Christmas menu planner
Plan the Christmas meal course by course: what you are serving, who is making or bringing it, what to buy and what can be made ahead.
Number of guests
Dietary needs and allergies
| Dish | Who is making or bringing it | Shopping needed | Make ahead? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drinks | ||||
| Nibbles and starters | ||||
| Seafood | ||||
| Main | ||||
| Sides and salads | ||||
| Dessert | ||||
| Something for later | ||||
| Leftovers plan |
Using this page
Plan the Christmas meal course by course, with who is cooking or bringing each dish, the shopping it needs and whether it can be made ahead.
Tips
- Ask about allergies and dietary needs when you invite people, and write them at the top.
- Choose a mix of hot and cold dishes so the oven and stove are not overloaded, which matters on a hot day.
- Let guests bring a dish each, and write it down so there are not four pavlovas and no salad.
How to plan the menu
Start with the number of guests and any dietary needs and allergies, because they shape the whole meal. Then fill in each course: drinks, nibbles, seafood, the main, sides and salads, dessert, and something for later in the day. In the second column, write who is making or bringing each dish. Add the shopping each dish needs, and mark anything that can be made the day before.
An Australian Christmas is often hot, so plan a balance of cold dishes, such as seafood, salads and pavlova, with anything that needs the oven.
Food safety on a hot day
Keep cold food in the fridge until just before serving, and put leftovers back in the fridge within two hours. Seafood and meat need to stay cold when they are carried to someone else's house, so use an esky with ice. Food Standards Australia New Zealand has simple guidance on keeping food safe in summer.
Common questions
How much food do I need?
Work out portions for the main dish first, then choose two or three sides and one or two desserts. Most hosts overcater, and leftovers are part of the tradition, but plan how to store them safely.