Season’s Eatings! Christmas Day is less than a week away and many of us are still deciding what to serve up among our festive feasts.
But help is at hand – elasticated waistbands at the ready, we tried the festive trimming essentials from all 10 major supermarkets. It left us feeling more stuffed than Santa’s sack, but somebody had to do it.
From veggie mains to roasties and smoked salmon to Christmas puds, here’s our comprehensive guide to Christmas chow, with each dish scored out of five.
Smoked salmon
Aldi Specially Selected Mild & Delicate Smoked Salmon, 100g, £3.19 Fish was very fresh-tasting; smoky but not overpowering. ★ ★ ★ ★
Asda Extra Special Blackthorn Dry-Cured Smoked Salmon, 120g, £6 A bit average. ★ ★ ★
Co-op Irresistible Whisky Smoked Salmon, 100g, £5 A subtle flavour. ★ ★ ★ ★
Iceland Luxury Smoked Salmon, 150g, £5 Intense, smoky flavour. ★ ★ ★ ★
Lidl Deluxe Rope Hung Scottish Smoked Salmon, 150g, £6.49 Strong, oaky flavour. ★ ★ ★
M&S Scottish Long Slice Smoked Salmon, 150g, £5 Packed full of flavour and had a delicate texture. ★ ★ ★ ★
Morrisons The Best Triple Smoked Scottish Salmon with Orange, 130g, £4.50 Citrusy, but rinds in the salmon are a bit weird. ★ ★ ★ ★
Tesco Finest Scottish Smoked Salmon, 120g, £5.10 Overpowering flavour – and chewy. ★ ★
Waitrose No.1 Whisky Smoked Salmon, 100g, £6.25 Rich and smoky, but a bit oily. ★ ★ ★
WINNER Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Beetroot & Orange Smoked Salmon, 100g, £4 Vibrant purple appearance; the orange gave the salmon a tasty, zesty flavour. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Pigs in blankets
Aldi Specially Selected Pigs in Blankets, 210g, £2.49 Generous bacon portion but bland sausage. ★ ★ ★
Asda Extra Special 10 Pigs in Blankets, 210g, £3.15 A melt – in-the-mouth treat. ★ ★ ★ ★
Iceland Harry Ramsden’s Battered Pigs in Blankets, 252g, £4.50 Vile – the worst miss by a Harry since Kane’s penalty at the World Cup. ★
Lidl Deluxe Pigs in Blankets, 420g, £4.89 A hint of chestnut gives these slightly fatty bangers a lovely Christmassy taste. ★ ★ ★
M&S 16 Delish Pigs in Blankets, 380g, £4.50 These thick juicy sausages are a bit lacking in flavour. ★ ★
Morrisons The Best Cheesy Pigs In Blankets With Smokey BBQ Sauce, 260g, £3 Jury’s out. ★ ★ ★
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference British Pigs in Blankets, 210g, £3.50 Delicious bacon let down by a slightly bland sausage. ★ ★ ★
Tesco Cheesy Pigs in Blankets, 222g, £2.50 These only have a hint of cheese and are too oily. ★ ★
Waitrose Heston Three-Bird Pigs in Blankets, 490g, £10 Sausage is made from chicken, pheasant, duck and pork. But verging on too rich – and pricy. ★ ★ ★
WINNER Co-op Irresistible Truffle Chipolata, 220g, £3.50 A deliciously rich and herby chipolata tucked into a crispy bacon blanket. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Glazed parsnips
Aldi Four Seasons Honey Glazed Parsnips, 600g, £1.65 Crunchy outside and fluffy middle, like a parsnip crossed with a roast potato. ★ ★ ★ ★
Asda Extra Special Honey Roasted Parsnips, 600g, £2 Very sweet but rather chewy. ★ ★ ★
Co-op British Parsnips, 500g, £0.65 Roasted nicely and crisped up well. ★ ★ ★ ★
Iceland Luxury Honey Roast Parsnips, 320g, £2.50 Fluffy with sweet flavour. ★ ★★ ★
Lidl Oaklands British Parsnips, 500g, 19p (currently down from 69p) Great value and roasted well. ★ ★★ ★
