5 Easy Christmas Starter Recipes That Work with Turkey
So, for a lot of people, Christmas dinner means turkey. Maybe you have other meats with it (we sometimes have beef) or maybe you have the whole turkey in the centre of the table. Whatever the route, you then need to look for easy Christmas starter recipes that work with turkey. But what about going beyond traditional Christmas starters and looking at something different?
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What are traditional Christmas starters?
There’s nothing wrong with traditional Christmas starters and you can often get these ready-made in the supermarket, which is ideal if you don’t want to make something. Or if you are in charge of bringing the starter to someone else’s house as your part of Christmas dinner.
Prawn cocktail
The prawn cocktail or prawn salad has been around since the 1970s and is as simple as it gets – and still super tasty. It uses prawns (shrimp for US readers) in a cocktail sauce also known as Marie Rose sauce. For non-chefs it is a mixture of mayonnaise and tomato sauce with other ingredients in it, depending on the recipe. This can be served mixed with the prawns or separate for dipping.
Smoked salmon
Smoked salmon is another great traditional starter for Christmas that needs almost no preparation. You can buy sliced smoked salmon in the store then simply display it on the plate. A popular addition are blinis – little, circular pancakes that are perfect with a touch of cream cheese and the smoked salmon on top.
Pate or a terrine
Pate or a complete terrine isn’t one of my favourites but if you are fans, they are a great idea for a starter. You can get meat or fish versions with a terrine looking a bit like a savoury Yule log! You just slice sections off and serve. With pate you can add to different breads or serve in other ways.
Melon and winter berries
This is one that Robert says is often popular in hotels if you want something that is a fruit Christmas starter idea. What kind of berries come under winter berries depends where you are but here in the UK, a popular one is red currants while adding pomegranate to the mix is also very seasonal and eye catching.
Winter soup
Finally, a good winter soup is always ideal for a starter if you want something warming. There are loads of options for seasonal food to make a soup including root vegetables such as parsnips and potatoes. You can always use herb and spice blends to add extra taste to the vegetables.
5 easy starters for Christmas Day
Those are some of the most traditional dishes for Christmas starters but there are also plenty more ideas that you can swap into your menu. Here are 5 perfect examples.
Bruschetta with Mushrooms & Herbed Cheese
Bruschetta definitely tops the list of easy Christmas starter ideas and you can also swap around what you serve with it to suit what you enjoy. Here we are serving it with herbed cheese and mushrooms but play around with it!
Ingredients:
- 5 T. unsalted butter, divided
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1/2 medium shallot, finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled finely minced
- 1 c. white mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
- 1 c. baby Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
- 2 t. fresh thyme leaves, stems removed
- 1 1.2 T. fresh rosemary, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
- 1/4 c. brandy or peach juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Herbed cheese
- 4 oz. goat cheese, room temperature
- 4 oz. ricotta cheese
- 2 t. fresh thyme leaves, stems removed
- 2 t. fresh rosemary, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
Bruschetta
- 2 small 6” Ciabatta loafs, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 2-3” sections
In a small skillet, melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat then add oil and shallots. Cook for 2 minutes then add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes until the mushrooms release their juices. Add the thyme and rosemary, cook for 2 minutes more.
Stir in the brandy or peach juice and simmer until reduced by half. Turn off the heat and whisk in 2 tbsp butter then season.
In a small glass bowl, mix goats cheese with ricotta cheese and fresh herbs until combined.
Butter the slices of bread and place on the grill over direct medium heat and toast. Spread with the cheese mixture and top with mushrooms.
Goat Cheese Filled Cherry Tomatoes
This is perfect as a make ahead Christmas starter as you can prepare them the day before and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound goat cheese
- 1/4 cup minced fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 24 cherry tomatoes
Directions
In a small glass bowl, mix the cheese with the basil and salt and pepper.
Slice the top off each of the cherry tomatoes and use a small spoon to scoop out the pulp and create a hollow shell. Rinse the tomatoes in cool water.
