Christmas Recipes and Menus

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Menu 1: Nagi’s Perfect Menu

Ignoring weather, the opinions of the RecipeTin Family, sleep, oven logistics and of course, calorie counting. In my perfect world, this is what I’d make you for Christmas:

To Start

• Gougeres (French cheese puffs)

• Fresh Prawns/Shrimp with Seafood Sauces for dipping

• Holiday Crostini (8 different ways!)

• Kir Royale (French champagne cocktail)

Mains

• Whole Roast Turkey with Gravy and Cranberry Sauce

• Maple Glazed Ham

• Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib)

Sides

• Pork Sausage Apple Stuffing

• Duck Fat Potatoes – Crispiest, Best Roast Potatoes EVER!

• Baked Mac and Cheese – no compromise on the cheese, gruyere all the way!

• Glazed Carrots

• Apple Salad with Cranberries and Candied Walnuts

• Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing

• Leafy greens with Balsamic Dressing

• Cornbread – because it’s my favourite bread ever, full stop!

Dessert

I always like to make 2 desserts because I like to have at least one chocolate / rich dessert and one non chocolate / “lighter” option eg with fruit. These are the dessert combinations I’ve done in the past for various gatherings.

1. Chocolate Mirror Glaze Cake and Pavlova Christmas Tree – I just served these two at a Christmas lunch on the weekend!

2. Christmas Cake and Pavlova

3. Strawberry Cheesecake and Salted Caramel Tart

4. Pavlova and Brownies

5. Christmas Trifle and Chocolate Fudge Cake

6. Never Ending Meringue Tart and Profiteroles

Menu 2: 🇦🇺Aussie Summer Christmas Lunch!🇦🇺

It’s un-Australian to spend Christmas Day holed up in the kitchen with the oven going all day! Here’s a suggested summer Christmas Lunch Menu – Aussie style!

Tasty Snacks to start – suggestions

• Sausage Rolls (very Aussie!) or Holiday Crostini (8 different ways!)

• A dip like Smoked Salmon Dip or Guacamole with crudités (that’s a fancy word for veggie sticks 😂), chips or crackers.

Mains

• Prawns (shrimp) with dipping sauces – An Aussie Christmas just ain’t an Aussie Christmas unless there are prawns on offer! Those sauces are also ideal for other shellfish: Crab, lobster, Morton Bay / Balman bugs, seafood sticks, and other cold seafoods.

• Fresh Oysters with lemon wedges

• Glazed Ham – You can’t get more classic than a Brown Sugar Glazed Ham or Maple Glazed Ham for your Christmas main! The impressive presentation and irresistible wafts of spice and sugar will turn heads and set tongues wagging as you ceremoniously deliver this glorious centrepiece to the table!

• Turkey Breast – Because ham is so big, turkey breast is a popular option here in Australia. This Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Turkey Breast is really popular this year, and this classic Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy is a sure thing! I opt for slow cooker turkey as the oven is used for the ham.

• Alternative Fish Main: This fabulously festive-looking and tasting Christmas Baked Salmon. It’s dead easy, and can be made ahead!!

Sides

• Carby Sides – a Lemon Potato Salad (great at room temp) and Marinated Vegetarian Pasta Salad.

• Fresh Salads, a bit fancy – lots of festive salads are ideal for hot weather Christmas Feasting! Peaches are at their peak so this Peach Salad is perfect. Otherwise, this little-bit-fancy Apple Salad with Cranberries and Candied Nuts, a Roast Pumpkin Spinach Feta Salad or this Pomegranate Salad shot through with Christmas colours! But if you want to truly go big, you cannot beat my Hot Smoked Salmon Celebration Salad!

• Simple leafy salad  – I always like to add a leafy salad like this French Bistro Salad, or simply dressed mixed leaves with Balsamic Dressing, French Dressing, Italian Dressing. Coleslaws are always great too for summer – or try this lighter No-Mayo Slaw for a change up. Also popular over the last years is this Cucumber Salad with Herb and Garlic Dressing!

• Good Bread – buy some good quality bread and serve with bowls of quality extra virgin olive oil for dunking. Bread is also essential to mop the plate clean!

Dessert

• Pavlova (or go big and show-stealing with Pavlova Christmas Tree!) and Trifle are firm favourites Down Under!

• No Bake Mango Cheesecake is colourful, easy and always a hit in hot weather.

• For a truly show-stopping, patisserie-quality dessert, you can’t go past Chocolate Mirror Glaze Cake!

Also see the 2017 Very (Easy) Aussie Christmas Feast menu!

