When it comes to Christmas lunch, I love all the pomp and ceremony (who doesn’t love a fancy lunch?). But I still want it to be as easy as possible to put together in my tiny kitchen and not blow out my Christmas budget.
I also want to avoid that food coma feeling of Christmases past and keep lunch fresh and light. So this year I’m swapping carb-heavy spuds and traditional puds for not-so-stodgy options. My summer body will thank me.
With all of this in mind (light! fresh! budget!) I’ve created a gorgeous and delicious Christmas family feast using Woolworths’ own brand as much as possible. Sticking to Woolies’ own brand not only saves a mountain of money, it’s also super tasty – I highly recommend it all! My four-course feast to feed eight people came in at less than $25 a head.
Here’s my shopping trolley haul:
Main Course
I baked the ham the night before, freeing up the oven on the day for the turkey and gratin. Let me tell you, this ham is EPIC cold. If you don’t have a large oven or the time to stagger your cooking, then bust out your hooded BBQ and use that!
Glazed ham
If there’s no leg ham on the table, it’s surely not Christmas. Woolworths have SO MANY hams to choose from, we’re positively spoiled for choice. I chose the award winning Woolworths Bone In Half Leg Ham teamed with the all-new Woolworths Golden Maple Ham Glaze because I’m all for a shortcut and my Christmas loving stomach tells me it’s going to taste amazing.
I remove the rind from the ham and score the fat, I poke whole cloves into each diamond, because #fancy. It’s not long before the ham emerges from the oven sticky, jammy and smelling like a bit of Christmas heaven. Fresh out of the oven, I even (stupidly) poke the golden crust with my finger to sneak a taste. Absolutely, it’s worth the burnt finger.
Whole Turkey
So many people opt out of cooking a turkey, often put off by the sheer size of the Christmas bird. Don’t be daunted, Woolworths has a freezer full of different sized turkeys. Smaller ones feed up to 10 people while the larger ones cater for a crowd. Handy cooking instructions on the turkey packaging show it’s not that different from roasting a regular chicken. Basted with melted butter, fresh thyme leaves and cooked until golden, you’re in for a real treat.
The Super Sides
I find Christmas lunch really only needs a few side dishes. Too much choice creates extra expense and LOTS of leftovers, which can be difficult to store AND eat. For this lunch, I make two cold salads and a hot gratin for good measure. Easy peasy.
Tomato with Goats Cheese Salad
My family LOVE tomatoes. At Woolworths there’s just about every size and variety of tomato I can think of and so I decide to create a tomato showcase. You get great value in a tomato medley mix punnet plus some Woolworths Sweet Berry Truss Tomatoes for good measure. Lay a bed of rocket, spinach, and coriander on a platter and top with the tomatoes. Add Woolworths Sicilian Olives, pepitas, sesame seeds and Woolworths Goats Cheese (so creamy!), season and drizzle with olive oil. So easy and scrumptious.
Top tip: Jamie Oliver says it and I agree, tomatoes ALWAYS taste their sweet best at room temperature. True fact!
Crunchy Broccoli Coleslaw Salad
I skip regular coleslaw in favour of this crunchy broccoli version. Superfine red cabbage, chopped kale, raw broccoli florets, spring onions, dried cranberries, sliced apples and top with candied almonds and pepitas – it’s nothing short of AMAZING.
The dressing is simply 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tbs dijon mustard and 1 tsp caster sugar. Put it all in a jar, shake it and then drizzle over the top. Way too easy.
Top tip: only use kale leaves, skip the fibrous stems and midribs (middle bit of the leaf)!
Pumpkin, Rosemary and Thyme Gratin
Not completely giving up on carbs, this pumpkin gratin comes together quite quickly. Roast slices of pumpkin FIRST, then layer in a dish with Woolworths Swiss Cheese Slices, onion, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Add a dash of cream, a pinch of nutmeg, top with fresh breadcrumbs and cook in a 180°c until golden. Perfection.
The Fancy Pants Christmas Dessert Options
Individual Pavlova
I don’t want to risk tears at the Christmas table so pavlova is aways served. Woolworths Individual Pavlovas are such a quick, easy and cheap dessert, I’d be crazy not to offer them. Taking advantage of the lush pomegranates, raspberries and mangos Woolworths have in at the moment, each pavlova is topped with a little of each fruit, plus thickened cream, whipped into perfect peaks.
Top tip: use a mini cookie cutter to create fancy fruit shapes. It’s fun, takes next to no time and it might just convince a kid to try a different fruit!
Spiced Gingerbread Pudding, Oh My.
We are big pudding fiends here. So when I presented the Gold Spiced Gingerbread Pudding in all its gold lustre butterscotch sauce glory, a respectful silence of true appreciation came over the table. I mean, this pudding has GOLD STAR SPRINKLES for Santa’s sake. Totally worth it – AND it’s out of the box and on the table in three minutes thanks to the microwave.
Fruit Mince Pies and Santa Cookies
Just when you think dessert is done and dusted it’s time for a round of coffee and a little something. The perfect little something has to be Gold All Butter Brandy Infused Mince Pies – the pastry is nothing short of divine.
Add a plate of Woolworths Santa Cookies, because Santa shouldn’t reap ALL the rewards. Holy chunky chocolate goodness, these cookies are off the charts good. I make a mental note to stock up and keep a stockpile in the vegetable crisper where no kid will ever find them. And what’s better is 50 cents from each pack sold goes to OzHarvest to help provide meals for Australian families in need.
The ‘Don’t Forget’ Lunch Items
Don’t forget your condiments! Woolworths own brand Traditional Gravy Mix, Cranberry Sauce, Bread Rolls, Thickened Cream and Vanilla Custard are all must-haves on the day. They taste fantastic and are hip pocket friendly, priced around $3 and under!
Your Tablescape (Yes, it’s a THING)
Adding to the fanciness of the feast, I like to have a table that’s a blow-your-Christmas-stockings-off level of festiveness. While shopping for turkey and ham, I hot-tailed it to the Christmas decor and was well impressed at the elegant gear (and amazing prices) Woolworths had on offer.
Exclusive to Woolworths, the Inspire range is bang on trend with stemless wine glasses (real glass! gold spots!) and at just $15 for a set of four, I was quick to grab a set. Because I can’t help myself, I also added the adorable matching star shaped plate (there’s also a cake stand for those who want need).
Table runners ($8) work running either across or down the length table. Look to baubles or present topper tags to double as cute placeholder decorations. Woolworths is a utopia of all kinds of bon-bons, but it was the Christmas Triangle Bon-Bons that spoke to my glitter loving heart. Need charger plates? You can get them here too. Straight into the trolley!
A quick whiz around Woolworths, the table set, food devoured and wine poured, it’s time for a post Chrissy lunch siesta. Merry Christmas, y’all!
The amazing quality of Woolworths own brand and the constant availability of fresh produce combined with value for money, you can be confident you can get everything on your Christmas menu right here. Head to Woolies to discover all the great Christmas products they have in store and get busy planning your festive family feast. For sure it’s a one-stop-shop.
Looking for a less fuss, NO COOK lunch option? See the Woolworths grab and go, NO COOK Christmas lunch we created!
This is a sponsored article for Woolworths.
