Christmas nut roast

If you’re trying to eat less and better this Christmas, it’s never been easier to trade up your meat dishes to higher welfare options, or trade them out for meat-free alternatives. This nut roast recipe is a tasty and easy to make festive treat that can be adapted to be vegan friendly by leaving out the cheese.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour

Serves: 4-6

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Toss the butternut squash in oil and lightly season, then spread on a baking tray and cook for 30 mins.

While this cooks, add the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Sauté the onion in a pan with a little oil and cook until soft, then add the garlic and allow to cook for a couple of minutes before adding the mushroom. Once the liquid has evaporated, add your dried herbs and chestnuts. Combine well, then remove from heat.

Add the toasted nuts to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add these to the mushroom mixture along with 

approximately two thirds of the cranberries and all of the stilton.

Mash the cooked butternut squash roughly with a fork and add this to the mixture along with the breadcrumbs. Stir well and season to taste. Spoon the mixture into a nonstick loaf tin or deep baking tray and cook in oven for 30 mins, uncovered. Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5 mins, then sprinkle with the remaining cranberries.