107 Recipes
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Discover delicious and elegant starters to ease you into Christmas dinner. Choose from smoked salmon, soups, pâtés, sharing platters, cheese tarts and more.
We have more sharing platters and starters in our Christmas side dishes recipe collection. For more festive main meal inspiration, check out our Christmas dinner recipes and you can impress guests with this selection of dinner party starters.
Showing 1 to 24 of 107 results
- Baked ham hock pots
A star rating of 4.9 out of 5.9 ratings
Save time and energy at Christmas with these easy, no-fuss baked ham hock pots as a starter. They’re great to begin a Christmas menu and set the festive mood
- 30 mins
- Easy
- Gluten-free
- Sausage roll wreath
A star rating of 5 out of 5.6 ratings
Bring a festive theme to the buffet table with a sausage roll wreath. It's a great sharing dish at Christmas when you have a friends and family over
- 1 hr 30 mins
- Easy
- Veg peel fritters
A star rating of 4 out of 5.4 ratings
Make veg peelings the star of the show with these easy fritters. They're perfect the day after a big family dinner, such as at Christmas time
- 45 mins
- Easy
- Vegetarian
- Nut roast rolls
A star rating of 5 out of 5.4 ratings
Bake these vegetarian nut roast rolls for a Boxing Day buffet or summer picnic. They're packed with mushrooms, lentils and nuts, and encased in puff pastry
- 1 hr 5 mins
- Easy
- Vegetarian
- Pull-apart garlic rolls with baked camembert
A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.2 ratings
Create a memorable sharing experience with our pull-apart garlic rolls – they're baked with a wheel of gooey baked camembert, making them ideal for big gatherings such as Boxing Day
- Rosemary polenta bites with peperonata
A star rating of 5 out of 5.2 ratings
Serve our rosemary polenta bites with peperonata as canapés or a starter ahead of a celebration. They're ideal for a special occasion such as Christmas
- 1 hr 35 mins
- Easy
A star rating of 4 out of 5.4 ratings
Choose starchy potatoes like Maris Piper or King Edward to ensure the parsnip rösti hold together. Enjoy with caramelised red onions, harissa and feta
- 1 hr 25 mins
- Easy
- Vegetarian
A star rating of 5 out of 5.1 rating
Serve this smoked salmon dish as a starter on a special occasion such as at Christmas. With beetroot, rocket and walnuts, it‘s full of colour and texture.
- 10 mins
- Easy
- Gluten-free
- Purée de châtaignes (chestnut purée)
A star rating of 5 out of 5.4 ratings
Enjoy this rich and smooth chestnut purée alongside turkey or veal on Christmas Eve. In France, chestnuts are synonymous with the Christmas season
- 50 mins
- Easy
- Gluten-free
A star rating of 5 out of 5.5 ratings
Serve up a feast on Christmas Day and add these buttery sprouts with crispy shallots and almonds to your festive dinner table
- 40 mins
- Easy
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
- Smoked salmon coddled eggs. This is a premium piece of content available to registered users.
A star rating of 5 out of 5.5 ratings
Enjoy smoked salmon with coddled eggs, capers and gruyère cheese for a Christmas starter. It’s also great for breakfast or brunch over the festive holidays
- 30 mins
- Easy
A star rating of 3 out of 5.4 ratings
Take a little effort to make these delicious croquettes – they store well in the freezer and make a quick starter that takes just minutes to cook
- 1 hr 30 mins
- More effort
A star rating of 5 out of 5.1 rating
Enjoy our easy halloumi, pomegranate, fennel & walnut salad as a festive starter or light lunch – it takes just 15 minutes to make
- 15 mins
- Gluten-free sausage roll wreath
A star rating of 5 out of 5.2 ratings
Create this gluten-free sausage roll wonder by arranging sausage and chutney pinwheels into a festive wreath shape. It's perfect for a Christmas buffet
- 50 mins
- Easy
- Gluten-free
- Cheesy cayenne savoury biscuits
A star rating of 3 out of 5.2 ratings
Rustle up these cheesy cayenne savoury biscuits for a Christmas party. They're a great make-ahead nibble to serve with drinks before the main event
- 30 mins
- Easy
- Smoked mackerel on toasted crumpets
A star rating of 0 out of 5.0 ratings
Try our easy starter – the filling can be made well in advance and chilled. Once your guests arrive, toast the crumpets and pile the filling on top
- 30 mins
- Easy
- Dirty martini prawn co*cktail
A star rating of 0 out of 5.0 ratings
Give the classic prawn co*cktail a makeover with a boozy twist – you then need to choose whether to shake or stir the martini dressing
- 20 mins
- Easy
- Smoked salmon grazing wreath
A star rating of 0 out of 5.0 ratings
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)
- 25 mins
- Easy
- App onlyChristmas tree cheeseboard. This is a premium piece of content available to registered users.
A star rating of 0 out of 5.0 ratings
Rustle up this sharing platter made with cheese, crackers, cucumber and grapes. Decorate with rosemary and pomegranate seeds to look like a festive tree
- 20 mins
- Easy
- Vegetarian
- Baked red onions with ricotta
A star rating of 0 out of 5.0 ratings
Gather your friends for a relaxed evening – these baked red onions are special but simple to prepare, so you won’t be stuck in the kitchen
- 2 hrs
- Easy
- Vegetarian
- App onlyBaked camembert with brioche bun wreath. This is a premium piece of content available to registered users.
A star rating of 0 out of 5.0 ratings
Elevate the classic tear-and-share bread with molten cheese with Tom Kerridge's recipe. It's perfect for a special occasion when you need to feed a crowd
- 1 hr 30 mins
- More effort
- Multi-seed cheese straws
A star rating of 0 out of 5.0 ratings
Make cheese straws with the added flavours of sesame and poppy seeds, dried onion flakes and sea salt. They're perfect snacks to serve with co*cktails
- 45 mins
- Easy
A star rating of 0 out of 5.0 ratings
Enjoy this vibrant orange, herb and burrata salad with black olive dressing for lunch or as a starter ahead of a main meal. Scatter with pistachios to serve
- 20 mins
- Easy
- Vegetarian
A star rating of 4.8 out of 5.42 ratings
A hit of vodka gives this classic a new edge. Serve with a shot of vodka for full effect
- 15 mins
- Easy
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