food

Expert-tested: Best items to add to your ASDA basket this Christmas

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/best-asda-food-1639406248.jpg

The Good Housekeeping Institute conducts hundreds of taste tests every year to ensure you always buy with confidence. To make shopping a little easier, we’ve collated all of our top-scoring Christmas products from ASDA onto one page, so you can select your slot, add to basket, and wait for your GHI-approved feast to arrive!

Best food and wine to buy from ASDA

How do I order ASDA home delivery?

ASDA doesn’t operate a minimum spend but charges £3 as a minimum basket charge if the value of your order comes to less than £40 for delivery, or less than £25 for click & collect orders. Charges are shown on the time slots when you go to book a delivery, and range from £1 to £4.50.

ASDA opening hours 2022

If you can’t get a home delivery slot, click and collect is available seven days a week. Some stores are open 24-hours a day, but for those that aren’t, opening times are typically 6am or 7am until 11pm or 12am. To find your nearest store and its opening hours, simply use ASDA’s store locator tool.

How we test Asda food and drink

Our expert and consumer panels tested hundreds of essential Christmas products for the big day, from pigs in blankets to party food. We’ve collated all of the GHI-approved ASDA products in one place, so you can add the lot to your basket. How’s that for convenience?

Canapés and starters

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Smoked Salmon Blini Kit with Truffle and Dill Cream Cheese

£6.00

Score: 83/100

This DIY kit makes creating the party classic blini a doddle. The mini pancakes are light and fluffy, and the truffle-infused cream cheese is every bit as rich and luxurious as you’d hope. ASDA’s robust smoked salmon was described as “excellent quality”, and all in all testers felt this kit was great value.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Mini Beef Wellingtons

£4.00

Score: 89/100

Drinks party planned? These bitesize wellingtons contain a filling similar to pulled beef, which makes eating them one handed, that bit easier. The middle reminded testers of a well-seasoned ragu, paired with sharp mature cheddar, encased within perfectly crisp, buttery pastry.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Mini Praline Tarts

£3.50

Score: 93/100

Round off your evening with these decadent, sweet cups, filled with hazelnut praline. Testers loved the fudgy filling and thought the pastry had the perfect snap.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Ultimate Prawn Cocktail with Campfire Charred Tomato Marie Rose Sauce

£6.00

Score: 83/100

Taking inspiration from campfire smoke, ASDA has elevated the humble prawn cocktail to something extra special. Presented in ready-to-serve plastic pots, it won the panel over with its generous combination of king prawns, and perfectly balanced smoked paprika sauce.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Blackthorn Dry-Cured Smoked Salmon

£6.00

Score: 76/100

Smoked in a traditional brick kiln using Scottish heather, alder and sweetgale, ASDA’s meaty salmon has campfire smoke in each bite. It’s cured using Blackthorn salt — a sustainable product made from Scottish seawater.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Banditti Dark Rum & Charred Citrus Scottish Smoked Salmon

£4.30

Score: 74/100

Banditti dark rum is made using freshly pressed sugar cane, so it brings a sweet element to this flavoured fish. However, that combined with charred citrus, made for a well-balanced bite, allowing the natural salmon flavour to shine.

The main event

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Free Range Corn-Fed Norfolk Bronze Turkey Crown with Pork, Sage & Caramelised Onion Stuffing and Bacon

£37.50

Score: 74/100

Serving 6-8 people, the panel found this well-priced crown plump and well-browned. From the herby stuffing to the thick sweet and salty streaky bacon, they loved the combination of flavours. As one tester put it, “this was a delicious crown, with all the elements you’d want from a Christmas turkey”.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Medium Free Range & Corn-Fed Whole Turkey

£42.75

Score: 76/100

Feeding a few more? ASDA’s medium whole turkey serves 6-10 people, and testers found it had a balanced flavour. Although slightly drier than the crown (above), the leg meat was lovely and moist, as well as being easy to carve.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Tomahawk Wellington

£28.00

Score: 73/100

The tomahawk is essentially a ribeye beef steak specifically cut with the rib bone left intact for table theatre. ASDA has made this main extra indulgent, by covering it with emmental, brie and manchego cheese, truffle oil, spinach and mushroom. It’s infused with a red wine jus and wrapped in crisp, flakey pastry. All those extras mean it’s not the easiest to carve, however the panel described it as a spectacular centrepiece.