Scoop 1 tsp of the cheese mix and stuff into the tomato shell. Arrange on a plate to serve or refrigerate until Christmas dinner.
Grilled Peach Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
If you want a fruit Christmas starter idea that still has a little substance to it, then this is ideal. Of course, you can always leave out the chicken if you want a slightly lighter meal.
Ingredients:
- 2 heads Romaine lettuce, base removed, washed and patted dry
- 3 medium ripe peaches, pits removed and cut into wedges
- 16 oz. rotisserie chicken, preferably breast meat
- 4 oz. pecans, chopped
- 4 oz. goat cheese
Champagne Vinaigrette:
- 3 T. champagne vinegar
- 1 T. fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 t. shallot, very finely minced
- 1 T. Dijon mustard
- 1 T. honey
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
To make the vinaigrette, combine the first six ingredients in a small glass bowl and whisk to combine. Season and leave to one side.
On the grill, add the peach wedges on medium heat for around 3 minutes per side until warmed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Shred the Romaine lettuce into bite sizes pieces and add to the plates. Divide the grille peaches and add to each along with the chicken, pecans and goats’ cheese. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. If you prefer, toss the salad leaves in it first then serve as described.
Potato Leek Soup with Crispy Shallots
This is a tasty and rich winter soup idea that is also great as a make ahead starter. You can batch it up, freeze some and then reheat it just before serving on Christmas Day.
Ingredients:
Crispy Shallots:
- 3 T. olive oil
- 3 T. unsalted butter
- 3 medium shallots, outer skin removed and cut into thin slices
- Salt to taste
Soup:
- 3 T. olive oil
- 4 leeks, white and light green portion, chopped
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
- 8 c. vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ¾ c. heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Option Garnishes:
- 6 strips bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
- 3 green onion tops, sliced thin
- ¼ cup shredded white cheddar cheese
Directions
Add oil and butter to a small pan and melt then reduce the heat to medium and add the sliced shallots. Cook for 12-15 minutes until golden brown, stirring.
Remove shallots from the pan with a fork and place on kitchen towel. Blot to remove excess oil and put to one side.
In a large pan, add the oil, leeks and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until leeks are softened but not browned.
Add the broth, potatoes, bay leaf and thyme to the pot and bring to the boil. Cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
Remove bay leaf and thyme stems then use an immersion blender to make it smooth. You can use a normal blender but don’t overfill the contain and make sure you vent the lid so air can escape.
Once the mixture is smooth, stir in the cream. You can cook further before doing this if you like a thicker soup or add more cream or broth if it is too thick. Season to taste.
Serve with crispy shallots and any of the other garnishes you like.
Bacon Jalapeno Cheese Ball Appetizer
For something a little different or that would also work as a party appetizer, this recipe is ideal. You can make it as fiery as you like or keep it quite calm by adjusting how much jalapeño you use along with the other spices and the Mexican cheese. Change this for something like cheddar or Monterrey Jack if you aren’t a fan of hot foods.
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 8 thick-cut slices of bacon
- ½ large jalapeño pepper, finely minced, divided
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ c. Mexican-blend cheese, finely shredded
- ½ t. smoked paprika
- ½ t. Mexican oregano
- ½ t. chipotle powder
- ½ t. garlic powder
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
To Serve:
- Vegetables, of choice
- Crackers
Take a large plate and cover with kitchen towel then add 4 slices of bacon. Cover with more kitchen towel and put in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes until crispy. Remove and discard the kitchen towel. Repeat until all bacon is cooked.
Put the bacon in a blender or food processor and chop roughly. Add to a large glass bowl with half the jalapeno and stir then set side.
Combine the rest of the jalapeno pepper with cream cheese, Mexican cheese, spices and garlic powder. Season and stir to combine.
Shape the cheese mix into a ball with your hands and put on a plate then refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to firm up.
Remove the cheese and roll in the bacon mixture then serve immediately.
Get the perfect Christmas starter
Whether you go with something traditional for your Christmas starter or try something a little different, these recipes will all work with turkey and offer a tasty start to the festive meal. Have a very Happy Christmas!
