How to recreate these popular festive movie foods at home

There’s no better way to get in the mood in the run-up to Christmas than by decorating your tree, baking something festive, and curling up on the sofa to watch your favourite Christmas film.

With 6,490 searches every single month for ‘recipes from Christmas movies’ (and a 43% increase in searches in December), it’s clear that quite a few of us have realised we can combine two Christmas traditions into one!

With 6,490 searches every single month for ‘recipes from Christmas movies’ (and a 43% increase in searches in December), it’s clear that quite a few of us have realised we can combine two Christmas traditions into one!

Read on to find out how you can recreate five of our favourite festive recipes at home, before discovering the highest rated Christmas movies of all time, to watch.

Movie	Food	Average monthly searches
Harry Potter	Butterbeer	1,900
Polar Express	Hot chocolate	480
Elf	Spaghetti	260
Home Alone	Pizza	260
The Grinch	Roast beast	40

Whilst we know Harry Potter isn’t technically a Christmas movie, we’re giving it an honourable mention because Christmas always features in the movies… plus, it’s always on TV over the festive period too!

We’re starting off with an easy recipe, with just four ingredients needed. Who needs to visit The Three Broomsticks, when you can curl up on a cold day with a glass of your very own homemade butterbeer?

Ingredients (serves two people)

• 1 cup (230ml) of cream soda
• ½ cup (115ml) of butterscotch syrup
• ½ tbsp of butter
• Heavy cream (for foam)

Method

• Take your butter out of the fridge and leave for 30 minutes to soften
• Pour your butterscotch syrup into a bowl, adding in the softened butter, and mix together
• Pour in your cream soda, and stir
• In a separate bowl, whip your heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks, being careful not to overwhip
• Pour your mixture into two mugs, and top with a dollop of whipped cream
• Enjoy whilst watching your favourite Harry Potter movie!

Completely kid-friendly, if you want to make an adults-only version, then simply add in a shot of vanilla vodka or butterscotch schnapps… it’s guaranteed to warm you right up!

Butterbeer recipe credit: Kids Activities Blog

Polar Express: Hot chocolate

Super sumptuous and decadent, nothing says Christmas quite like a steaming mug of hot cocoa. For an extra festive spin, why not recreate the Polar Express’ hot chocolate version? With searches for it rising by 182% over the last three months, we reckon it’s definitely worth a try.

Ingredients (serves 10 people)

• 6 cups (1,420ml) of milk
• 1 can (410ml) of condensed milk
• 1 ½ cups (350ml) of chocolate chips
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp of salt

Method

• Combine your milk, condensed milk, chocolate, vanilla extract, and salt into a pan
• Turn the heat on low and stir constantly until the chocolate is melted
• Pour into 10 cups and decorate how you want: think whipped cream, marshmallows, sprinkles… whatever you want!

Polar Express hot chocolate credit: All Recipes

Elf: Spaghetti

OK, so this recipe might not be for the faint-hearted, but if you’re not going to make it at Christmastime, then when are you?! With a 133% increase in searches in three months, this indulgent dish sees sweet meeting savoury, and is something the kids are sure to enjoy decorating.

Ingredients (serves eight people)

• 450g spaghetti
• 2tbsp unsalted butter
• 1tbsp salt
• 80g maple syrup

For toppings:

• Maple syrup
• Marshmallows
• M&Ms
• Sprinkles
• Chocolate syrup

Method

• Fill a pan with water, add your salt and bring it to the boil
• Add your spaghetti and cook it until al dente – this should take you about 10 minutes
• Drain your pasta, and toss it in butter until it’s fully coated
• Drizzle your pasta with maple syrup until it’s fully coated
• Decorate with all of your favourite toppings

Elf spaghetti recipe credit: My Recipes

Home Alone: Pizza pot pie

Remember that huuuuge pizza order the McAllister’s made in the first Home Alone movie? Now you can recreate your own Chicago-style pizza pie at home with the family!

Ingredients

• 450g pizza dough (store bought will save you time!)
• Sliced mozzarella cheese
• Sliced provolone cheese
• Grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup (230ml) of marina sauce
• 6 ramekins (for serving)

Garlic butter:

• 3tpsn salted butter
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp Italian herbs

Toppings

• Mushrooms, pepperoni, ham, salami… whatever you want!

Method

• Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius, and spray your ramekins with a non-stick spray
• Combine the mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan together, and line the bottom and sides of your ramekins with the cheese mixture
• Add in a layer of your chosen toppings
• Add in a layer of marinara sauce, making sure that your ramekin is only three-quarters full
• Cut your dough into six circular pieces that are slightly bigger than the top of your ramekins, and place them tightly over the top, making sure they’re pinched at the slides
• Place your pizza pot pies on a baking tray, brush them with garlic butter, and cook for 15-20 minutes

Home Alone pizza recipe credit: Abracashaba

The Grinch: Roast beast

A speciality of Whoville, enjoy this succulent roast beef on a cold winter’s evening as you gather round the table as a family. Cooked to perfection, you’ll be begging for seconds.

Ingredients (serves eight people)

• 1 x joint of beef
• 1 x bottle of stout beer
• 1 x can of diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup (32g) of light brown sugar
• 3tbsp of butter
• 3tbsp of olive oil
• 1tbsp of sweet paprika
• 2tspn of black pepper
• 2tsp of sea salt
• 2 x heads of garlic, halved
• 2 x bay leaves
• 4 x sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 x sprigs of fresh rosemary

Method

• Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius
• Combine your paprika, brown sugar, salt, and olive oil in a small bowl
• Pat your joint of beef until it’s dry, and place it into a shallow baking tin, before generously coating the sides of it with your spice mix
• Marinate your joint in the fridge for one hour, making sure it’s not covered
• Place your marinated joint in a pot and leave it on a high heat, leaving it until the sides are browned
• Add in your garlic, butter, herbs, and bay leaves, waiting for the butter to melt
• Add in your broth, beer, and tomatoes, and bring it to the boil
• Cover the pot and put it in the oven. Braise the beef until it’s very tender – this can take up to two hours
• Remove your roast beef from the pan, and leave it to rest for 15 minutes
• Strain the pan juices and return to the pan, boiling it until it’s reduced by half
• Slice your roast beef and serve with the remainder of the pan sauce

The Grinch roast beast recipe credit: Tastemade

The top Christmas movies to watch with your festive food

Whilst it makes sense to watch the movie your chosen festive food originates from, it turns out that they’re not necessarily the most loved Christmas movies of all time.

By looking at ratings from the likes of IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes and Google, we can proudly present the most popular movies here… so if you want to feel extra festive, snuggle up on the sofa with a mug of butterbeer and a generous dollop of Buddy’s spaghetti, and turn on these festive favourites.

So, now you’ve got all these delicious recipes to hand, it’s time to recreate them in your own home, and argue over whether Die Hard really is a Christmas film (coming fourth in our ranking, we’re going to go out on a limb and say it is!).

For more inspiration, head on over to our blog where you can find the perfect roast turkey recipe, tips on creating your very own Christmas tablescape, and more.

Alternatively, if you’re dreaming of a new kitchen to welcome the new year in, then you’ve come to the right place! Browse our worktops, lighting, and cooking appliances, and start designing your perfect kitchen, with our online planner.

Methodology

Movie methodology: We took data from IMBD, Rotten Tomatoes, and Google user scores to create average percentage scores for every Christmas movie to date.

Most popular food methodology: We gathered search terms for the top food and drink in Christmas movies, and looked at the most searched recipes.