It feels good to be entertaining big groups of friends and family again this year… right? Kind of. Over the years I’ve learned that a great Christmas party starts with great Christmas appetisers — and these merry stuffing sticks are a real crowd pleaser. Plus they’re not too complicated or time-consuming, so that’s a win, win.

Adapt the recipe to make more or less depending on the size of your household this Christmas, taking into account that you’ll want to pinch a few for yourself before serving!

Ingredients (Makes 5 balls as a starter) 

• 1 shallot
• 1 garlic clove
• Knob of butter
• 60g panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp dried sage
• ½ chicken stock cube

Method (Takes 30 mins) 

1. Peel and finely chop the shallot and garlic. Dissolve ½ chicken stock cube in 150ml boiled water.
2. Heat a large, wide-based pan with a large knob of butter over a medium heat and add the chopped shallot and garlic. Cook for 2-3 min.
3. Add the dried sage and cook for a further 30 seconds.
4. Combine the chicken stock, panko breadcrumbs and the sage and onion butter in a bowl. Set aside to cool and absorb the liquid.
5. Once cooled, divide the stuffing into 5 even balls and add to a baking tray. Put them in the oven for 10-12 min or until browned.
6. Once browned, remove from the oven and serve on skewers (or cocktail sticks) with cranberry sauce.

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