Savoury canapés
Welcome to the BBC Good Food Guide to Festive Entertaining, packed with everything you need for your seasonal celebrations.
For me, part of the excitement of Christmas is planning special get-togethers with friends and family and deciding what to cook. This year, more so than ever, I’m looking forward to getting all my favourite people together after missing out on social gatherings last Christmas.
Canapés and cocktails (aplenty) will be on the menu, and I’ve got some clever make-ahead recipe ideas to help you fill the freezer long before party time.
My Christmas dinner sausage rolls are always a hit, with turkey, cranberry, chipolatas, sage and stuffing all wrapped in puff pastry, they taste like Christmas in one bite! I like to serve them with turkey gravy for dunking (make sure you have napkins to hand!) Cheesy bites always seem to disappear in minutes and everyone will love our cheese and onion rolls or kimchi cheese pinwheels, they are incredibly moreish so stick a couple of extra trays of them in the freezer for Christmas movie nibbles.
If you have vegan guests visiting, try our clever twist on smoked salmon, using smoky carrot ribbons served with vegan cream cheese on little toasts, they’re irresistible.
As for the drinks, be inspired by the flavours of the season with our Stollen sours, Cranberry margaritas or non-alcoholic cocktails.
Sweet treats are often overlooked at a canape party, but a tray of mini New York cheesecakes or mince pies are the perfect way to round off the evening, a glass of classic eggnog wouldn’t go amiss either!