Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas: Recipes, guest stars and where to watch

Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas is a must-watch for those in charge of cooking this year's Christmas Day dinner.

A stand-out in the Christmas TV schedule year in year out, many of us have Dame Mary Berry and her Christmas food special for helping us get through the planning, preparation and cooking of the annual Christmas feast. The British national treasure shares her delicious recipes and invaluable time-saving hacks on everything Christmas and culinary in this one hour episode - guiding us through how to cook a turkey and other Christmas food traditions. The only exception this year is she's got a few other chefs joining her in the kitchen, offering one or two new recipes with a festive twist.

We share details of the guest stars and how to find Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas recipes online, plus where you can watch it in the UK and US.

Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas: Recipes

Dame Mary Berry shares a number of her classic Christmas recipes in the programme, beginning with some tasty-looking stilton and sage mini scone canapés. The main course follows with guidance on how to cook a lemon and herb roast turkey, accompanied by some crispy roast potatoes, honey glazed carrots and parsnips, red cabbage, apricot and chestnut stuffing and turkey gravy. 

And of course Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas pudding! As for those who aren't a fan of the traditional dessert, Mary's got a trifle recipe to tempt you instead. (Rylan's certainly a fan!)

"Organisation and preparation is key," says Mary in the teaser trailer. "I’m not making people labour. And I give people tips I’ve learned over the years too."

You'll be able to find Mary Barry's Ultimate Christmas recipes online via the BBC after the show has aired. Similarly check out our collection of delicious Mary Berry recipes or be tempted by our tried-and-tested Christmas recipes below.

Christmas 2022 recipes

80 quick and easy canapes recipes and ideas

Serves: 8+ | Total cooking time: Varies

These quick and easy canapes are perfect for passing around at Christmas. Think savoury and sweet nibbles from blinis to vol-au-vents, and mini ice cream cones to meats on sticks.

Roast turkey with lemon, parsley and garlic recipe

Serves: 8-10 | Total cooking time: 3 hours

Gordon Ramsay's roast turkey recipe shows you how to cook your Christmas or Thanksgiving bird like a pro. It's easy and utterly delicious.

Roast potatoes recipe

Serves: 6 | Total cooking time: 55 minutes

Our roast potatoes are golden and crunchy on the outside, perfectly fluffy in the middle, and are sure to be the star of your roast dinner or Christmas lunch.

Honey glazed carrots and parsnips recipe

Serves: 8 | Total cooking time: 30 minutes

This honey-glazed carrots and parsnips recipe features golden parsnips and bright carrots, tossed with aromatic spices and sweet honey for a moreish side dish.

Christmas red cabbage recipe

Serves: 8 | Total cooking time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Christmas red cabbage is a delicious way to cook cabbage with a festive twist. We've added port and cranberries for a simple but delicious sweet and sour edge.

Fruity stuffing recipe

Serves: 8-10 | Total cooking time: 30 minutes

If you really want to make poultry more exciting, a fruity stuffing like this is a delicious and different option.

Turkey gravy with drippings recipe

Serves: 6 | Total cooking time: 55 minutes

Turkey gravy is the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas dinner. It's so easy to make and a great way of using up the leftover juices too!

Mary Berry’s Christmas pudding recipe

Serves: 6 | Total cooking time: 55 minutes

Turkey gravy is the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas dinner. It's so easy to make and a great way of using up the leftover juices too!

Who are the guest stars on Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas?

• Chef Monica Galetti
• Chef Angela Hartnett
• TV presenter Rylan Clark

BBC viewers will see the return of chef Monica Galetti - previously a host and judge on British Masterchef: The Professionals. The Samoan-born New Zealand chef is currently the chef proprietor of Mere in London and was previously senior sous-chef at Le Gavroche in London.

Galetti isn't the only chef joining Mary for the Christmas special. Enter chef Angela Hartnett, chef proprietor of the Italian Michelin-starred Murano in Mayfair, London. One of Gordan Ramsay's protegee's, she was formerly head chef at the prestigious at The Connaught. 

Angela, whose grandmother is Italian, shows viewers how to rustle up a delicious pumpkin ricotta tortelli. Meanwhile Monica Galetti showcases a tempting Samoan palusami with smoked haddock, cavolo nero and sourdough.

Strictly It Takes Two host Rylan Clark is the third and final guest at Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas, and it seems the TV presenter is there for a very important reason. The veteran chef is hoping to win the anti-Brussel Sprouts man over with her special recipe.

"I said I wanted to change his mind so I took him into a sprout field and as viewers will see he was quite bewildered at the field of sprouts and how to gather them but he got the hang of it in the end," Mary recalls.

"Then I decided that if I put the sprouts with other things, he would love them. I put on lots of butter, cashew nuts and peas. Everybody likes peas, children love petit pois. They were masked in butter, not overcooked — they were beautiful and he loved them. And then to put it to the test, we gave the recipe to some children and there was only one child that didn’t eat it. You could actually see the children finishing off their bowls of sprouts!"

Where to watch Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas

UK viewers can watch Mary Berry’s Ultimate Christmas on BBC One at 8pm on Monday 19 December. It will be available on BBCiPlayer shortly after and repeated on BBC One at 11.25am on Christmas Eve.

Mary Berry's Ultimate Christmas will air the same date in the US on PBS. US viewers should tune in at 9pm ET to see the beloved British cook in action.

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