours chilling)

For six...
Easy mulled wine (Ready in 15 mins)
Gin-free G&T (Ready in 10 mins, plus 2 hours infusing)
Bellini (Ready in 5 mins)
Mimosa recipe (Ready in 5 mins)
Festive rum & ginger punch (Ready in 10 mins)
Cinnamon butter rum (Ready in 9 mins)

For a crowd...
Mulled pear & cranberry punch (Ready in 10 mins)
Christmas cosmopolitan (Ready in 5 mins)

Want a plan that takes all the stress out of Christmas dinner? Try our easiest ever, next level or budget menu plans, complete with timeplans, pre-loaded shopping lists (to print out or use for online shopping) and all the recipes you'll need for the big day.

Find more Christmas menus...

Vegetarian Christmas menu
Vegan Christmas menu
Gluten-free Christmas menu
Classic Christmas menu
2-hour Christmas menu
Christmas menu for a crowd
Christmas menu for two
All our Christmas menus

How do you handle cooking a big meal under time pressure? Share your tips below...