Menu 3: Prime Rib Christmas Dinner

• Prime Rib with Red Wine Sauce – the star!

• Potato Side –  Paris Mash for a real steakhouse experience, or Creamy Cauliflower Mash for a low carb option. Or Seriously Crunchy Roast Potatoes or Duck Fat Potatoes (get the oil/duck fat heating started while beef is in the oven, then roast potatoes while beef is resting). Potato Rosti is another excellent option since you don’t need the oven. For a terrific make ahead option, you can’t beat this luxurious Potatoes au Gratin, Fondant Sweet Potatoes – or try Mini Potato Gratin Stacks! See all Potato Recipes.

• Baked Mac and Cheese is always welcome alongside Prime Rib….

• Vegetables – Green Beans in Creamy Parmesan Sauce or Garlic Sautéed Spinach for steakhouse style. If you are a Brussels Sprouts lover, then Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Sauteed Brussels Sprouts in Carbonara Sauce. Otherwise try these ever-popular Brown Sugar Glazed Roasted Carrots or Broccoli au Gratin.

• Dessert – Personally, I would go for something indulgent like Sticky Date Pudding with Toffee Sauce or Salted Caramel Tart or Peanut Butter Caramel Tart (this is to die for!!!). Cake options: Strawberry Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake or my new Very Best Vanilla Cake that offers endless possibilities. For something elegant, I’d choose Chocolate Mousse, Creme Brûlée or chocolate sauce-drenched Profiteroles.

Menu 4: Cosy White Christmas Dinner

If you’re having a White Christmas, you’ll love this cosy menu! The number of mains you have will depend on how many people you’re serving. If you’ve got a small group, perhaps just opt for one main.

• Juicy Roast Turkey. Dry brining is the secret to the juiciest roast turkey you’ve ever had. Complete with a gorgeous turkey gravy! (Even got you covered for turkey leftovers: Garlic Bread Leftover Turkey Pot Pie!). OR consider a Slow Roasted Pork with perfect crackling! Otherwise, make a splash with this Rosemary Crumbed Lamb Rack.

• Brown Sugar Glazed Ham or Maple Glazed Ham. Make this before the turkey – it will be fine at room temp! OR make either this Slow Cooker Garlic Herb Turkey Breast or this classic Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy to keep the oven free for the ham.

• Stuffing – I always bake my stuffing in a pan separate from turkey for 2 reasons: 1) the extra flavour from the browning; and 2) raw stuffing inside turkey = overcooked turkey meat (because by the time the stuffing is cooked, the turkey is overcooked). Here’s my all time favourite Sausage stuffing recipe – and for something different, turn it into Pancetta Stuffing Cups.

• Cosy, bubbling sides – Potatoes au Gratin (also see other Potato Recipes), Baked Mac and Cheese, a savoury Brown Butter Sweet Potato Casserole or a creamy Broccoli au Gratin.

• Warm Vegetable Sides – Too many to list, but some suggestions your guests will love: Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt Sauce and Pine Nuts for something a bit different; Brown Sugar Glazed Roasted Carrots are ever popular; Roasted Mushrooms; Baked Zucchini for some tasty greens; Lentil and Roasted Eggplant is a wickedly delicious combo; Magic Broccoli is so easy yet so tasty it’s, well, magic!

• Dessert – Anything warm will go down a treat! Pudding is a great option: Bread and Butter Pudding; Sticky Date Pudding or Creamy Cinnamon Rice Pudding. Else who can resist Apple Crumble?

Menu 5: 2020 Sydney Morning Herald $20pp Menu

This is the menu that I did for the Good Food section of the Sydney Morning Herald’s Sunday Life Magazine which was published on Sunday 6 December 2020! My challenge was to come up with the most amazing menu possible on a budget of $20 per head, mindful of the challenging times we’ve experienced this year.

Here’s a link to the menu on the Good Food website. This is what’s included – the budget was for 8 adults at $20 pp, total of A$160.

• Prawn Crostini with Minted Pea Puree – because what’s an Aussie Christmas without prawns?? Here’s the recipe on the Good Food website;

• Crackling Roast Pork – an existing recipe on my website where I share my game changing (simple!) tips for the best crispy crackling of your life, guaranteed!

• Sticky Christmas Glazed Chicken – when you take a classic Brown Sugar Ham Glaze and use it for chicken, very, very good things happen….

