If you’re reading this, we’ll assume you’re in a last-minute panic for your Christmas Day dinner. Fear not as we have three easy recipes to help you pull it off without a hitch.
This Christmas is going to be like no other and if you’ve found yourself having to make your own festive dinner for the first time, we’re on hand to help with three classic side dishes that are so easy to make you’ll rustle them up in no time.
They all include ingredients that most people are likely to already have in their cupboards or have stocked up on for the festive season.
Love Food Hate Waste has developed a range of recipes for different households and brought on board Scotland’s National Chef Gary Maclean to share his hints and tips for Christmas Day.
Here are three of Gary’s suggestions for side dishes and you can find lots more inspiration and recipes at lovefoodhatewaste.com
Roast potatoes
(Serves 2)
Ingredients
- 450-500g (peeled weight) Desiree or King Edward potatoes
- ½ tbsp flour
- 1½ tbsp sunflower oil
Method
- Peel your potatoes, and cut into halves (or quarters depending on size).
- Place a large pan of water on the hob and bring to the boil. Once hot, add the potatoes and a generous pinch of salt.
- Bring the pan back to the boil and cook the potatoes for 7 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes really well, ensuring they are as dry as possible.
- Return them to the empty pan and sprinkle over the flour. Place a lid on your pan, and using a tea towel or oven gloves, give the pan a really good shake, ensuring the potatoes get a bit bashed up and coated in the flour.
- Once the potatoes have cooled, place them on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper ensuring sure none of them are touching.
- Heat your oven to 190C/Fan 170C/375F/Gas Mark 5.
- Add your sunflower oil to a large, lipped baking tray and leave to heat up for 5 minutes in the oven.
- Carefully remove the tray ensuring an even coating of oil on the bottom, then add your frozen potatoes.
- Roast for 30 minutes then turn the heat up to 220C/Fan 200C/425F/Gas Mark 7 and roast for another 30 minutes.
- Turn the potatoes once and remove from the oven when crispy and gold. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
Stuffing balls
(Serves 2) 
Ingredients
- 10g butter
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 200g sausage meat
- 40g breadcrumbs
- Juice of ½ lemon plus zest
- Small handful chopped parsley
- Small handful of fresh sage
- Salt and pepper
- Nutmeg
- Vegetable oil
Method
- Get ahead and make these stuffing balls on Christmas morning. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once melted add the onion and gently fry until soft.
- Add your cooked onion, sausage meat, lemon juice and zest, fresh herbs, a pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to a bowl and mix until combined.
- Using wet hands, roll the mixture into 4 even balls and chill for half an hour.
- In a high-sided wok, fry your stuffing balls in the vegetable oil until cooked through and golden brown on the outside. Set aside.
- While the turkey is resting, and your potatoes are roasting, put the stuffing balls on a small tray and pop into the oven with the potatoes, to warm through for 15 minutes.
Honey-roasted root veg
(Serves 2)
Ingredients
- 2 carrots, cut into batons
- 2 or 3 parsnips, cut into batons
- Olive oil
- 2 tsp honey
- Handful of fresh thyme, chopped
Method
- Peel your carrots and parsnips and cut into chunky batons.
- Place a large pan of water on the hob to boil. Once boiling, add your carrots and boil for 4 minutes, before adding your parsnips. Boil for a further 4 minutes.
- Drain and set aside until 15 minutes before dinner.
- When the chicken is resting and your potatoes have around 20 minutes to go, toss your par-boiled veg with the olive oil and honey. Sprinkle with the thyme and salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes.
