How to plan an Australian Christmas menu
December is the season to be merry, spend time with loved ones and enjoy the warm Australian summer. But planning a Christmas lunch or dinner can often be a stressful experience, especially if you’re catering for a large crowd. But we’re going to take the guess work out of what food you should cook with our great Australian Christmas menu.
Entrées and snacks
Serving up an entrée is the perfect way to start your festive fiesta. A salad with goat’s cheese and orange vinaigrette is the perfect entrée for your Christmas meal. The sweetness of the goat’s cheese and figs are complemented by the zesty vinaigrette, giving you and your guests a sweet treat before (or with) the main event. Or you can serve up a classic seafood platter – a staple in most Australian households during Christmas.
But if you want a few sweet snacks to nibble on while the mains are cooking, then serve up some simple Christmas wreath biscuits. These biscuits can be styled like a wreath and placed on a circular chopping board or plate for a classy presentation. Using a NEFF oven with CircoTherm® to bake these biscuits means you won’t have to rotate the trays mid-bake, as you get a nice and even cook – you can also bake more biscuits in a single batch thanks to this feature.
Your Christmas entrée and snacks menu
Mains and sides
Nothing says Christmas like a succulent, juicy glazed ham. The ham’s orange and spice glaze will make your home smell like Christmas and put you and your guests in the festive spirit. Cooking your ham in a NEFF Slide&Hide® disappearing door oven allows you to effortlessly baste your ham regularly without having to awkwardly bend over an oven door.
If you prefer a bit of poultry instead, then consider serving a roast turkey with roasted grapes or a rolled cranberry and pistachio stuffed chicken. Both dishes have distinct festive flavours and can be cooked to perfection thanks to NEFF’s MultiPoint MeatProbe. This attachment allows you to measure the internal heat of your poultry, so you don’t have to open the oven regularly to check on it.
And you can’t have the mains without some tasty side dishes. Potatoes are often the go-to hero ingredient of Christmas side dishes, as they can pair perfectly with glazed ham or roast poultry. Some of our favourite potato dishes to serve on Christmas include crispy hasselback potatoes, cheesy potato bake and dukkah crusted potato wedges. You can also serve up some home-made dinner rolls and other delicious Christmas sides.
Your Christmas mains and sides menu
- Glazed ham
- Roast turkey with roasted grapes
- Rolled cranberry and pistachio stuffed chicken
- Hasselback potatoes
- Cheesy potato bake
- Dukkah crusted potato wedges
- Warm dinner rolls
Desserts
Nothing says Australian Christmas quite like a pavlova. The best part is that you can shake up the flavours for something different. For a fruity delight, then a summer pavlova with berries and passionfruit is the perfect way to indulge after your Christmas meal. But if you want more festive flavours, then a cinnamon pavlova wreath topped with fresh cherries is the way to go. And for a nutty twist on an Australian classic, you can bake a pistachio pavlova roll instead.
A NEFF oven with CircoTherm® makes baking a pavlova simple. The patented fan technology will evenly distribute the oven heat and seal in the moisture. This will give you a perfectly baked pavlova that has a crispy and crunchy exterior while retaining the light and fluffy interior that we all know and love.
Chocolate desserts are another great Australian Christmas classic. You can create all sorts of chocolate-flavoured delights, such as chocolate reindeer cupcakes, a chocolate crackle slice or even a refreshing chocolate peppermint slice.
Your Christmas dessert menu
- Summer pavlova
- Festive cinnamon pavlova wreath
- Pistachio pavlova roll
- Reindeer cupcakes
- Chocolate crackle slice
- Chocolate peppermint slice
If you’re wanting to make Christmas cooking a breeze, then why not upgrade your kitchen with NEFF appliances? You can book in a free product demonstration with NEFF, where our NEFF kitchen experts will show you how easy your cooking will be.
About NEFF
NEFF is a German-engineered kitchen appliance brand, with a product range that includes ovens, cooktops, rangehoods, coffee machines and dishwashers designed to make life in the kitchen a daily pleasure. For people who love to cook, NEFF gives you the tools to creative meaningful connections, express your creativity and make memories. Because real life happens in the kitchen.
Learn more about NEFF here.