Christmas taste test: 99p wonder wins stuffing round

And this week the team tried out the classic festive side dish - stuffing.

With less than a month until the big day it's time to get the orders in and the winning formula might just surprise you ...

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WINNER: Apricot, orange and cranberry stuffing, Lidl, 99p

Neil Perry, the Evening News' visual news manager, said: "It tastes like Christmas - if you could take mulled wine but make it taste like stuffing, this would be it.

"It's crispy, it's light. It's really nice."

Neil Perry and Ellie Pringle taste test Christmas stuffing (Image: Archant)

Ellie Pringle, Evening News news editor, agreed: "This is definitely my favourite. The citrus flavour gives it a bit of an edge - it's flavoursome without being overpowering. A really nice change for an event like Christmas when you want to change it up a bit."

2. Pork, sage and onion stuffing, Marks & Spencer, £3.50

Ellie said: "As the most expensive stuffing you'd expect this to be nice - and it is. It's very rich, you don't get much or the onion or sage - it just tastes like compressed meat.

"It doesn't look particularly appealing - but it does taste nice."

Neil agreed, adding: "If you're looking for something a bit more special for the big meal this is a nice option."

Which stuffing won the challenge? (Image: Archant)

3. Paxo, sage and onion, £1 with a Tesco clubcard

You can't go wrong with classic Paxo.

However, if you're looking for something a bit more exciting maybe this isn't the right mixture for the big day.

Ellie added: "As soon as you bite into this you can tell it's Paxo. That's not a bad thing - it's a classic.

"It's nice and crispy and the flavour is good, but it tastes like something you'd get with a roast at any run-of-the-mill pub or restaurant."

Some mixtures were better than others (Image: Archant)

4. Christmas wild sage and onion stuffing, Sainsbury's, £1.50

For a Taste the Difference label the team couldn't taste much of ... anything.

Which stuffing was the best mixture? (Image: Archant)

Neil said: "It's very stodgy and heavy - it doesn't really taste of much at all.

"It's not very crispy either, really quite a let down. It's my least favourite."