How to Make a Pinch of Nom Christmas Dinner
When the presents are all opened and the Cranberry Fizz has been poured, there’s just one thing left to do: gather round the table to enjoy the ultimate Christmas dinner.
Whether you like a traditional Christmas dinner, a vegetarian option or something a little more unusual, there are hundreds of free recipes on our website to see you through the most wonderful time of the year.
From the turkey to the trimmings, we’ve rounded up all the recipes you could possibly need to put on your best ever festive feast on Christmas Day.
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Christmas Dinner Mains
If you’re sticking with tradition, the centrepiece of your spread is sure to be a glorious, golden turkey. We’ve said goodbye to all the hassle and stress of cooking it just right, and popped ours in the slow cooker instead!
Follow the steps for our Slow Cooker Christmas Turkey Joint and not only will you be rewarded with succulent, juicy meat, you’ll have the gravy sorted too! The cooking juices and stock are jam-packed with flavour, ready to be turned into a luscious, rich gravy, with no granules in sight.
Christmas is the best excuse to go all out – and no Pinch of Nom Christmas dinner is complete without a few slices of Ginger and Orange Glazed Ham alongside the turkey on your plate. The sticky glaze is a thing of beauty, with warming ginger, zesty orange and sweet maple syrup.
For the vegetarians around the table, you can’t beat our Chestnut Roast recipe. We think it brings so much more flavour than any shop-bought versions we’ve tried (plus it’s nice and easy to make from scratch).
We’ve used ready-cooked chestnuts for this, since Christmas Day is hectic enough as it is! If you have any leftovers, you can even turn them into our Chestnut Stuffing.
Christmas Dinner Side Dishes
From the spuds to the veggies, your Christmas dinner is nothing without all the trimmings. Everyone has their favourite side dish, and in our house it’s always the pigs in blankets that disappear first! Lay this Pigs in Blankets Christmas Wreath where everybody can reach it, and they’ll soon be loaded onto people’s plates.
Take your roasties up a notch this year with our Christmas Hasselback Potatoes recipe. Loaded with cranberry sauce, bacon and cheese, they’re an indulgent addition to your dinner plate (although they’re lower in calories than you might expect!).
Slicing the spuds hasselback-style means you can cram even more flavour into every bite – it’s not tricky to do, just make sure not to cut all the way through.
When it comes to veggies, even the fussiest eaters love our Maple Glazed Carrots. Sweet and sticky, we’ve used Chantenay carrots for their smaller size and subtle sweetness. There’s no need to peel them, so you can get them straight into the oven, before tossing with maple syrup, zingy lemon and plump cranberries.
Instead of honey-roasted parsnips this year, treat your guests to our easy-peasy Cheesy Parsnip Gratin. Creamy and luxurious, it’s definitely worthy of a spot on your Pinch of Nom Christmas dinner.
Garlicky and rich, it only takes 10 minutes to prep this dish, then you can leave it to bubble away in the oven while you sip on a well-deserved glass of Eggnog.
Skip the sprouts and add some greens onto your plate with this Creamed Cabbage and Leeks for a change. The tasty side dish is ready in only 25 minutes, with a mild flavour that nobody will complain about!
If you think it’s not Christmas dinner without Brussels sprouts, why not give our Cheesy Sprout Bake a spot on your festive menu? The opposite of boring boiled sprouts, we’ve used reduced-fat cheddar and low-fat cream cheese to make it taste really decadent. To add some festive flavour, we’ve thrown some sweet, juicy cranberries in too.
Christmas Dinner Stuffing and Sauces
No Pinch of Nom Christmas dinner is complete without a side of stuffing, a spoonful of sauce and a good glug of gravy. These Cranberry and Orange Stuffing Balls will add a pop of fruity flavour to your plate, for just 58 calories each. Great for making in advance, they’ll keep for up to 3 days in the fridge, or you can pop them in the freezer until the 25th!
Sometimes served on a Sunday lunch, adding our Christmas Bread Sauce to your seasonal spread is sure to ramp up the indulgence. The traditional creamy sauce is made from milk that’s infused with onion, garlic and a variety of spices, before adding in breadcrumbs to thicken it up. You’ll want to make sure you have some stale white bread for this recipe!
Forget about buying a jar from the supermarket, our Cranberry and Pomegranate Sauce has bags more flavour than any ready-made alternative. Since it’s ready in just 8 minutes, there’s no excuse for not having a pot of the homemade stuff on the table ready for Christmas dinner.
Tart, sweet and zesty, the fresh fruit makes all the difference – trust us, there’s nothing better to smother all over your turkey!
Unless you made our Slow Cooker Christmas Turkey Joint (which includes gravy!) you’ll need to make a big jug of Gravy to serve with Christmas dinner. Made with a blend of vegetables and stock, it turns out thick and luxurious every time you make it.
Save yourself some time on Christmas morning and make a big batch a few days in advance – it’s freezer-friendly and it’ll keep in the fridge for around 3 days.
Christmas Dinner Desserts
No matter how full you think you are, there’s always room for dessert on Christmas Day. We won’t judge you if you reach for Christmas pudding and Brandy Sauce, but we like to switch things up for a Pinch of Nom Christmas dinner!
It might be inspired by the traditional fruity sponge dessert, but our Frozen Christmas Pudding is far from stodgy. It’s made with shop-bought ice cream to save time, with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, chocolate chunks and meringue pieces mixed into it.
Right before serving, pour chocolate sauce over the top, letting it run down the sides. There’s no need to add raspberries and mint to the top, but it’ll look especially impressive if you do!
Can you guess what makes our Christmas Trifle such a fruity festive treat? Instead of jelly, we’ve used lots of juicy fruits, and coated them in warming mixed spices and sweetener. Layered with sponge fingers and our slimming-friendly custard, it’s the perfect way to round off Christmas dinner.
Psst…make this on Christmas Eve! We think it tastes even better after a day in the fridge for all the flavours to mingle.
It’s not Christmas without chocolate and ‘yule’ love this next seasonal pud. Our Christmas Chocolate Log is a chocoholic’s heaven, with a light, fatless sponge, rolled up and coated in silky smooth chocolate cream.
This is so much fun to bake during the festive period – why not get the kids involved with decorating it, and don’t forget to save a slice for Santa!
Psst! So many members of our lovely community have asked us to bring out a calendar for the New Year, and it’s finally happened.
With the official Pinch of Nom calendar on your wall, you’ll be inspired and motivated to smash your slimming goals, through January and beyond!
Click the link below to pop it under your Christmas tree.
Will you be having a Pinch of Nom Christmas Dinner?
We’d love to hear if you’re planning on filling your festive feast with our recipes! You can tag us in your story on Instagram (@pinchofnom) or share snaps of your creations in our friendly Facebook group where there are almost 1 million community members waiting to answer any questions you might have.
Visiting our Gallery is a great way to find out what everyone else is putting on their festive menu. You’ll want to sign up to a free website account to upload and share your photos (it’s really easy, and we’ve even got a step-by-step guide you can follow).
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