Have a Smart Christmas with recipes.co.nz-hero

EDITORS' CHOICEHave a SMART Christmas

Let's be Smart this Christmas!

Make it Simple and Memorable, with recipes that are Adaptable to what you have on hand. A Christmas where both guests and hosts are Relaxed, having used Time-saving tips and tricks to ensure a great day with loved ones.

Bring a Plate

15 mins prep |

15 mins cook

Lamb and Noodle Balls

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

15 mins prep |

30 mins cook

Easy Lamb and Feta Puffs

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

15 mins prep |

20 mins cook

Lamb and Eggplant Rolls

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

10 mins prep |

2 hrs cook

Mustard Beef Potato Bites

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

10 mins prep |

2 hrs 10 mins cook

Pulled beef sliders with crisp salad

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

20 mins prep |

8 mins cook

Lamb and green pea bruschetta

Kathy Paterson

15 mins prep |

6 mins cook

Sirloin on seed crackers with horseradish crème fraiche

Kathy Paterson

30 mins prep |

18 mins cook

Paprika Spiced Cutlets

Kathy Paterson

20 mins prep |

10 mins cook

Beer-marinated steak sandwiches

Vicki Ravlich-Horan

Platters and Mains

30 mins prep |

15 mins cook

Barbecue platter

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

20 mins prep |

50 mins cook

Perfectly Cooked Eye Fillet and Garlic Bread

Greenlea Butcher Shop

20 mins prep |

1 hr cook

Sunday best eye fillet

Kiwi Mushrooms

20 mins prep |

1 hr 45 mins cook

Herb and garlic crusted leg of lamb

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

15 mins prep |

50 mins cook

Roasted Lamb Rump With Fresh Green Sauce

Greenlea Butcher Shop

Festive Sides

10 mins prep |

10 mins cook

Miso-Glazed Sweetcorn

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

20 mins prep |

25 mins cook

New Potato, Bean and Blue Cheese Salad

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

10 mins prep |

0 mins cook

Easy Avocado Salsa

The 5+ A Day Charitable Trust

25 mins prep |

40 mins cook

Spiced cherry tomato salad

The 5+ A Day Charitable Trust

15 mins prep |

0 mins cook

Colourful Cabbage Slaw

The 5+ A Day Charitable Trust

10 mins prep |

3 mins cook

Broccolini with Mandarin and Chilli

The 5+ A Day Charitable Trust

10 mins prep |

10 mins cook

Asparagus and Broccoli with Tangy Vinaigrette

The 5+ A Day Charitable Trust

Feed a crowd

30 mins prep |

35 mins cook

Beef Wellington bites

Bunny Eats Design

30 mins prep |

40 mins cook

Roast bolar with homemade spice rub

Kathy Paterson

3 hrs prep |

15 mins cook

Prosciutto and provolone stuffed flank steak

Andrew Clarke

10 mins prep |

2 hrs 45 mins cook

Ultimate leg of lamb

Kathy Paterson

15 mins prep |

2 hrs cook

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with Tamarind Glaze

Jenny's Kitchen Tamarind Chutney

Barbecue

30 mins prep |

25 mins cook

Barbecued eye fillet with carrots, eggplant and Israeli couscous salad

Kathy Paterson

15 mins prep |

45 mins cook

Garlic, red wine and rosemary BBQ lamb shoulder

James Smith "The Tattooed Butcher"

10 mins prep |

20 mins cook

Barbecued tri-tip steak with Italian potato salad

Roz McIntosh

20 mins prep |

10 mins cook

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Honey Vinaigrette and Dukkah

Norka Mella Munoz

12 mins prep |

8 mins cook

Barbecued scotch with summer herbs and labneh

Kathy Paterson

Cooking Advice & Tips

Inspiration

The 10 best lamb leg recipes to cook

Do something a little bit special and cook your loved ones a roasted leg of lamb. A roast lamb is the ultimate Kiwi tradition, and for good reason - New Zealand lamb is the best you can get anywhere in the world. We’ve taken the hassle out of choosing how to go about doing it by selecting some of our favourite recipes.

Tips & Tricks

Cooking Guide: Beef Temperatures and Cooking Times

For those who are having a large cut of beef this Christmas, cooking it can be a little nerve racking. It is an investment, but it is a lot like cooking lamb. Depending on the cut of beef, you’ll want to either sear it hot and fast, or cook it low and slow. This guide will help you get the very best from your beef, the different cooking methods, times, and temperatures.

Tips & Tricks

Cooking Guide: Lamb Temperatures and Cooking Times

This guide should help you navigate the various methods, times, and temperatures to cook your lamb perfectly to your preference - every time.

Tips & Tricks

How to shop Smart this Christmas

Christmas is coming and we've got a lot of smart tactics for you to make the big day move smoothly! Shopping is one process that is easy to de-stress with these simple tips.

Tips & Tricks

How to Choose the Right Beef or Lamb Cuts for a Roast

Kiwis' love of roast beef and lamb, particularly for lunch on the weekend, is nothing new, in fact, it’s part of our national identity and a source of pride for home-cooks and chefs alike. We decided to take a look at some of the best beef and lamb cuts to use for a roast.