• Smushed Potato Salad – when you gently crushed potatoes then toss in a Honey Mustard Dressing, all those delish flavours seeps into the fluffy insides… Here’s the recipe on the Good Food website;

• Charred Corn Salad with Creamy Parmesan Dressing – an adaptation of this very popular Mexican Corn Salad! Here’s the recipe on the Good Food website;

• Pavlova Christmas Tree – which made the front cover of the Sunday Life Magazine! 🙌🏻 Here’s the recipe on the Good Food website, but the version published here on this site has much more detail which I advise you read to get it just right.

PS Ahead of Monday, here’s a little preview of the Pavlova Christmas Tree!

Menu 6: Thrifty but Nifty Christmas Dinner

You absolutely CAN make an amazing feast on a budget!

This menu is catered to an Australian audience, as it reflects the prices of produce here. For example, turkey is quite expensive here compared to other proteins – whereas in the States, you can buy turkey for less than $2/kg!

• Starter – Italian Cheese Log. This makes loads, lasts for ages and a little goes a long way. You can fill it with economical antipasto type things!

• Main Option 1: Garlic Herb Butter Roast Chicken. It’s AMAZING, less stress than turkey and definitely far more economical! Make multiple needed, and fancy up the presentation by placing it on a bed of green fluffage – see the photos in this Roast Turkey for presentation idea!  Alternatively, Sticky Christmas Glazed Chicken for an easy ham-glaze-meets-chicken mashup that easily caters for any number of guests!

• Main Option 2: Fish doesn’t have to break the bank. Cheaper fish are often overlooked but are rarely inferior in eating quality compared to more popular fish like salmon or snapper. Tailor, morwong, gurnard, leatherjacket, flake and basa, for example are all delicious and economical fish. Try them in this Fish Pie that’s inexpensive but absolutely worthy of gracing a Christmas table.

• Prawns – While you’ll find prawns from quality seafood stores and the fish market are juicier, sweeter and with a better flavour, nowadays, I find the prawns from supermarkets (over the counter, not pre-packed or frozen) are far better quality than they used to be and they’re usually 30 – 40% cheaper. TIP: To add a wow factor, skip the jarred sauce and make on of these simple Seafood Sauces!

• Salads – This Baby Potato Salad with Butter and Herbs or Macaroni Salad are great options because they keep for days. Plus one simple salad (eg just leafy greens, a garden salad or halved cherry tomatoes with torn basil) with Balsamic Dressing, French Dressing, Italian Dressing or my go-to simple Vinaigrette in this Cabbage Salad recipe.

• Bread – Nowadays, there are terrific breads even sold at our supermarkets! It’s really worth spending a couple of extra dollars to get a good artisan style bread – sourdough, ciabatta or even the stone baked range sold at Woolies. Or make a loaf of  No Knead Artisan Bread yourself for less than $1! TIP: Fancy bread up with flavoured butter! Mix softened salted butter with a little parmesan or chopped herbs to fancy it up! Roll up in cling wrap and twist ends to form a log, refrigerate until firm (shape if needed) then soft a bit before serving with bread.

• Dessert – With bargain summer fruit around, the Great Aussie Pav is actually a very economical dessert option. The only catch is that leftovers aren’t great. So my other suggestion is Chocolate Fudge Cake which is also a terrific easy economical option (at least one brand of baking chocolate is almost always on sale). And this keeps for days and days!

Menu 7: Super Easy Christmas Menu

Low effort, forgiving recipes – and still looks so impressive! All can be prepped ahead with minimal work required prior to serving!

• 3 Minute Festive “Baked” Brie to start. So pretty, and totally effortless.

• Juicy Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Gravy OR Garlic Herb Butter Turkey Breast – very quick prep, forgiving recipe

• Brown Sugar Glazed Ham or Maple Glazed Ham. HAM IS EASY, it looks amazing, it can be entirely prepped or even baked ahead! Terrific centrepiece, leftovers keeps for days and can be frozen.

• For a fish option, Christmas Baked Salmon is as simple to make as it gets, yet looks so impressive!

• Easy creamy cheesy Potato Bake – just diced potato baked with cream and cheese. A simpler version of Potatoes au Gratin! OR Lemon Potato Salad – easy, and great make ahead!

• Wild Rice Salad – easy to make, looks festive, tastes amazing (firm reader favourite!). Prep all ingredients ahead then toss to serve.

• Simple salad – One or two quick and easy salads to add freshness into the menu like this Bitter Leaf and Orange Salad. Leafy greens, a garden salad or halved cherry tomatoes (+ torn up basil) with Balsamic Dressing, French Dressing or Italian Dressing. Or browse the Side Salad collection, sorted by primary ingredients;

• Bread with butter or olive oil for dipping. Just buy some good bread!

• Dessert – Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake. Low effort, low risk, big impact, crowd pleaser!