Here’s a selection of some great flavoursome stuffings which you can make in to stuffing balls or stuff the Turkey neck with or even just bake in a overproof dish the choice is yours. One thing I do know is that to save time you should consider a mini chopping machine These machines not only save you invaluable time from doing all the necessary chopping by hand, but also gives you consistant chopping, slices, dicing sizes. So the results are a better texture and all the ingredients are cooked to perfection, as they are the correct size rather than having some large dice and some small.  So if your not brilliant at chopping, this gadget take’s up very little room and you will just keep getting using it over and over again. Why not ask santa to get you one?

Couscous, nut & herb stuffing - you will need: 175g couscous, 50g butter, 1 medium onion chopped, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 175g mixed toasted and chopped nuts,  such as walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, 3 tblsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley, 2 tblsp lime juice and seasoning.

Place your couscous in a large bowl and cover with 300ml hot water then leave to stand for 10 minutes then simply fork through to separate the grains. Melt the butter in a wok or frying pan and fry the onion until soft, stir in the spices and fry for 30 seconds. Then stir in the couscous, nuts, coriander or parsley and lime juice season and mix well. Make sure you cool completely before using to stuff the neck of the turkey with.

Chestnut, cranberry and pork stuffing - you will need: 225g pork sausage meat, 225g fresh brown breadcrumbs, 175g fresh cranberries, 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme, 400g chestnuts in brine (or fresh chestnuts, pierced, cooked and peeled) and seasoning

Mix together all the ingredients apart from the chestnuts in a large bowl. Then roughly chop the chestnuts and add to the meat mixture and mix together throughly. Spoon into a greased dish or shape into balls and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 180c/350f or gas 4.

Apple, Pancetta and Sage Stuffing - you will need: 25g butter, 1 tblsp olive oil, 1 large spanish onion chopped, 4 celery sticks diced, 125g brazil nuts chopped, 450g pork sausagement, 175g breadcrumbs, 225g bramley apples cored and chopped, 2tsp fresh sage chopped, zest of 1 lemon, 1 large egg yolk, 10 thin slices of pancetta and olive oil to drizzle.

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion, celery and brazil nuts together for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and golden and allow to cool. Tip into a large bowl with the remaining ingredients, except the pancetta and oil and mix together and season ( you can reserve halve for stuffing the turkey neck and make halve into stuffing balls the choice is yours). Roll the stuffing in to balls (no bigger than golf balls) cut the pancetta in to strips placing 2 strips around each ball to form a cross around the stuffing balls. (You can keep these in the fridge in a sealed container until ready to cook). To Cook transfer to a roasting tin and drizzle with the oil cover with foil and cook in a preheated oven 190c, gas mark 5 for 30 minutes removing the foil after halve way through.

Tell me about your favourite stuffing? I always serve two types of stuffing so everyone gets a stuffing they like. I place one  in to the neck of the Turkey while I form the other stuffing into balls to serve with gorgous top quality pork chipolata sausages and rolls of the best smoked bacon.