If your Christmas party has been reduced to one or two, we’ve got you covered with easy recipes that you can scale up or down, depending on who you’re cooking for. From easy, last-minute starter recipes and flexible ideas for Christmas mains to quick and easy desserts, we’ve thought of everything to help you make the most of your small scale celebrations.
And let’s not forget the true joy of Christmas food lies in the epic leftovers. So you can cook a meal for four or two (or one) and relax in the knowledge that your fridge will be full of delicious ready-to-eat delights, so you can create a festive feast whenever it suits you.
For a super-quick starter, get this gravadlax on the go. The recipe serves four, but you can easily halve it to serve two – or make the whole thing and it’ll sit happily in the fridge for a few days, so you’ll have a festive canape or snack ready and waiting.
This jolly little salad is a fantastic last-minute starter idea. With creamy avocado, crunchy fennel and a little kick from fresh chilli, it’s simply beautiful. You can replace the orange with clementine for extra festive vibes.
If you can’t find (or stand) smoked salmon, how about adding a bit of mackerel to the mix? All the ingredients for this moreish pâté can be found in local supermarkets and is super-quick to make. Simply whiz everything together, spread on toast and tuck in!
Turkey may be traditional, but this extra-special roast chicken-for-two is a brilliant stand-in. Served with all the trimmings, it’s perfect for two, or gift yourself some extra tasty Boxing Day leftovers if you’re on your tod.
This super-simple saltimbocca needs just a handful of ingredients and takes minutes to prep, so perfect for beginners looking for something easy but still a bit special. Scale it up, scale it down, it’s a flexible recipe that will work for you.
Fancy something totally different? This green tea salmon is an absolute stunner, and its fresh aromatic flavours will brighten up Christmas Day dinner quick smart.
These cute cabbage rolls will make a delightful veggie Christmas main. The recipe serves four, so make as many as you need, and any remaining filling will keep, covered, in the fridge for a few days.
For a vegan Christmas dinner idea for two, how about roasting a whole cauliflower? Just a handful of store-cupboard essentials takes the simple to the sublime, and the leftovers will taste just as good on Boxing Day.
This chicken pie is very simple, but will still give you that wow moment when you bring it to the table. Serve with all the trimmings on Christmas Day, then reheat the leftovers and serve with salad and pickles for a Boxing Day feast.
This is so easy and so delicious! Shop-bought pastry, frozen spinach and jarred pesto make this a doddle to make, and any leftovers can be frozen, or enjoyed cold for Boxing Day dinner.
Simple, elegant and easy on the washing up, these pretty little parcels can be prepped the night before, and simply popped in the oven on the day. You can halve – or even quarter – the recipe depending on your needs.
With succulent pork fillet, crunchy veg and a gingery-apple sauce rippled through creamy yoghurt, this lovely little meat-and-two-veg number will make a delightful festive feast for two – although it can easily be halved too if that’s what you need.
If in doubt, get the spices out! A curry is far from traditional, but this spicy veggie curry ticks all the boxes on the pure enjoyment front, which is exactly what you want at Christmas time. This recipe uses cauliflower, but you could swap it for any other veg.
Whatever your party size, Christmas Day calls for a festive pud with some wow-factor, and these little pears have it in spades. Simply poach pears in your choice of Christmas spices, orange and lemon, then serve with a drizzle of cream. Perfection.
Kind of like sweet Yorkshire puddings, these Dutch baby pancakes are full of festive cheer and super-easy to make. To make life even simpler, roast the plums the night before, then reheat in the oven while the pancakes are cooking.
