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Serving suggestion: You could also top the salad with torn fresh mozzarella, and keep the lettuce leaves whole if serving immediately.

Recipe collection

30 last-minute budget-friendly Christmas recipes to save the day

It’s not too late to serve up something special – yet affordable – this Christmas. Get savvy with these super ideas.

30 recipes
Fennel roast chicken.
EASY

Adam Liaw’s fennel roast chicken

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Adam Liaw
Barbecued glazed chicken for Christmas.

RecipeTin Eats’ maple Christmas glazed chicken

  • < 30 mins
  • RecipeTin Eats
Chicken salad with cranberries and raisins.
EASY

Adam Liaw’s chicken salad with cranberries and raisins

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
Roasted scalloped potatoes.
EASY

Adam Liaw’s roasted scalloped potatoes

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Adam Liaw
Tomato and olive tapenade tart.

Danielle Alvarez’s tomato and olive tapenade tart

  • 2 hrs +
  • Danielle Alvarez
Crispy smashed potatoes with maximum crunch factor.

RecipeTin Eats’ crispy smashed roast potatoes

  • RecipeTin Eats
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This Christmas coleslaw is hard to beet.
EASY

Colourful Christmas slaw

  • < 30 mins
  • Katrina Meynink
The lemony whipped feta works on its own as a dip, too.

Charred cauliflower salad with lemony whipped feta and pine nuts

  • < 30 mins
  • Hetty McKinnon
Baked salmon with a pine nut, herb and chilli crust, served with dill and caper sauce.

Baked salmon with a herb and pine nut crumb

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Helen Goh
Shortcut Sunday roast lamb.
EASY

Shortcut Sunday roast lamb

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Jessica Brook
Romesco roasted tomato salad with cous cous, feta and dill.
EASY

Romesco-roasted tomato salad with cous cous, feta and dill

  • < 30 mins
  • Jessica Brook
Cracking crackling pork roast.

RecipeTin Eats’ cracking crackling pork roast

  • 2 hrs +
  • RecipeTin Eats
Adam Liaw’s Italian chopped salad.
EASY

Italian chopped salad with mozzarella

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
Give a pumpkin half the Hasselback treatment.

Hasselback pumpkin with herb butter

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Katrina Meynink
Sticky Christmas glazed chicken.

RecipeTin Eats’ sticky Christmas glazed chicken

  • RecipeTin Eats
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Spring onion and parsley potatoes.
EASY

Adam Liaw’s spring onion and parsley potatoes

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
Serve with a little preserved lemon and toasted pistachios.
EASY

Zucchini and green bean salad with preserved lemon and pistachios

  • < 30 mins
  • Helen Goh
Charred corn kernels coated in creamy, cheesy dressing.
EASY

RecipeTin Eats’ charred corn salad with creamy parmesan dressing

  • < 30 mins
  • RecipeTin Eats
Salmon and creamed spinach en croute.
EASY

Adam Liaw’s salmon and creamed spinach en croute

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Adam Liaw
Adam Liaw's classic roast chicken.

Adam Liaw’s classic roast chicken with buttered vegetables

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Adam Liaw
One-tray pork and creamy potato roast.
EASY

One-tray pork and creamy potato roast

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Jessica Brook
Ricotta-stuffed mushrooms.
EASY

RecipeTin Eats’cheesy stuffed mushrooms

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • RecipeTin Eats
Serve up with some dressed leaves.
EASY

Zucchini and ricotta tart

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Julia Busuttil Nishimura
This grain salad can be made ahead ready for work lunches or to serve at gatherings.
EASY

Beetroot, grain and currant salad with honey yoghurt

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Sarah Pound
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RecipeTin Eats’ new favourite Christmas pumpkin salad.
EASY

RecipeTin Eats’ favourite Christmas pumpkin salad

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • RecipeTin Eats and Jean-Baptiste Alexandre
Adam Liaw's garlic butter roast chicken

Adam Liaw’s garlic butter roast chicken

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Adam Liaw
Whole roasted cauliflower with lemon and mustard dressing.
EASY

Whole roasted cauliflower with lemon and mustard

  • 1-2 hrs
Roasted eggplants stuffed with chickpeas.
EASY

Simple stuffed eggplants with chickpeas

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Katrina Meynink
Strawberry and mascarpone parfait.
EASY

Adam Liaw’s strawberry and mascarpone parfait

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
Summer fruit salad.
EASY

Adam Liaw’s summer fruit salad

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw