As much as there’s a magical, childlike comfort in enjoying oven-ready picky bits or a good takeaway on a cold winter’s day, there’s something equally comforting about cooking up a hearty, homemade meal of your own during the festive season.

But if you’re feeling stumped for dishes beyond your usual chilli or classic Sunday roast, fear not, we’ve got some inspiration up our sleeves.

From smoked salmon blinis, perfect for a decadent Christmas Day breakfast, to a grazing board fit for Santa himself, we’ve got four new recipes for you to add to your repertoire this Christmas.

We’ve even selected the perfect Freixenet wine pairings to serve alongside each of these festive feasts. Mouth watering already? Here’s how to make them…

Wondering what do to with those leftover cuts of turkey that were spared at Christmas dinner? Use them in a Boxing Day curry of course and Sanjay Aggarwal, author of The Spice Kitchen has an incredible recipe that’s here to warm your cockles.

Serves 4

For the tarka sauce

6 tbsp vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

4 large onions, peeled, halved and very finely sliced into half moons

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

2 tsp garam masala

400g canned plum tomatoes

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp sugar (optional)

1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Finishing touches

500g leftover cooked turkey cut into bite-sized pieces

Salt, to taste (optional)

1 tsp garam masala (optional)

3 tbsp single or double cream (optional)

To serve

Your choice of rice, naan bread

Handful of fresh coriander, chopped

The recipe

Heat the oil over a medium heat, add the cumin and mustard seeds, and let them sizzle for 15 seconds.

Add the chopped onions and salt and cook until caramelised - they should be nicely browned.

Add the garam masala and ginger-garlic paste, and cook for two minutes.

Add the tomatoes, turn up the heat and reduce until the liquid has gone and the tomatoes are sticky. Don’t forget to stir regularly.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the chilli powder, turmeric, sugar and lemon juice. Cook for a further 5 minutes. 

Stir your leftover turkey into the sauce and gently simmer for 10 minutes. The sauce will naturally thicken, so add a little water if you prefer a thinner consistency.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. You can also add a little more garam masala at this stage if you think the sauce needs it. 

For a festive treat, stir in some cream (single or double) to give your curry a lovely rich finish.

Scatter the freshly chopped coriander on top, plate up and enjoy with rice or naan.

Pair with: Freixenet Italian Sparkling Rosé, a light and effervescent fizz with notes of red berries, white flowers and apples. Just sweet enough to pair with a dash of spice.

Christmas Day calls for a breakfast beyond the usual bowl of cereal or slice of toast and if you’re partial to a particularly decadent morning feast, these smoked salmon blinis from seafood connoisseurs Petrossian are pure luxury.

Super easy to make and full of flavour, you can pick up the high quality seafood ingredients you need for these delights straight from Petrossian themselves.

Makes 8-10 blinis

For the blinis

60g buckwheat flour

100g wheat flour

1 level tsp baker’s yeast

200ml milk

1 egg yolk + 2 egg whites

30g salted butter

200ml whipping cream

A pinch of salt

1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

For the topping

4 to 6 slices of wild salmon

250ml unpasteurised crème fraîche

½ bunch of finely chopped dill

1 lime

125g wild salmon roe

To make the blinis, whip half of the cream while it’s cold (the trick is to put it in the freezer for 15 minutes beforehand). Melt the butter and in the meantime, dissolve the yeast in a few spoonfuls of warm water. 

In a bowl, whisk together the milk, flour, egg yolk, melted butter and whipped cream. Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff, then gently fold them into the main mixture with a spatula. Leave to stand for 40 minutes in the fridge.

Melt a knob of butter in a hot frying pan and drop in little dollops of blini mix. Fry for 3 minutes on one side, turn over and fry for 1 minute. Remove and place the blinis on absorbent kitchen roll.

To make the dill cream, mix the dill, lime zest and lime juice with the crème fraîche and set aside in a cool place.

To serve

Place a dollop of cream on each blini and arrange the sliced wild salmon on top with a sprinkle of salmon roe, dill or edible flowers. Serve and enjoy.