M&S Honey & Mustard Parsnips, 600g, £4.50 Honey mustard dressing adds sweetness and a little heat. ★ ★ ★ ★
Morrisons The Best Parsnip Wedges with Blossom Honey and Mustard, 450g, £2.99 Fine, but the honey to mustard ratio was a bit off. ★ ★ ★
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference British Heritage Baby Parsnips, 230g, £1.30 Lovely and fresh with a good colour. ★ ★★ ★
Tesco Seasoned British Parsnips, 600g, £1.60 Poor seasoning. Disappointing. ★
WINNER Waitrose Christmas Honey & Mustard Parsnips, 600g, £5 Had a delicious caramel taste and the perfect amount of mustard. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Roast potatoes
Aldi Specially Selected Duck Fat Roast Potatoes, 1kg, £2.39 Didn’t crisp up that well. Need more flavour. ★★
Asda Extra Special Maris Piper Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes, 400g, £1.50 You’d need a lot of gravy to accompany these tasteless spuds. ★
Co-op Maris Piper Beef Fat Roast Potatoes, 750g, £1.99 Light and fluffy; a delight. ★★★★
Iceland Luxury Perfectly Crispy Roast Potatoes, 1kg, £2 Browned up well but took ages to cook. ★★★
Lidl Deluxe Roast Potatoes in Goose Fat, 1kg, £1.49 Golden spuds – crunchy and just greasy enough. ★★★★
Morrisons The Best Goose Fat Roast Potatoes, 850g, £2.99 Not as flavoursome as some of the others. ★★★
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Crispy Roast Potatoes with Goose Fat, 800g, £3.50 Nice and crispy, but taste inconsistent. ★★
Waitrose Goose Fat Roast Potatoes, 800g, £5 Crisped up well, but were plain. ★★★
JOINT WINNER M&S Ultimate Roast Potatoes with Goose Fat, 450g, £3.15 Very buttery and light and fluffy inside. Absolutely fantastic. ★★★★★
JOINT WINNER Tesco Crispy Roast Potatoes, 450g, £2.25 Lovely and buttery – crisp but fluffy inside. ★★ ★★★
Stuffing
Aldi Ashfields Pork Stuffing Balls, 350g, £1.89 Herby taste wasn’t too strong, but the balls were slightly tough. ★ ★★
Asda Hog Roast Stuffing Wreath, 580g, £6 Sage was overpowering. Lacked crackling – and very greasy. ★
Co-op Sage and Onion Stuffing Balls, 350g, £2.85 A lovely herby, meaty side to brighten plates. ★ ★★★
Iceland 12 Pork, Sage & Onion Stuffing Balls, 300g, £1.25 These pack a powerful sage taste. ★ ★★
Lidl Sage & Onion Pork Stuffing Balls, 350g, £2.29 Great addition to turkey, sweet and tangy. ★ ★★★
M&S British Outdoor Pork Jewelled Wreath, 450g, £8 A good balance of sweet and savoury flavours. ★ ★★★
Morrisons The Best Sage and Onion Stuffing Balls, 360g, £3 The inside was dry and they were tough to chew. ★
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pork Sage & Onion Stuffing Balls, 360g, £2.50 Rich flavour that had the right amount of herbs. ★ ★★★
Waitrose Christmas Pork Jewelled Stuffing Wreath, 694g, £12 Made a lovely centrepiece and the candied orange added a nice sharpness. ★★★★
WINNER Tesco Finest Pork, Apple, Blossom Honey & Sage Stuffing, 350g, £3 The sweetness of the honey and apple balanced the delicious sage and meat. An ideal accompaniment. ★★★★★
Vegan roasts
Aldi Specially Selected Vegan Camembert Nut Roasts, 390g, £2.99 The vegan cheese tasted exactly like the real thing. ★ ★ ★ ★
Asda Extra Special Vegan Wellington, 500g, £5.55 A hearty dish. ★ ★ ★ ★
Co-op Irresistible Mushroom Wellington, 376g, £4 Said they included truffle but instead of a rich flavour, they were bland. ★ ★
