The festive season is a time of celebration and togetherness, and nothing brings people together more than a scrumptious meal, we are here to help you tie everything together with our favourite Christmas sides. Christmas day and New Year’s day both offer an opportunity to gather for a lavish lunch whilst New Year’s Eve is ideal for throwing a scrumptious dinner for your friends and loved ones. If you’re hosting a festive meal this year, you might have already picked your main dishes but what about your side dishes?

From sauces to a dish of buttery roast potatoes, we’ve selected five side dishes that would go perfectly with any choice of meat, from turkey to pork. Offering appealing ideas, complete with a handy ingredients list and easy-to-follow recipes, this article covers all you will need to throw a successful meal. Mouth-wateringly delicious and assembled using accessible ingredients, these Christmas sides will make all the difference!

Crispy Roast Potatoes 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• water (for boiling and size depends on the pot)
• 5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp salted butter
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2 ½ tbsp sea salt
• 1 tsp fresh pepper

Method

• Start by peeling and quartering the potatoes. Make sure to chop them into equal sizes so that they cook in the same amount of time.
• In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Add the potatoes to the pot and partly boil them for approximately 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 220°C and line from one to two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Drain the potatoes and transfer to a large bowl. Next, add the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic and butter, and stir gently to combine well.
• Place the seasoned potatoes on to the baking sheet, making sure each potato is well spaced out, giving it room to breathe and bake evenly.
• Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for around 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.
• Serve warm and enjoy with any type of main dish!

Melody of Roast Vegetables 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini squash, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• ½ butternut squash, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 red pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• A cup whole mushrooms
• garlic clove, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 220°C
• Chop all the vegetables into bite size pieces, transfer them to a large bowl and combine well along with the minced garlic
• Pour the olive oil and salt, and toss until all of the vegetables are covered
• Brush olive oil on a baking sheet and place the coated veggies on the baking sheet
• Roast the vegetables for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are brown on the outside edges and tender on the inside.

Simple but Hearty Gravy  

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• ¾ cup port
• 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
• 6 ½ cups chicken, turkey or beef stock

Method

• Heat the butter in a saucepan until has entirely melted
• Sprinkle the flour into the butter and stir until it forms a paste-like texture
• Add the port, stir in the cranberry sauce and cook down until it thickens into a sticky texture
• Finally, stir in the stock and simmer for 5 mins
• Pour the mixture into a gravy jug and serve warm

Cranberry Sauce  

Serves 4

• 250g pack fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar
• 1.5 cups fruity red wine
• 1 tbsp orange zest, grated
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp allspice
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp ground cloves

Method

• Combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepan.
• Bring everything to a boil over high heat and stir until the sugar has entirely dissolved.
• Reduce to medium heat and cook for around 12 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Once the sauce has thickened, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cold.
• Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours, and prepare the sauce for up to one week ahead of serving.

Green Bean Salad   

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 450g trimmed green beans, cut to 2 to 3 inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ cup fresh basil, chopped
• ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

• Start by soaking the chopped onions in a small bowl of water. This will help to soften the sharpness of the onion’s flavor.
• Whilst the onions are left soaking, prepare the rest of salad
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans.
• Fresh young beans should cook quickly, so blanch them only for around 2 minutes or until the beans are slightly cooked but still nice and crunchy.
• While the beans are on the boil, prepare a large bowl of ice water. When the beans are ready, remove them from the boiling water and shock them by placing them in ice water
• Drain the green beans and onions, combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
• Season with salt and fresh pepper, and serve.

Pair your Christmas sides with our top picks of festive cuts offered at La Boucherie