Last minute Christmas food planning doesn’t mean compromising on flavour. Looking for quick, delicious recipes for your Australian summer celebration? We’ve got you covered with this collection of starters, salads, mains, sides and desserts.
Whether unexpected guests arrive or you’re simply short on time, this collection delivers fast, impressive dishes perfect for warm-weather entertaining. You’ll find refreshing prawn salads and quick desserts, air fryer mains and easy treats.
Embrace the relaxed Aussie Christmas spirit, skip the stress and enjoy your festive day. If friends or family offer to help, let them! Ask them to bring items like bread, fresh prawns and sauces, a vegetable side dish or a colourful fresh salad or even the dessert. The less work there is for the cook, the better.
These effortless Christmas recipes that prove last minute can still be spectacular, leaving you more time with family and friends.
Christmas wreath salad
Turn your sides into the centrepiece.
Thai-style mango salad
This mango and iceberg lettuce slaw is sunshine on a plate.
Julie Goodwin’s pesto pasta salad
A quick and easy salad to share.
Christmas Eton mess wreath
The perfect centrepiece for your dessert table this Christmas – a ring of white chocolate covered in macarons and berries.
Prawn cocktail salad
Serve up your next prawn cocktail family-style with this recipe.
Air fryer pork belly salad with ginger & soy dressing
Make this crackling good pork belly dish for your next family gathering or even for Christmas lunch.
Air fryer butterflied chicken
It’s both impressive and incredibly easy.
Air fryer pumpkin with sage & fetta
Complete your meal with this seasonal side.
Easy rocky road
It doesn’t need to be Christmas to make this delicious treat.
Air fryer prawns with green chilli sauce
A Christmas seafood favourite with a twist!
Cornflake slice
This crunchy cornflake slice is the perfect last-minute Christmas treat.
Chocolate reindeer biscuits
These adorable reindeer-shaped Christmas pops are a fun, festive way to delight the kids.
Pavlova rocky road
A blend of two Christmas favourites. This recipe is one for the sweet tooths!
Air fryer cob loaf
A spanakopita-inspired twist on the party food favourite.
Chicken & potato salad with zesty yogurt dressing
A fresh and flavourful dish that’s perfect for any occasion.
Pavlova trifles
Combining two of our favourites!
Rum balls recipe
The easiest Christmas treat you’ll make this year – and everyone’s favourite gift to receive!
Air fryer roast pork belly
Create the perfect crackling – with your air fryer.
Roast vegetable salad with garlic mustard dressing
This popular salad recipe is a vibrant and flavour-packed dish that serves 8.
Air fryer chicken drumsticks
Coated in a spicy and sticky Portuguese-style marinade.
Air fryer carrots
A fast side dish of sweet carrots, garlicky maple syrup glaze and crunchy hazelnuts.
Julie Goodwin’s easy potato salad
A 5-ingredient warm potato salad.
Christmas rocky road
The only Christmas rocky road recipe you’ll ever need – it’s simply irresistible!
Julie Goodwin’s prawn and mango salad
The perfect summer salad.
Chocolate freckle biscuit bark
Sao biscuits like you’ve never eaten them before!
Spinach dip cob loaf
Out of all the cob loaf recipes out there, this one takes the cake… or should we say the cob!
Salt and pepper squid
This salt and pepper calamari recipe is perfect for a party.
Frozen tiramisu
A perfect marriage of two of dessert favourites -tiramisu and ice cream.
Lemon and passionfruit pavlova stack
Impress with ease this Christmas.
Perfect barbecue prawns
Chuck another shrimp on the barbie, mate.
Blinis with smoked salmon
These mini pancakes are smokin!
Chocolate hazelnut ice-cream pandoro
Create an impressive dessert using the sweet Italian yeast bread, Pandoro, and store bought ice-cream. You will need to start this recipe a day ahead.
Prawn cocktail platter
Why limit the classic prawn cocktail to a tiny glass when you can have an entire platter. It’s just like the original, only bigger and better.
Brandy custard and brandy butter
It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas.
Cobb salad
When you want your salad all lined up.
Roast pumpkin, fetta and chickpea salad
Toasted pistachios and preserved lemon add crunch and zing to this roast pumpkin, fetta and chickpea salad.
Pearl couscous, zucchini and tomato salad
Zucchini, tomatoes and mint pair beautifully in this fresh Israeli couscous salad. Perfect for Christmas lunch and all your summer parties.
Chicken and watercress pasta salad
Fresh and satisfying.
Lamb fillet salad with green pesto dressing
Pesto dressing adds zing to this lamb salad.
Low-carb lamb with roasted ratatouille
Basil pesto adds that perfect zingy touch.
Chicken and mango salad
Add some tropical flair to your salads.
Chocolate hazelnut Christmas tree
We’re all about the festive treats this year.
Creamy nut fudge
Perfect for gift ideas.
Turkey with apricot & hazelnut stuffing
Instead of taking on a whole turkey this year. Why not try this turkey breast stuffed with apricot and hazelnut stuffing?
Christmas chocolate brownies
They’re the kind of dessert you are more than happy to eat all-year-round, but we’ve given the classic brownie recipe a fun makeover, just in time for the festive season. Serve for dessert after Christmas lunch, or wrap up and give as gifts.
Barbecued squid salad
Deliciously fresh barbecued squid salad, this dish is perfect for spring entertaining.
Grilled prawns with avocado cream and slaw
Fresh, flavoursome, and so delicious – these juicy grilled prawns with zesty avocado cream and slaw will please the entire family!
Prosciutto wrapped haloumi
Prosciutto and haloumi are a match made in nibble-platter heaven – or use this recipe to take this pumpkin, spinach and haloumi salad to the next level.
Christmas blondies
Enrich and sweeten the festive season with these scrumptious fruit, almond and white chocolate brownie-like squares. They don’t exclusively need to be dessert either.
Julie Goodwin’s last-minute Christmas pudding with caramel brandy sauce
Run out of time to make a proper Christmas pudding? You can still have a tasty treat on your festive table with this last-minute recipe thanks to Julie Goodwin.
Last-minute Christmas cake
That feeling when you realise you haven’t made a Christmas cake and then discover our fabulous last-minute recipe.
Last-minute trifles
It is fine to use just 1 x 300ml carton of cream for this recipe. Note
Night before fruit cake
You need 1 large (230g) overripe banana to get the amount of mashed banana required for this recipe. Note