Pair with: Freixenet Cordon Negro and a splash of orange juice for a classic Christmas morning treat.

Whether you’re hosting a party or simply fancy taking ‘girl dinner’ to the next level, you can’t go wrong with a decadent festive grazing board.

“Thinly sliced cured meats are perfect for grazing boards and Prosciutto di Parma is my favourite – I love it wrapped around grissini bread sticks,” says This Morning chef, author and food columnist, Clodagh McKenna.

“Mature Manchego cheese served alongside quince paste is heaven, and a fresh ricotta whipped with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon zest is so good served with fresh focaccia.”

“I also love to upgrade a shop-bought hummus with a sprinkle of smoked paprika, chopped roasted hazelnuts and a good glug of Waitrose extra virgin olive oil and I always recommend using Perello olives, they’re so juicy but have a good bite.”

Michelle Reddyhoff, founder of Berkhamsted-based catering company-turned restaurant and cocktail bar, The Lounge by Graze Life, recommends using a contrast of colourful ingredients across the board and adding props such as nice plates, baskets and greenery like holly and rosemary to create a beautifully festive display. 

But her top tip? You can never go far wrong with a good mix of sweet and savoury - it’s the best way to keep your guests satisfied.

Reddyhoff sources all of her sweet treats from local bakers but if you’re in a rush, M&S’s Triple Chocolate Panettone and Heavenly Chocolate Brownie Bites are good places to start.

The beauty of a grazing board is that it requires practically no prep, so once you’ve got your ingredients together, it’s time to get arranging. 

Pair with: Freixenet Prosecco D.O.C, a distinctive and delicious mix of ripe lemon, green apple and juicy grapefruit and the perfect party food accompaniment.

The perfect low-effort winter warmer for when you want to impress guests – Ros Heathcote, catering and hospitality expert and founder of Borough Broth recommends using any leftover cuts of chicken or turkey from the big day if you want to keep this indulgent recipe super simple…

Serves 4

50g organic butter or goose fat if you have any leftover from Christmas

1 large leek, sliced into 0.5cm rings and chopped in half into semi-circles

300g cooked chicken

60g thickly sliced button mushrooms

1.5 tbsp cornflour or a plain flour 

2 tsp mustard 

1 pouch (324g) organic chicken bone broth

325g organic puff pastry

1 tsp full fat crème fraîche

3 spring fresh thyme

Ground black pepper

Pink/sea salt

1 beaten egg

Splash full-fat milk

Preheat the oven at 190°C / 375°F / gas mark 5 and heat the fat in a large frying pan on a low heat with the leek. This should cook down slowly for 5 minutes so that the leek softens but doesn’t brown. 

Add the mushrooms, sprinkle over the fresh thyme leaves and fry down for a further 3-4 minutes.

In a separate pan add the chicken broth and bring to a light simmer, add the meat to the mixture and scatter over the flour, then stir in the mustard until it’s well blended. Slowly add the chicken broth, season generously and stir continuously until the sauce is a thick, luscious consistency. Stir in the crème fraîche to lighten the mix if you wish.

Dust a large, clean surface with flour and roll out the pastry to around 1cm thick and place it in the pie tin, ensuring the rolled piece of pastry is larger than the top of the pie tin you’re using. 

Fill the pie tin with the mixture, cover with another piece of rolled pastry and press down the edges so it’s sealed.

Cut any excess pastry away from the outside of the tin edges and roll out and cut into any festive shapes you wish. Make sure there’s a small hole cut in the centre of the pastry to let any steam out. Once the crust is decorated, mix the beaten egg and milk vigorously and use a brush to coat the pastry for that golden and crispy top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is a deep golden colour and serve with leftover pan-fried greens in butter.

Pair with: Freixenet Pinot Grigio D.O.C., an elegant white wine with a floral, delicate character and hints of crispy citrus. Just the right amount of acidity to compliment the creamy pie filling.

Looking for the perfect drinks to pair with your Christmas recipes this festive season? Freixenet’s extensive list of premium still and sparkling wines are sure to add a touch of sparkle and joy to your Christmas. Shop the range here.