A merry Christmas is a stress-free Christmas with these make-ahead recipes.
Dec 19, 2023 2:00amIt is a universal truth that preparing a Christmas lunch or dinner can bring untold stress to the home cook. Stay sane with these make-ahead Christmas recipes – their components can be prepared days in advance and, for the most part, refrigerated or frozen until you're ready to serve.
From simple make-ahead Christmas dinner ideas such as cured seafood, vibrant salads, and terrines to easy make-ahead Christmas desserts in the form of trifles in a glass dish, tarts and a semifreddo cake dessert – these are the make-ahead dishes for Christmas that you can make ahead of time and simply assemble or pop in the oven. And they're guaranteed to keep your guests well-fed while allowing you to escape the kitchen unscathed.
These are our best make-ahead Christmas recipes.
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How to make salmon gravlax
Photo: Alicia Taylor
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Scallop crudo by Leonardo's Pizza Palace
Photo: Mikkel Vang
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Prawn and avocado salad with spiced tomato dressing
Photo: William Meppem
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Prawn and avocado with lime
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Rockmelon, lime and poppy-seed prawn co*cktails
Photo: William Meppem
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Turkey and pistachio terrine with pickled nectarines
Photo: William Meppem
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Crab crostini by Leonardo's Pizza Palace
Photo: Mikkel Vang
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White fish crudo with avocado, herbs and cucumber-lime dressing
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Citrus-cured salmon with horseradish cream and bagels
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Fleet's cured mackerel with tomatoes and sourdough bread
Photo: Kara Rosenlund
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Asian-style cured trout with rice paper crackers
Photo: William Meppem
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Smoked ocean trout with beans, peas and mint
Photo: William Meppem
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Cured salmon with Bloody Mary salad
Photo: Prue Ruscoe
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Mike McEnearney's fig salad with roast onions, walnuts and radicchio
Photo: Will Horner
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Roast ocean trout with cucumber and preserved lemon salad
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Prawn co*cktail tower
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Tomato tart with whipped feta
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Green beans with tarragon, preserved lemon and fried almonds
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Fig, watermelon and jamón salad
Photo: Chris Chen
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Simple tomato and onion salad with vincotto dressing
Photo: Sharyn Cairns
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Goat's cheese and potato salad
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Burrata with herb oil and cucumber
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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How to make semifreddo
Photo: Brett Stevens
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White Christmas with sour cherries, almonds and Grand Marnier
Photo: William Meppem
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AP Bakery's Mango macadamia merveilleux with Dulcey cream
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Jaclyn Koludrovic's gluten-free lemon verbena, white chocolate and fig tart
Photo: James Moffatt
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AP Bakery's buckwheat ginger biscuits for Christmas
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Fig and raspberry crostata
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Sparkling shiraz jelly with almond granita
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Mango, macadamia and spiced white chocolate pavlova wreath
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Pistachio and rose roulade with lychees and raspberries
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Fruit-salad punch
Photo: Will Horner
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David Moyle's sparkling shiraz and vanilla ice-cream spider
Photo: Mark Roper
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Hazelnut and chocolate swirl nougat
Photo: Chris Chen
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White chocolate and raspberry ice-cream choux stack
Photo: Chris Chen
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Frozen spiced chocolate pavlova
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Frozen bûche de Noël
Photo: William Meppem
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Peach pavlova trifle
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Flour and Stone's trifle with madeleines, lemon curd and peaches
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Lauren Eldridge's apricot, honey, coffee and macadamia trifle
Photo: Mark Roper
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