Darina Allen: How to make my tasty family-friendly one-pot dishes 

Christmas is the time to stock the pantry with items and fill the freezer with casseroles and pots of stews

For meat dishes, go along to your local butcher and discover less expensive cuts that are so brilliant for slow-cooked stews and braises.

Now is the time to plan for a really chilled Christmas, so let’s stock the pantry with items and fill the freezer with casseroles, pots of stews, tagines, make sure to have a couple of chunky vegetarian dishes and some vegan treats — delicious for everyone.

I’ve got lots of gorgeous bean and chickpea recipes that everyone loves. Dried legumes and pulses are packed with flavour, and nutrients and are a very inexpensive source of protein. Serve them with a salad of late autumn leaves and a bowl of natural yoghurt with lots of snipped fresh herbs, particularly mint.