Mains

A meat course is still a staple of many Christmas dinners. Ham is great hot or cold, and you’ll get weeks of leftovers. For something more traditional, choose a leg of lamb and roast with rosemary and garlic. Or, if you’re feeling summery, Woolies has a range of seafood options including prawns, fresh fish, oysters and calamari.

Shopping list:
Ham
Lamb leg roast
Gourmet sausages
Prawns
Oysters
Fish fillets

 Try these ham, roast lamb and prawn recipes. 

Sides

Sure, it would be a Christmas gift in itself to eat a whole tray of roast spuds, but for a really great spread, stock up on sides. Grab plenty of fresh vegies, soft bread rolls, deli meats, Woolworths ready-to-serve salads, ancient grains and a range of simple condiments. Frozen options like Temptation mini quiches and party sausage rolls are easy to prepare on the day, but will keep for later if you find you don’t need them.

Shopping list:
Vegetables – heaps of potatoes!
Ready-to-serve salads
Cold meats
Mayonnaise
Quinoa, lentils, couscous
Tomato sauce
Bread rolls

Try these recipes:

Roast potato recipes for Christmas Day
One-tray warm roast vegetable salad
Ancient grain salad with grilled haloumi 

Snacks

Is all-day snacking the best thing about Christmas? Yes, it is. Fill your trolley with savoury staples: mixed nuts, pretzels, Chris’ dips and deli-style chips. Get a little fancy with local cheeses, stuffed olives, Woolworths arancini and wafer-thin smoked salmon. And nurture your sweet tooth with Woolworths rum balls, chockie biscuits, fresh fruit and dozens of Mr Kipling mince pies.

 Shopping list:
Mince pies
Chips
Crackers
Cheese
Dips
Nuts

Try these recipes:

Simple antipasto
Smoked salmon antipasti
Summer fruits with boozy sauce 

Desserts

The best Christmas desserts are those you buy and assemble at home. Pack your trolley with a Woolworths Classic Pavlova Base, jam sponge rolls, whipped cream, jelly crystals and a mix of fresh and frozen berries. Or, make it even easier with a Toscano Tiramisu or a Woolworths family apple pie (with a healthy dollop of ice cream!).

 Shopping list:
Pavlova
Cream (and more cream)
Christmas cake
Frozen fruit pie
Tiramisu
Ice-cream

Try these recipes:

20 deceptively easy Christmas desserts
Two-fruits trifle 

Drinks

On a warm Christmas afternoon, a cool drink definitely hits the spot. Keep your guests’ thirsts quenched with a box of lemon squash cans, Nudie juices, organic Tasmanian apple cider and a little festive eggnog. For the grown-ups, pick up a few cold beers and choose a wine to pair with your delicious meal (red wine for lamb, white wine for snacking on corn chips).

Shopping list:
Soft drink
Wine and beer
Juice
Eggnog

Try these recipes:

Christmas negroni pre-mix punch
Iced eggnog 

Plating up

Simplify your clean-up with temporary kitchenware. Pop in some Christmas-themed paper plates, cups, napkins and Biopak disposable cutlery. It’s like a picnic, but no one has to sit on the floor.

 Shopping list:
Paper plates and cups
Napkins
Paper towel
Plastic cutlery
Garbage bags

Staples

Is it still Christmas if no one’s wearing a paper hat? With all the excitement of Santa’s visit, it can be easy to miss things. Remember to pick up the must-haves: milk, sticky tape, bon bons, bread and AA batteries. And if you’re feeling extra festive, add a couple of boxes of Cadbury Favourites, in case any last-minute guests turn up.

Shopping list:
Bon bons
Batteries
Wrapping paper
Tape
Boxed chocolates
Bread
Milk

This article is brought to you by Woolworths.