A guide to hosting Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings

Meat-free mains are set to rise this Christmas with over a quarter (27%) of UK adults planning to cater for plant-based guests this winter. With more Brits set to keep turkey off their table this year, it’s time to master festive vegetarian and vegan recipes which the whole family can enjoy (yes even you, Granny Nora). So lay out the crackers and prep the vegan cheeseboard, it’s time to get cooking!

The Main Event

Move over nut-roast we have plenty of great vegetarian roast options for you this Christmas. From our classic Vegetarian Roast, to Beef and Ham-style. Swap out your turkey for one of these delicious options and try with our tasty roast recipes. Cut out the middleman with our classic roast filled with vegetarian stuffing or, if you would normally opt for a ham on Christmas, then our honey-glazed ham roast with mulled red cabbage is the perfect festive choice for you.

If you fancy more of a centrepiece this year, then our vegetarian wellington made with Quorn Mince is a great option and perfect for pastry lovers. Try the recipe here. Our showstopping Christmas stuffed squash made with Quorn Pieces can be easily swapped with our Quorn Vegan Pieces for a great vegan option that anyone can enjoy this year. Try it here.

Spud-tacular

Our favourite side (when roasted) – according to YouGov – and it’s no surprise why. Roasted potatoes are a must with any roast dinner, not just on December 25th. Potatoes are beautifully versatile and can be complemented with many different flavours. Upgrade your spuds by roasting them with whole garlic cloves. Or add a festive flavour with our recipe for roast clementime baby potaoes, here – the perfect pairing with your Quorn Ham Roast!

For extra crispiness, par boil your potatoes prior to roasting. Simply boil for 8-9 minutes, drain and shake in a colander to rough up the edges and roast in a preheated oiled baking tray for 30-35 minutes. Delicious!

No Pigs in Blankets

A commendable runner up to roast potatoes, the nation’s second favourite side is pigs in blankets. With a quarter of 25–34-year-olds set to each eat more than 10 pigs in blankets over the Christmas period It’s probably a good idea to stock up, and on a recipe that caters for all.

These festive sides are traditionally made with chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon, or sometimes pastry. Our meat-free take uses our Quorn Cocktail Sausages, wrapped in a strip of vegan Smoky Ham Free Slices or Quorn Vegetarian Bacon. Try these recipes served with either a sweet chilli sauce or with a hint of sage.

Get Stuffed

Whether you serve as a side or within your roast or wellington, stuffing is a must at Christmas. Traditionally made to retain moisture and absorb flavour within a turkey, stuffing is usually made with breads, cereals with herbs, dried fruit, vegetables and nuts. So it’s easy to incorporate festive flavours into this.

Stuffing mix is a simple and quick way to make delicious stuffing for christmas and can save you much needed time in the kitchen on the big day. If you do have the time, try our vegan sausage stuffing recipe made with Quorn Brilliant Bangers – the perfect meat-free side for christmas:

Vegan Sausage Stuffing:

• 2 packs of Quorn Brilliant Bangers
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 6 tbsp dairy-free butter
• 500g large loaf of bread, cut in 2cm chunks
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 125ml dry white wine
• 600ml vegetable stock
• 100g pumpkin puree
• ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh sage

Method: Pre-heat oven to 190C and grease a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and fry sausage breaking it up with a spoon, until browned; about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate

Bake chunks of bread until dry and crisp; about 10 minutes

Melt butter in frying pan and sauté onions, celery, salt, and pepper for 10 minutes while bread bakes.

Add the wine and cook until liquid evaporates. Leave to cool for 10 minutes

In a bowl toss bread, stock, puree, sausage, sage and vegetables together and transfer to baking dish

Cover with greased foil and bake for 40 minutes uncovering for the last 20

Don't forget the sprouts!

Love them or hate them, there’s no denying sprouts deserve a spot on the Christmas table. Despite their reputation, there are many ways you can make these misunderstood vegetables taste great. Sprouts are super versatile and can be broiled, roasted, pan-fried or seared. You can find out more about how to make any sprout hater try them this Christmas on our blog, here.

Make your sprouts a real centrepiece this year by cooking with chilli, walnuts, pomegranate seeds or bacon bits. Our Smoky Ham Free Slices is a great vegan alternative to this – simply fry strips of these in a little oil over a medium heat for around 5-7 minutes until crispy and garnish! Instead of crossing your sprouts this year, tempt tradition by hasselbacking them instead, like in our roast recipe, here.

What about the leftovers?

If you’ve included all the trimmings this year, you most likely have some leftovers. But waste not want not, there are many great ways you can use your leftover Quorn Roasts, sides and sharers.

• Put it in a sarnie: What would Boxing Day be without a signature sandwich using your leftover turkey. Try our meat-free take with our recipes for Quorn Roast Turkey Sandwich with Brie or Philly Cheesesteak for the perfect post-Christmas lunch.
• Bubble and squeak: a British staple and a great use for leftovers. Bubble and squeak can be made by frying up any of leftover greens, potatoes and roast to crispy perfection. Try our Quorn Roast and Bubble and Squeak recipe here, for a quick 15-minute dinner after Christmas.
• Freeze: If you can’t handle another turkey sandwich then it’s perfectly safe to freeze your Christmas leftovers, allowing you to enjoy festive goodies for the remainder of winter. You can freeze Quorn once it has been cooked for up to a month which saves on food waste and cooking time.

Have a meat-free Christmas with Quorn

Looking for some inspiration? Throw a truly festive feast with our collection of Christmas recipes here. For everything you need to make a meat-free Christmas dinner your new tradition!