When you invite family or friends to share your holiday feast, chances are you’re looking for the best recipes. You want to make sure the food is appealing to both the eyes and the palate. If you are planning a barbecue and your dessert is also planned but you still don’t know the starters, here are some great Christmas starter ideas.

 

Delicious soup

During winter, there is nothing better than a good soup. It’s generally a good idea to offer two options. One of which is a regular vegetable or meat soup. Your second choice might be something creamy like a walnut soup or a broccoli and cheddar soup. Make sure there is enough soup for everyone. You never know how many of your guests will opt for the same soup.

 

Scrumptious seafood

Fish makes a great Christmas starter in the form of calamari, shrimp or even shrimp cocktail. The key is to serve the fish with a basic salad and the right sauce. Don’t worry too much about decorations. You don’t want your guests loading up on carbohydrates or they’ll never make it to dessert!

 

Mushroom starter

Chopped button mushrooms or garlic mushrooms also make a fantastic appetizer. It’s best to serve them on long plates so your guests can help themselves. Chopped mushrooms are an especially delicious Christmas starter with garlic bread.

 

Vegetable Skewers

Since you will most likely enjoy a nice piece of meat when the main course is served, why not serve some vegetable skewers as a Christmas starter? Keep vegetables as large as possible and include a variety of colours for flavour and appearance. Some great options include mushrooms, onions, and peppers. If you don’t plan to serve the chicken as part of the main course, you can add chicken cubes to the skewers.

 

Cheese sticks

Grated cheese sticks can be fried or baked. The latter are obviously healthier for obvious reasons. Serve your cheese sticks with the appropriate sauce and, if you wish, you can accompany this delicious appetizer with garlic mushrooms.

 

Remember, the key is to make sure your starters are enough to whet the appetite, but not so much that your guests barely have room for the main course. Always consider what you plan to serve as a main course before choosing your Christmas starter. It’s also a good idea to offer more than one option in case one of your guests is vegetarian or follows a specific diet (for example, a gluten-free diet).