Iceland Luxury Festive Roast, 300g, £2.75 A bit too tart and rather mushy. ★ ★
M&S Plant Kitchen 2 Vegan No Beef Wellingtons, 420g, £10 Delicious – the meat alternative was juicy and tender. ★ ★ ★ ★
Morrisons Plant Revolution Beefless Wellington, 560g, £3.50 Decent pastry, but half the filling was bitter and rubbery. ★ ★ ★
Sainsbury’s Plant Pioneers Festive Vegan Wellington, 500g, £3.75 Pastry too herby and the fake meat tasted too processed. ★ ★
Tesco Plant Chef Festive Vegetable & Stuffing Parcel, 500g, £3 Pastry light and crispy, but the filling was underwhelming. ★ ★ ★
Waitrose Lentil & Spinach Wellingtons, 400g, £4.60 Flaky, buttery pastry but filling had an overpowering onion taste. ★ ★ ★
WINNER Lidl Deluxe Vegan Sausage & Cranberry Wreath, 550g, £4.99 Sweetness of the cranberry perfectly balanced the savoury “sausage”. A showstopper vegan main that will brighten up any table. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Brussels sprouts
Aldi Specially Selected Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Maple Flavour Glaze and Butter, 400g, £1.99 Needed more bacon. ★ ★
Co-op Brussels Sprouts, 450g, £1.10 Stayed tender after cooking. ★ ★ ★
Iceland Luxury Brussels Sprouts Loaded with Bacon, 400g, £2 Started to burn almost immediately during cooking. A bit bland. ★ ★★
Lidl Deluxe Brussels Sprouts Gratin, 450g, £2.49 Turning boring Brussels into cauliflower cheese is a great idea... in theory only. ★ ★
M&S Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Chestnuts, 350g, £3.50 Too tasty to count as a vegetable. ★ ★ ★ ★
Morrisons The Best Brussels Sprouts and Smoked Pancetta, 320g, £2.99 Dry and chewy. Charred easily. ★
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Thyme Butter, 500g, £2.20 A little disappointing. ★ ★
Tesco Sprouts With Smoked Bacon & Chestnuts, 500g, £2.20 Smoky flavour was a hit. ★ ★ ★ ★
Waitrose Shredded Sprouts, Chestnuts and Pancetta, 320g, £3.25 A bit plain. ★ ★ ★
WINNER Asda Extra Special Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, 600g, £2 Stayed tender. Bacon was perfectly crispy and worked extremely well. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Christmas pudding
Aldi Holly Lane Six-Month Matured Christmas Pudding, 400g, £1.85 Had a nice, creamy texture but verged on being too sweet. ★ ★ ★
Asda Extra Special Nine-Month Matured Luxury Christmas Pudding, 800g, £8 A classic. ★ ★ ★ ★
Co-op Irresistible 12-Month Matured Christmas Pudding, 400g, £4 Fruity, but slightly tart. ★ ★ ★
Iceland Six-Month Matured Christmas Pudding with Cider, Sherry & Rum, 400g, £2.25 Fruity, rich taste but was rather claggy. ★ ★ ★
Lidl Deluxe Luxury 24-Month Matured Christmas Pudding, 800g, £8.99 A bit too strong. Also dry. ★ ★
M&S Collection Perfectly Matured Cherry & Orange Wreath, 700g, £12 Nutty, boozy, sweet. Fantastic. ★ ★ ★ ★
Morrisons The Best 18-Month Matured Christmas Pudding, 400g, £2 Moist and full of nutty flavour. ★ ★ ★ ★
Tesco Christmas Pudding, 400g, £2.40 Packed with festive, orange flavour. ★ ★ ★ ★
Waitrose No.1 Christmas Pudding, 400g, £5.60 Rich, fruity and boozy ★ ★ ★ ★
WINNER Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Caramelised Biscuit Christmas Pudding, 700g, £10 Rich with a lovely spicy, boozy filling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
