We all know the best way to your friends and families’ hearts is through their stomachs but let’s be honest, making a Christmas meal is a real faff.

It takes hours upon hours, days upon days to prep and cook – who’s got the time? But painstaking it does not have to be. It is easier than ever to whip up a tasty meal with all the trimmings thanks to a little helping hand. Ready-to-go Christmas meals will help you nail one of the most important meals of the year without fuss or frills. Think butter-based turkey, pigs in blankets, scrummy stuffing, moats of gravy, honey glazed carrots and parsnips – the whole song and dance with the taste factor guaranteed.

With the rise in the popularity of veganism, there is also now an extensive range of meat-free meals that will give the traditional turkey a run for its money. Plant-based alternatives like tarts, Wellingtons and nut roasts will allow you to cater for all dietary requirements while still bringing the wow-factor on December 25.

Make this year’s meal more memorable than ever whether you are an occasional baker or expert chef.

Donald Russell butcher

Royal Warrant holder Donald Russell is taking the fuss out of the Christmas feast with its ready-to-go Ultimate Christmas Box that can be delivered straight to your door. The set contains a 5kg turkey (which will feed around six to seven people), Pork Sausagemeat, Dry-cured Streaky Bacon, eight Pigs in Blankets and a Mosimann's Christmas Pudding.

The products are hand prepared and professionally frozen to ensure the quality is locked in so all you have to do is defrost, cook (with the detailed guidelines included) and serve. Done and dusted.

Meat free alternatives include the Salmon En Croûte, Malt Whisky and Scottish Smoked Salmon.

£79 | Donald Russell | Buy it now

Gousto

Make it easier than ever to create the perfect Christmas dinner with meal delivery service Gousto. For an intimate group of two to four people, the recipe box company will send you all the ingredients with simple, easy-to-follow instructions for a fool-proof feast with minimal waste.

In one hour, you will have a turkey dinner with all the trimmings; the meat itself filled with a sage and onion stuffing, crispy semolina potatoes, pigs in blankets, honey-mustard roasted vegetables, Brussel sprouts, cranberry, port and orange sauce and of course, gravy.

There are a vegan alternative in the form of a convincing meal-like plant-based burger in a brioche bun with free-from melted cheese, a sprout slaw and a bacon-alternative mushroom mixed with smoked paprika.

For the non-turkey lovers, there is also the option of a venison burger with gooey camembert, balsamic onions and a tart cranberry sauce

From £2.98pp | Gousto | Buy it now

Hello Fresh

Spark yuletide joy without the classic Christmas mishaps thanks to Hello Fresh who will deliver a traditional feast to your door with simple, concise instructions and a broken-down timing plan to ensure you sit down to feast on your meal on time.

The About the Christmas Box includes butter-basted roast turkey, pigs in blankets, stuffing, rosemary roast potatoes, sprout gratin, honey & thyme roasted roots, slow-cooked spiced red cabbage, green beans and gravy. Party sizes vary from four to 10 with minimal waste.

From £73.99 | Hello Fresh | Pre-order now

M&S

Pre-stuffed and served along with bacon-wrapped thighs, this turkey lives up to its name as the ‘Perfect Turkey’, cooked-to-perfection every time. The stock-basted British Oakham turkey crown is filled with a pork, sage and onion stuffing that is all cooked at the exact same time in just two hours and serves around 12 to 14 people.

For a turkey alternative, the roast sirloin has been matured for 30 days and coated in roast beef butter for a mouth-wateringly delicious succulent bit of meat, while those looking for a dish free of any animal by-products will not be disappointed with the Plant Kitchen Festive Roast that has a cranberry and chestnut stuffing, vegan gravy and pork-alternative cocktail sausages or the Vegan butternut, almond and pecan nut roast.

£65 | M&S | Buy it now

Abel & Cole

Get all your Christmas food shopping done in just one click of a button with the Feast boxes from Abel & Cole. With variations for turkey, beef and vegetarian, all the produce included is organic, fresh and tasty. The boxes contain easy-to-follow instructions and even a bottle of Prosecco. They are designed to feed around six to eight people.

From £100 | Abel & Cole | Pre-order now

Farmison & Co.

The online butchers Farmison & Co is encouraging you to eat better this Christmas with a free range turkey, goose, ham or grass-fed beef and all the trimmings. The boxes contain all the essential components of the seasonal feast with gravy, sauces and a fresh bit of meat to take the stress out of the cooking process.

From £75 | Farmison & Co. | Buy it now

Eversfield Organic

Eversfield Organic specialise in grass-fed meat and organic vegetables and its Christmas box meal is no different. For six to eight people, the festive food set is comprised of a roast bronze turkey, herby roast potatoes, chestnuts wrapped in streaky bacon, creamy mashed carrot & swede, zesty shredded sprouts, honey roast parsnips and cranberry & onion gravy.

£165 | Eversfield Organic | Pre-order now

Field & Flower

Take the guesswork out of the Christmas preparation with Field & Flower and its carefully curated boxes that contain free-range meats and artisanal produce. The extensive meal kits on offer vary in size depending on your party with options for any combination from four to 10 people. There is also a range of meats or fish with traditional and not-so traditional selections to choose from.

From £30 | Field & Flower | Pre-order now

Riverford

Jam-packed with organic veggies, the Riverford box has got your trimmings covered with its Christmas box that contains a fresh cranberry sauce, mince pies (baked in a wood fired oven), Christmas pudding and clementines for four to six people with a hearty portion of leftovers for Boxing day.

£45.95 | Riverford | Buy it now

Iceland

The frozen food specialist is simplifying your cooking process with a turkey that only needs to be defrosted and you are ready to go. The bird itself has been flash frozen as soon as it is prepared to lock in the flavour and ensure it is succulent and delicious come Christmas lunch.

Choose between the boneless Luxury British Easy Carve Extra Tasty Turkey Crown that can easily be carved and served and the Bernard Matthews Golden Norfolk Basted Turkey XX Large, which has been named the lowest priced frozen turkey.

From £16 | Iceland | Buy it now

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