Christmas recipes: Festive main courses

Whether you want to keep things traditional with turkey or goose, or fancy veggie-friendly fare, why not make room for a little extra magic at the Christmas table? Here is a selection of delicious recipes for a fantastic Christmas dinner.

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Festive food traditions are a large part of the Christmas season, but there's nothing wrong with mixing things up a bit. Whether you want to try something completely different for Christmas dinner, or just want to add a little pizazz to your favourite roast, look no further than these fantastic recipes.

Here is our guide to the best festive Christmas recipes to make for your main course.

Click through each one for the full recipe and whip up some of our fantastic festive side dishes to go with them too.

Beef fillet with horseradish and prosciutto

Wrapping this alternative Christmas roast in ham adds flavour and protects the meat, resulting in a really tender cut of beef.

Fillet of beef with horseradish (Photo by: BBC Good Food)
Fillet of beef with horseradish recipe (Photo by: BBC Good Food)

Sticky treacle-glazed ham

A fantastic alternative to turkey. Eat as the main meal, then use it for Boxing Day brunch or cook one as a back up for unexpected guests. Plus, the stock makes delicious gravy.

Sticky treacle glazed ham recipe (Photo by: VICUSCHKA via Getty Images)
Sticky treacle glazed ham recipe (Photo by Getty Images)

Roast goose with potato stuffing

If you fancy a change from turkey this year, this free range roast goose is bursting with flavour.

Roast goose with stuffing recipe (Photo by: Getty Images)
Roast goose with stuffing recipe (Photo by: Getty Images)

Duck with apples, beetroot, sausages and bread sauce

This exciting combination from Valentine Warner will make a memorable feast. All you need to do is set aside an afternoon for making it.

Christmas roast duck recipe (Photo by: Diana Miller via Getty Images)
Christmas roast duck recipe (Photo by: Diana Miller via Getty Images)

Crispy bacon-basted turkey

Make Christmas dinner even more special with our top tips for the juiciest meat ever, infused with smoky goodness from an indulgent bacon butter baste.

Christmas turkey recipe (Photo by: Viktoria Agureeva via Getty Images)
Christmas turkey recipe (Photo by: Viktoria Agureeva via Getty Images)

Succulent braised venison

Venison benefits from long, slow cooking, and this Scottish dish develops a beautifully earthy sweetness - try it as an alternative to Christmas turkey, or for Hogmanay.

Christmas braised venison (Photo by: Anna Kurzaeva via Getty Images)
Christmas braised venison recipe (Photo by: Anna Kurzaeva via Getty Images)

Cider-cured gammon

Steven Lamb from River Cottage shares his top recipe for Boxing Day gammon.

Home cured Christmas gammon recipe (Photo by: Rawpixel via Getty Images)
Home cured Christmas gammon recipe (Photo by: Rawpixel via Getty Images)

Layered squash, barley and spinach pie

A spectacular veggie Christmas centrepiece - when sliced, it looks stunning, and the flavours go brilliantly with all your favourite traditional trimmings.

Layered squash, spinach and barley pie (Photo by: Phillip Webb via BBC Good Food)
Layered squash, spinach and barley pie (Photo by: Phillip Webb via BBC Good Food)

Squash and blue cheese Wellington

Having one of these vegetarian pastry rolls in the freezer is ideal for entertaining at the last minute, or as a vegetarian Christmas main.

Butternut squash and blue cheese wellington (Photo by: BBC Good Food)
Butternut squash and blue cheese wellington (Photo by: BBC Good Food)

Some recipes courtesy of our friends at BBC Good Food magazine.

Looking to create a festive table this season? Check out our guide to the best Christmas tablecloth.

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