33 Christmas starters

Plus we've got impressive Christmas buffet ideas, Christmas centrepieces, Christmas hams, Christmas trimmings to try and four festive entertaining ideasfor more inspiration. Don't forget to finish off your festive feast with an indulgent Christmas dessert and one of our showstopping Christmas baking ideas...

Best Christmas starters

Individual smoked salmon terrines

These individual smoked salmon terrines make a stylish Christmas starter – easy to serve and perfect for scaling up or down depending on your guest list. Discover more smoked salmon recipes.

Christmas cheeseboard

Wow guests or family members this Christmas with this impressive no-cook spread, packed with cheese, meat and fruit.

Giant champagne and lemon prawn vol-au-vents

Take your Christmas dinner starter to the next level by adding champagne to your king prawn vol-au-vents. Don't let any champagne go to waste – see our 10 champagne cocktail recipes.

Smoked salmon and cream cheese galettes

Try our next level twist on the smoked salmon blini. These sesame seeded galettes are topped with herby cream cheese and delicate smoked salmon. Serve with some salad leaves and lemon slices for a light starter.

Fig and goat's cheese filo parcels

Our vegetarian baked fresh figs makes an awesome little nibble or Christmas starter that’s really easy to make. See more crispy filo pastry ideas.

Bloody mary prawn lettuce scoops

Make this simple and effortless, no-cook starter for a great alternative to the classic prawn cocktail on Christmas Day.

Easy camembert toppers

Jazz up baked camembert with one of these smart toppings. Four simple yet easy Christmas starters for entertaining over the festive season. If you love camembert, try our camembert and cranberry pithvier next.

Scampi with soured cream dip

This is a really easy way to offer people a bite with drinks without going to too much effort. You can swap the soured cream for mayo, if you prefer.

The smörgåsbord

Make this Swedish-inspired sharing feast for an impressive Christmas spread – it's a great alternative to a buffet if you're feeding a crowd at a gathering.

Baked feta board

This sharing board, where a block of salty feta is baked with sweet, sticky honey, will be the centrepiece on Christmas day. Slather the smooth cheese on crackers and top with gooey roast figs and crunchy almonds.

If you love this, try our baked feta pasta recipe next for an easy midweek meal.

Crab and prawn cocktail rolls

Fans of prawn cocktail will love the look of these rolls at your festive spread. They're simple to whip up thanks to shop-bought prawn cocktail and brioche buns.

Winter panzanella

Ideal as a starter for a festive meal, recreate this winter version of panzanella using root veg with rich, tangy blue cheese.

Pork and duck rillettes

The perfect Christmas dinner starter, or just a special lunch, this velvety French dish is made with pork belly, goose fat, white wine and thyme. Serve with buttered toast, cornichons and pickled onions.

Harissa lime prawn cocktail

An absolute classic, made that bit more exciting by adding rose harissa paste and plenty of fresh lime to the mix. With only 15 minutes prep time, this is the perfect dinner party starter. See more prawn recipes.

Duck, chicken and sour cherry terrine

This terrine makes the perfect make-ahead starter for a festive dinner party.

Fig, mozzarella and serrano ham salad

Check out our easy fig recipe with creamy mozzarella, salty serrano ham and peppery rocket. These easy pickled figs make a simple recipe for your next dinner party with friends. Discover more juicy fig recipes.

Beetroot soup

Need a vegetarian Christmas starter? Get your festive feast off to a vibrant start with our creamy beetroot soup topped with crunchy, cheesy mini sourdough toasts. More beetroot recipes here...

Blinis with a selection of toppings

Make the blinis and whipped ricotta cream ahead, then add your choice of toppings for the perfect festive party snack. We've got some inventive ideas including fig, dolcelatte and truffle honey, plus pastrami pickle.

Ham hock rillettes with pistachio salt

Want an easy cold Christmas starter idea? Try ham hock rillettes with pistachio salt for fuss-free entertaining.

Bread sauce and stuffing croquettes

These crispy balls are easy to make and great at keeping a hungry crowd happy over the festive season, try them for an easy Christmas starter idea. We love our ham hock croquettes too.

Scallop shell pies

We serve these pretty pies in their original scallop shell and top with flaky puff pastry, a perfect Christmas dinner starter which will impress festive friends. Plenty of easy ways with scallops here...

Salmon tartare with lemon and capers

If you love serving smoked salmon for a Christmas Day starter, this is a great modern twist. The salmon is finely chopped and tossed in a fragrant dressing of lemon, shallots and capers. Serve with thin slices of melba toast.

Rarebit mushrooms with pickle dressing

Flat mushrooms topped with mustardy rarebit and served with a quick red wine vinegar dressing makes for an ideal veggie starter. It's gluten free, too!

Grilled scallops with ’nduja butter

Start Christmas dinner with a bang and serve these flavour-packed, spicy scallops in their shells. Use up the rest of your 'nduja with our best 'nduja recipes, from quick pastas to spicy mussels.

Beer and rock salt pretzels with camembert dip

These impressive pretzels are big, soft and doughy. They are made with beer rather than water, and topped with a sprinkle of rock salt for crunch – the perfect showoff, make-ahead Christmas starter.

Homemade charcuterie

Want an impressive yet achievable make-ahead Christmas starter? Check out how simple it is to make your own cured meats, including a seriously moreish duck ham, beef jerky and a stunning bresaola.

French onion soup

This deep beefy onion soup is topped with bubbling cheese melts, ideal for a comforting winter warmer or Christmas starter idea. Discover our best-ever cheese recipes here...

Smoked black pudding croquettes with apple sauce

Packed with smoky black pudding and creamy blue cheese, these crispy ball make for an easy yet indulgent canapé or Christmas dinner starter recipe.

Classic manti

Our classic manti are the perfect festive dinner party starter to impress guests.

Warm hummus with pine nuts, raisins and olives

Turn a storecupboard staple into this vibrant mezze dish and sprinkle with jewel-like pine nuts, raisins and olives for a quick and easy Christmas starter.

Duck samosas

Check out our impressive samosa recipe packed with tender duck, wrapped in super flaky pastry and served with a fresh coriander chutney – perfect for entertaining over the festive season.

Mozzarella sticks with spicy dipping sauce

Try our gooey mozzarella sticks with a punchy dipping sauce for an easy yet indulgent Christmas starter idea. Blocks of mozzarella stand up better to deep-frying and will still give you that cheesy, stringy ooze.

Baked berbere chicken wings

Do you love chicken wings? Check out this easy recipe with a fiery Ethiopian twist. Packed with punchy flavour, these wings make the perfect snack for any dinner party or Christmas feasting.