Gráinne O’Keefe: Three simple and tasty sharing dishes that don’t include turkey or ham

December is a great time to meet with friends for a catch up over a glass of wine and some casual dishes. I like to have simple and tasty sharing dishes in the run up to the inevitable weeklong turkey and ham dinners. My sister and I have a Christmas Eve tradition of making tacos for dinner and always share a baked Camembert in the evening, with a nice glass of red. Cheese is always a winner, and it’s always good to have a vegan lasagne option up your sleeve, just in case.

My recipes this week are crowd pleasers, all packed full of flavour, and simple enough that you can make them on the day you want to eat them. The birria tacos have an exceptional depth of flavour, and will be the stand out dish of any friends gathering. Birria tacos are the perfect in between for people who love tacos, but aren’t keen on the crunchy shells they are sometimes served with here.

The baked cheese is deliciously simple, and works as a starter, a side dish, a snack to share, or even as a dessert (if you’re like me and always eat cheese instead of sweets). The vegan lasagne is simple and tasty, and lentils or chickpeas can be substituted for the vegan mince if you would prefer (or regular mince if you are not following a vegan diet).

Recipe: Birria tacos, morita chilli dip