Reading lists

Books to build your perfect Christmas dinner

From roast potatoes to innovative desserts, these books will help ensure you enjoy every meal you eat this festive season.

Covers of cookbooks including Jamie Oliver's Christmas Cookbook, Meera Sodha's East , Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh's Sweet, Rachel Khoo's The Little Swedish Kitchen and Delia's Happy Christmas.

Christmas is a time for family, friends and celebrations – especially when sitting around a table together has become even more meaningful in recent years. And what better way to gather than around food?

Whether you’re looking for guidance on how to make the perfect turkey for Christmas Day, inspiration for new vegetarian dishes to serve up, or you just want to eat something that isn’t leftovers, these cookbooks contain everything you need to make sure your Christmas is full of taste, however you’re marking it. Below, you'll find straightforward recipes for each side or main course, as well as information on the book they come from. 

For even more food inspiration, head over to our friends at The Happy Foodie, and subscribe to their newsletter for more Christmas recipe content.

Delia's turkey and stuffing

Jamie's gravy

Nigella's Christmas Cake

Kylee Newton's Cranberry Sauce

Rachel Khoo's vegetarian 'ham'

Ottolenghi's truffles

Meera Sodha's sprouts

Mary Berry's red cabbage

Rukmini Iyer's two-tin Christmas Dinner

Ruby Tandoh's Christmas pudding

Illustration of a family sitting around a large book of The Thursday Murder Club

Christmas gift guide

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more