Tips & Tricks

How to roast in the oven

Roasting is one of the easiest cooking methods; once it's in the oven it takes care of itself. It involves cooking food in an uncovered pan in the oven and Dry, hot air surrounds the food, cooking it evenly on all sides. Depending on the food you're preparing, you can roast at low, moderate, or high temperatures. Large cuts of meat work particularly well for roasting, think whole rumps, lamb legs or tenderloins.

Ingredients

How to cook a carvery leg of lamb

There’s no better time to treat your family with this superb cut than the festive season. The lamb carvery leg is a visual feast as well as a delicious one. with lots of fresh flavours added to the mix it’ll be a meal like no other.

Ingredients

How to cook a lamb leg

The famous roast lamb leg is a hero on the Kiwi dinner table. perfect all year round, this cut can be dressed up for the festive season and teamed up with endless flavour combinations, not to mention, highly anticipated the next day between slices of fresh bread for lunch.

Ingredients

How to cook a bolar roast

The bolar roast is perfect for those comforting meals needed in the cooler weather. It’s a secondary cut which is full of flavour, but is quite tough, so needs long slow cooking to lock in the flavour and create tenderness. It’s a versatile cut which can be roasted whole or cut down to use in casseroles and stews. This cut is an economic way to feed the family and whichever way you choose to cook it goes well served with creamy mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables or a tray of roasted root vegetables.

Ingredients

How to cook a standing beef rib roast

The texture and flavour of a standing beef rib roast is simply unbeatable. If you can’t find it in store, ask your butcher. It’s visually impressive with its protruding bones making it a knockout dish to serve when you’re entertaining – and easy to prepare.

Tips & Tricks

Freezing and thawing meat

The freezer can be an extremely useful tool for saving time and money when you find yourself with more than enough meat on your hands. However, freezing your protein of choice should be done carefully. It’s important to follow these guidelines to guarantee your frozen proteins are safe and enjoyable to consume.

Inspiration

Inspiration

Come Together This Christmas at recipes.co.nz

We have put together four delicious menus to cater to whatever style of Christmas you are planning, so you can rest assured that your Christmas will all come together at recipes.co.nz

Inspiration

Christmas food and traditions

A Kiwi Christmas is all about opening up a present on Christmas Eve, playing a family game of beach cricket, or eating pavlova after a few too many courses of beef and lamb. But with New Zealand becoming increasingly multicultural, Regina Wypych took the opportunity to look at the place of traditions at Christmas-time, while reflecting on the traditions in her Polish family.

Inspiration

Our favourite Midwinter Christmas recipes

Embrace winter and find that inner festive spirit. With mid-winter Christmas parties now firmly established in the Kiwi calendar, these recipes will help you take your celebration to a new level.

Inspiration

10 of our favourite roast recipes

Kiwis love of roast beef and lamb, particularly for lunch on the weekend, is nothing new, in fact, it’s part of our national identity and a source of pride for home-cooks and chefs alike. With NZ Roast Day just around the corner, we decided to take a look at some of our favourite traditional and modern roast options.

Inspiration

Our favourite special occasion recipes

Whether it’s a knockout meal for two on date night, an easy crowd-pleaser, or a show-stopping dinner party main course, we’ve rounded up our most impressive recipes for all types of special occasions. Now all you need to think about is dessert...

Inspiration

Food's gift of memories

From culturally-enriched favourites to our grandmothers’ meals and special occasions, we collected some special food-inspired gems of memories from the recipes.co.nz team.

Inspiration

20 easy recipes for a Dinner Party

Need an excuse to have friends over? Here are 20. These dinner party recipes will take some of the stress out of hosting; finding the perfect meals to serve to help make sure your dinner party runs smoothly.

Leftovers Ideas

Salad Generator

Leftover lamb sandwiches

Kathy Paterson

10 mins prep |

20 mins cook

Leftover Lamb & Chickpea Curry

Regina Wypych

10 mins prep |

5 mins cook

Leftover brisket dumplings with a dipping sauce

Matt Melville

10 mins prep |

8 mins cook

Pulled lamb Reuben sandwich

Magills Butchery

20 mins prep |

20 mins cook

Korean Skirt Steak Sandwich

Greenlea Butcher Shop

10 mins prep |

20 mins cook

Simple Beef Steak Wraps

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

30 mins prep |

10 mins cook

Steak rice paper Rrolls

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

10 mins prep |

20 mins cook

Lamb rump steaks with red lentil salad

Beef + Lamb New Zealand

6 mins prep |

3 mins cook

Pulled lamb Greek pita breads

Magills Butchery

15 mins prep |

1 hr cook

Easy lamb curry

Bunny Eats Design

10 mins prep |

10 mins cook

Easy lamb koftas

Allyson Gofton

10 mins prep |

5 mins cook

Leftover brisket roti wrap

Matt Melville

15 mins prep |

15 mins cook

Brisket and cheese pies

Matt Melville