Served with

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Pigs in Blankets

£2.95

Score: 75/100

These classic chipolatas are generously wrapped in crispy bacon for a special flavour boost. Rich and smokey, they’ll make a great addition to the festive feast.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Maple Pigs in Blankets

£2.50

Score: 83/100

Small but perfectly formed, our runner-up flavoured PIB is gently sweetened with maple syrup. Testers felt the salty bacon and a hint of black pepper added a welcome balance to each bite.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Maris Piper Beef Dripping

£1.50

Score: 71/100

These spuds crisped up perfectly, and had a deep, meaty and salty flavour that all enjoyed. A perfect accompaniment to your main meal, whether that’s turkey or beef.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Cranberry Sauce with Ruby Port

£1.90

Our expert team selected this cranberry sauce as the condiment to serve with this year’s Christmas turkey. Zingy and tart, it’s got a great texture and looks like it’s been freshly made — so you could easily pass this off as your own.

Desserts and sweet treats

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special 9 Month Matured Luxury Christmas Pudding

£8.00

Score: 72/100

With its pleasant combination of festive spice and sweet vine fruit, this GHI-approved Christmas pud is ultra traditional. Pops of candied orange peel add interest to the doughy texture.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Brandy-Soaked Fully Iced Fruit Cake

£10.00

Score: 70/100

Don’t be misled by the mild aroma, ASDA’s budget-friendly cake is more complex than it lets on. There’s a pleasant hint of orange oil that lifts the otherwise traditional ingredients, and when cut, the dense and fudgy bake held its shape well.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Millionaire’s Edible Bowl

£5.50

Score: 74/100

Proving you needn’t spend a fortune for a festive feast to remember, ASDA’s inexpensive, yet striking centrepiece is completely edible (yes, even the spoons!). With contrasting layers of crunchy chocolate, digestive biscuit and mousse, the sweet caramel flavour is sure to appeal to the whole family.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Classic Panettone

£7.50

Score: 78/100

As classic as they come, traditionalists need look no further. We were impressed to see vine fruit and citrus peel evenly scattered throughout the light, bubbly dough. And with a rich and buttery fragrance, chewy crust and refreshing citrus taste, we can see how it scored so highly.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Extra Indulgent Mince Pies

£2.50

Score: 70/100

Although these golden bakes weren’t the most aromatic, the sweet mincemeat had a deep, treacle note, which provided a richer flavour. Topped with a star, the thick pastry was crumbly and satisfying.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special 6 Luxury Spiced Rum Mince Pies

£2.25

Score: 70/100

There’s no chance of missing the twist in these boozy bakes, thanks to a generous glug of rum. The panel enjoyed the sweet pastry and rich mincemeat, and can confirm the pies held together well when tucking in.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Free From Mince Pies

£2.00

Score: 70/100

For those following a gluten-free diet, these pretty star-embossed pies should do the trick. The pastry is thick and crumbly, while the juicy currants and crunchy nuts are sweet and spicy.

To drink

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Louis Bernard Champagne Vintage Brut

£26.00

Score: 77/100

This vintage champagne has spent at least five years maturing, and while it might not be the most complex, testers enjoyed the powerful aroma, citrus-forward profile, touch of toast, and delicate bubbles.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Port Late Bottled Vintage

£9.50

Score: 72/100

Full of deep, dark berry notes, this LBV port would be ideal in a cocktail or add a splash to your gravy.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Mulled Wine

£5.00

Score: 75/100

Ultra-traditional, ASDA’s classic mulled wine recipe has a fragrant orange note, alongside classic spices such as clove and cinnamon. Although some found it a touch too sweet, overall, it was well-balanced and moreish.

food, expert-tested: best items to add to your asda basket this christmas

ASDA Extra Special Chocolate Orange Flavour Cream Liqueur

£8.00

Score: 72/100

Reminiscent of a Jaffa Cake, ASDA’s sweet chocolate orange liqueur is a fun option for those on a budget. Super festive and perfect for Christmas, while not overly complex, at this price, we think it’s a steal.

Recommended

Breaking thailand news, thai news, thailand news Verified News Story Network