xmas menu but in AUS

[marmalade007]

I was hoping someone could have a look at this menu, you just have to pretend its summer! WHich it is for us in the southern hemisphere.

Morning - present opening bucks fizz plus oj for the kids
pancakes with berries and stonefruit and bacon and maple syrup
entree - prawns with marie rose sauce
smoked salmon with red onions and capers
lunch ( at about 2 - 3pm after a swim/cricket whatever)

turkey buffe with gravy and cranberry sauce
ham 
Sweet potato salad ( the one with fetta and rocket and balsamic)
basic green salad with yoghurt dressing
roast potatoes
bread rolls and butter

dessert home made plum pudding with custard

Dinner - charcuterie board and leftovers.

Do you think that sounds ok, I understand its weird to think about xmas in summer but I was just wondering about the menu. Thanks

No idea why half of that is highlighted!

Australian here. That's a very formal meal & day for us queenslanders. Usually it's cold chicken, ham (glazed if anyone can be bothered), interesting salads, cheesecake, whatever anyone brings, really. An entree is usually nibbles or nuts or home baked Xmas biscuits.

Afternoon is whatever people want. A swim if you have a pool. Cricket if you want. Nap in the air con. A walk.

Lunch is around midday. I've no idea how anyone waits until 3pm. My SIL tried that & I was in her kitchen making sandwiches for the DC at 1pm as they were crying hungry!!

Just keep it simple, but if want salmon keep in mind some people don't like it, so always offer an alternative.

Ah I miss Australian Christmases!

A few questions/observations:

Your entrees are both fish-based - are you sure everyone likes fish?

When I was a kid we always had a hot roast on Christmas Day - yours feels like a bit of a mix. With your salads it feels like a bit of an uncomfortable mix between traditional roast (gravy, roast potatoes) and cold buffet (salads) - I'd go fully either one or the other. Gravy seeping onto green salad isn't ideal.

These days my family does a fully cold meal - chicken/ham cooked the day before, several salads, more prawns than should be reasonable, bread rolls.

2pm or so was always fine for us for lunch but we had always had loads of nibbles when people arrived, presents were opened etc.

When I was a kid Christmas was always a huge buffet with salads and cold meats. Except for the Great Christmas Scandal of 1992 when we had a seafood buffet and my aunt stuffed all the lobster in her handbag so no one else could eat it. 😅

I do a mix of veges and salad because I like it so you do you.

I would just stick with pancakes and berries for breakfast. The bacon and syrup just seems a step too far.

Dessert - you have pudding and custard. Sort out a mixed fruit platter, too. Melon, pineapple, strawberry, banana, peaches or nectarines sliced. Or chop into a fruit salad. Fresh and cool. You would be surprised how welcome it will be.

You forgot the mangoes.

I love the Aussie menu but isn't it a bit 'everyday' especially the breakfast and puddings?

There's nothing wrong with them but its sort of like planning a menu of fish and chips type of thing?

We always have a full roast lunch, including turkey, glazed ham and all the trimmings. Hot sides.

Served mid afternoon after a mid morning champagne brunch.

If it’s hot we just turn the aircon on/up.

Cold meat and salads are for Boxing Day.

We have prawns and seafood as Christmas Eve dinner.

Thanks everyone. I will add a fruit salad ( home-made , including mango ! with ice-cream ( bought) to dessert.
I will add some kind of beef nibblies to entree. ( roast beef gherkin relish and pastry type thing. )

"Queenslander, Queenslander! All of my family except me lives in Qld. I get what you mean"

There are plenty of Aussies who have a bbq for their Christmas dinner. Steak, sausages, tomato sauce and salad. Pavlova for dessert. That’s it. And that’s pretty much a standard dinner for six months of the year for a lot of people.

Christmas dinner, like any other occasion, is what you make it. It’s all in the attitude.

I don't doubt that bbq's are used and little effort is made. What I meant though is that the OP is obviously trying to make an effort because its Christmas. Pancakes is a pretty ordinary breakfast for most people who have kids? And then somebody said that bacon is OTT?

Surely it’s got to be Pav for dessert?

As a Brit living in NZ, I am full of admiration for anyone cooking turkey in Oz or NZ in 30C or more. I have never cooked one since emigrating, mind you they are really expensive here.

We are having a BBQ😁

We are also in a hot climate and Christmas comes at high summer for us. We love to do a fancy bbq….and spoil ourselves with all the lovely goodies on the charcoal….prawns, whole fillet etc

Sydney here!

Most people I know don't bother too much with breakfast. The usual cereal or pancakes if they want something special.

Lunch always involves seafood. Prawns on the barbie or cooked prawns. Oysters. Scallops on the barbie. Depending on how much you can afford, lobsters and crabs are always a seller. My fish market shop opens at 4.45 am on the 24th, and there is always a queue.

Few people I know bother anymore with turkeys cooked for hours in the oven in high summer temperatures. Lamb cutlets, marinated chicken or beef steaks on the BBQ are a fave.

Lots of salads - every combination of vegetable and fruit you can think of.

The turkey is a self-basting " buffe". So basically just the breast. The ham is a half leg. I will drizzle with maple syrup and cut the diamons in the fat studded with cloves, as my mum always did. I will roast the sweet potatoes in the morning for the salad, which my adult children request every year.
I forgot wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch.
They will be hear from the afternoon before when we do " santa swap" or whatever it's called. Everyone brings a present ( 40$ max) and same sex as yourself or unisex.
We are going to have my carcrash with that plus sausages in bread and then trifle or pav.
Tea coffee and homemade chocolate caramel slice.

Sorry car crash is what we call it but expect most people call it a 7 layered dip!

I never thought of pouring maple syrup over the ham. I’m making a note of that in my Christmas book.