Simple Christmas Fair drizzled with deliciousness.

Christmas buffets should be all about great food, good company and zero stress!

Whether you’re feeding a crowd, hosting a festive get-together or putting together a spread for grazing and sharing, these recipes are designed to make things easy and delicious. With a drizzle of our natural and delicious dressings and marinades, simple party favourites are instantly lifted into something full of flavour and festive flair. Think minimal prep and maximum taste, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the celebrations.

Balsamic enriched Shallot tartlets

The Balsamic Dressing in this recipe adds a depth of flavour and sweetness to the shallots, making this the perfect party food for any Christmas gathering.

Makes 20

Ingredients

10 small shallots, peeled and halved 

2 tbsp Balsamic Dressing

1 x 320g/11½oz packet ready-rolled puff pastry 

150g/5½oz garlic and herb cream cheese (such as Boursin)

1 free-range egg, beaten 

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Place the shallots in a bowl with the Balsamic Dressing and give it all a good mix. Leave to sit for at least 10 minutes. 

Place the onions on a tray cut side down – you may need to use two trays so that they are not too crowded. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and some fresh thyme leaves. 

Cut the pastry into 20 little squares using a pizza cutter. Take a square of pastry, spread with half a teaspoon of cheese and place one square on top of each shallot. Press down the edges gently to seal everything in. 

Brush with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 12–14 minutes, or until golden-brown. Allow to cool slightly and flip the tartlets over before serving. 

Balsamic baked Fig Camembert starter

The most impressive starter or centerpiece for any Christmas party. Work swell with our Cranberry & Orange Dressing too.

Ingredients

1 small camembert cheese

6 ripe figs

5 sprigs thyme

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp Balsamic Dressing

1 tbsp walnuts

Serves 4-6

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C/180C Fan Gas 6

Place the cheese in the middle of a baking tray and stick three of the thyme springs through the rind in the centre of the cheese.

Scatter quartered figs and the walnuts around the cheese. Drizzle the honey and balsamic dressing over the top and scatter the thyme leaves stripped from the remaining sprigs.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the figs are golden and the cheese starts to melt.

Simple to make, seriously impressive ✨

Our Balsamic Baked Fig Camembert is the ultimate starter with real wow factor — warm, gooey cheese, sweet figs and a rich drizzle of balsamic goodness. Perfect for effortless entertaining and festive tables alike.

Sticky Cranberry Sausages

Sticky sweet glaze makes these so moorish and irresistable. Serve up at a festive party or alongside your Christmas dinner.

Ingredients

2 red onions, sliced

3-4 tbsp Cranberry & Orange Dressing

400g/14oz uncooked cocktail sausages

200g/7oz fresh or frozen cranberries

Method

Fry the sliced red onions in a pan with the Dressing for five minutes or so until softened. Add the sausages and cranberries to the pan.

Cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelised and sticky.

Mushroom Tartlets with a Chilli Kick

Makes 12

This recipe uses bread as the casing, which is a great alternative to pastry, as it soaks up the flavours from the mushrooms to create a tasty little treat that will go down well at any festive gathering.

Ingredients

3 tbsp Sweet Chilli Dressing

1 onion chopped

250g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove crushed

Butter for spreading

12 slices of thin sliced white sandwich bread

100g grated gruyère or cheddar, for sprinkling

Chopped parsely

Method

Heat the Sweet Chilli dressing gently in a generous frying pan, add the onion and fry over low heat for about 7 mins until soft and golden. Stir in the seasoning, turn up the heat and add the mushrooms. Sizzle for 5 mins until you have driven off any moisture and the mushrooms are golden. Stir in the garlic for a few further mins, until fragrant, then turn off the heat. The mushroom mix can be chilled at this point.

To make the tartlet bases, cut 7-8cm circles out of the bread using a cookie cutter or glass. Butter one side and stick buttered-side down into a 12-hole tartlet tin.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 220C/200 fan/gas 7. Divide the mushroom mixture between the tartlets and top with a sprinkle of cheese. Don't worry if it’s a bit messy, any cheese on the tin will form a lacy edge to the tartlets. Bake for 10-15 mins until golden and bubbling. Sprinkle over herbs and serve.

Sweet Chilli Haloumi Skewers

One of our favourite ways to use Sweet Chilli Dressing. Serve with a bowl of the dressing, or with a sriracha mayonnaise.

Ingredients

Sweet Chilli Dressing

2 x 250g packs halloumi

Sweet chilli sauce or sriracha mayo, to serve

Method

Cut both of the halloumi blocks down the centre through the natural split, then cut each half into eight cubes (you’ll have about 32 in total). Put the halloumi in a bowl with a generous amount of Sweet Chilli Dressing, stir to coat, then cover and chill for at least 3 hrs, or overnight.

Remove the halloumi from the dressing, then thread about three blocks onto a mini metal skewer. The uncooked skewers will keep frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. Heat the air-fryer to 200C. Cook the skewers in a single layer for 6-8 mins until golden, turning halfway. If frozen, cook for 5 mins at 180C, then a further 4-6 mins at 200C. Serve with your choice of dip.

Festive Cranberry & Orange Slaw

The best way to serve Red Cabbage at a Christmas party, the flavours of our Cranberry & Orange Dressing really come through in this recipe. Creating a delicious alternative to mayonnaise laden coleslaw with a festive flavour enriched with balsamic seasonal flavours.

Ingredients

80g dried Cranberries

Juice and zest of 1 orange

Cranberry & Orange Dressing

50g pecans

15g butter

2tsp sugar

½ large red cabbage, finely sliced

½ red onion finely sliced

2 carrots, peeled and grated

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Serves 6

Method

Place the cranberries in a saucepan with the orange zest and juice, simmer for a few minutes until the cranberries are slightly softened. Add 2tbsp of the Cranberry & Orange Dressing and cool.

Caramelise the pecans by dry roasting them in a frying pan for a few minutes. Then while stirring, add the butter, when melted add the sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir constantly as the sugar melts and caramelises, turn onto a piece of greaseproof paper and cool.

In a large bowl mix together the red cabbage, red onions, carrots, parsley and enough Cranberry & Orange Dressing to coat well (2-3tbsp), then toss in the Cranberry mixture. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle over the pecans.

Tip: Crumble stilton cheese over the top, the tangy cheese goes so well with this sweet, seasonal slaw.

We hope you enjoy making these delicious recipes, and even more so, seeing your guests’ faces light up as they tuck into something truly special.

Happy Christmas!