The menu

For a family feast, serve good old fashioned party food with a festive twist. This three-course menu features classic recipes that even fussy eaters will love, as well as a non-alcoholic punch to wash it down with. 

Preparing these dishes won’t take all night, so you’ll have plenty of time to partake in the fun.

Starter: Garlic bread

A classic side with a crispy crust and buttery, garlicky centre. Great with lasagne, soup, or on its own as a snack. Make it plant-based by swapping the parmesan for a vegan alternative. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 7 minutes

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 140g butter
• 4-6 garlic cloves
• 2 ciabatta loaves
• 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan (or vegan alternative)
• Handful of parsley

 

Method

Step 1.

Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Toast the crust side for 2 mins until crispy.

While toasting, crush the garlic and chop up the handful of parsley. If you haven’t got ready-grated parmesan, start grating.

Step 2.

Mix together the butter, garlic and parsley in a bowl. This makes garlic butter. You can make this ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for 3 months.

Spread your garlic butter over the cut bread halves. 

Sprinkle over the parmesan (or vegan alternative).

Step 3.

Place on a baking sheet and cook under a hot grill for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Leave to cool for 1 minute. 

Cut into thick slices and serve.

 

Main: Stuffing mac and cheese

Our mac and cheese recipe is creamy, comforting, and perfect for Christmas parties. Make it festive by sprinkling stuffing over the top for an extra flavoursome crunch.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 500ml milk
• 350g pasta
• 250g cheese, plus extra for the topping
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 crushed garlic clove
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

 

Method:

Step 1.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas mark 4. 

Step 2.

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain once cooked.

Step 3.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until softened, then add the mustard powder and cayenne pepper and cook for a further minute.

Add the flour and stir to make a paste. Cook for around 1 minute until it starts to slightly bubble.

Step 4.

Take off the heat and gradually pour in the milk. Make sure to keep whisking as you do this so the sauce doesn’t go lumpy.

Return to the heat and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens, then add the cheese and stir until melted.

Fold in the cooked pasta.

Step 5.

Pour the pasta and sauce mixture into a baking dish, and top with additional cheese and broken apart stuffing balls.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the mac and cheese is golden and bubbling. Leave to cool for up to 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

 

Dessert: Easy gingerbread biscuits

These simple gingerbread shapes double up as edible Christmas tree decorations, great for getting the kids involved from start to finish.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 16

Ingredients:

• 225g plain flour
• 100g salted butter
• 100g dark muscovado sugar
• 50g icing sugar
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

 

Method: 

Step 1.

Preheat the oven to 190C/170 fan/gas mark 5.

Heat the butter, syrup and sugar together in a small pan. Stir occasionally until melted, then set to one side.

Step 2.

Mix together the bicarb, ginger, cinnamon and flour in a large bowl. Pour in the contents of the small pan and stir to combine.

Use your hands to form a soft dough (it will firm up in the fridge).

Step 3.

Shape the dough into a rectangle and place on a sheet of baking parchment. Lay another sheet on top of it.

Roll the dough out to a thickness of ½cm. Leaving the parchment in place, transfer the dough to a baking sheet. Refrigerate for an hour.

Step 4.

Line a large baking sheet with more baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter. If you’d like to make some edible decorations, cut out smaller shapes from the centre of some of the biscuits to thread ribbon through and hang from the Christmas tree.

Place the shapes on the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Once cooked, leave to cool completely before decoration.

Step 5.

Meanwhile, mix the icing sugar with 1-2 tbsp of water. The consistency will need to be thick and pipeable - if it’s too thin, it will run.

Decorate the cooled biscuits with the icing using a piping bag with a thin nozzle.

 

Drink: Non-alcoholic Christmas punch

Who says you need alcohol to have fun? This Christmas punch is bursting with festive flavours to impress guests of all ages.

Prep time: 10 minutes (plus 1 hour infusing)

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 500ml sparkling water
• 400ml white grape juice
• 275ml ginger ale
• 2 pears
• 2 lemons
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• Ice
• Handful of pomegranate seeds
• Rosemary sprigs, to serve

 

Method:

Step 1.

Slice the pear and one of the lemons. 

Put the pear and lemon slices, sugar and mixed spice in a large punch bowl or jug. Chill for up to 1 hour to infuse.

Step 2.

Remove from the fridge and add the juice of the other lemon juice and grape juice. Stir well to dissolve any sugar.

Step 3.

Pour in the ginger ale and sparkling water, then add a few large handfuls of ice. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and drop in a few sprigs of rosemary.

 

The Activity

You’ve made the gingerbread biscuits, so it would be wrong not to decorate them! Assemble a variety of decorations (we like sprinkles, sugar pearls and sweets of any kind) and get the kids to create edible masterpieces. For a competitive party game, turn it into a fun challenge to see who can come up with the best design.

The crazy creations don’t have to end here! Set up a hot chocolate station complete with whipped cream, marshmallows and chocolate shavings. Your guests will appreciate a warm, sweet drink to pair with their gingerbread.

 

The Decor

The family reunion is all about making Christmas special for the kids. Having your very own little helpers round is the perfect way to trim up your home, so why not let them decorate the tree? Divvy up an assortment of ornaments, garlands and lights and get all the family involved in setting the mood for an unforgettable festive evening.