The ultimate Christmas recipes for mains, sides, drinks and desserts

Christmas ham recipes
The centrepiece of any Christmas feast, hams can be glazed with all kinds of ingredients. Whether you lean traditional - honey and mustard, perhaps - or want to try something more unorthodox this year, such as amaretto and cherry-glaze with pistachio and herb crust, these combinations will be the crowning glory to your festive feast.

Christmas ham glazes
The fundamentals are simple: sugar for sweetness, spices for complexity, and a little acidity to balance it all out. Brush up on the essentials right here.

Christmas turkey recipes
If there's ever a time to cook a whole turkey, Christmas is it. Nothing lands on the festive table with more weight and anticipation than the giant bird. Don't just limit yourself to roasting it either – the big bird benefits from a good ol' brine and barbecue too.

Christmas seafood recipes
Seafood has long been the centrepiece of the quintessential Australian Christmas. What would a festive spread be without king prawns, freshly shucked oysters or side of spanner crab? The catch of the day is here, and then some.

Make-ahead Christmas recipes
These are the recipes that will keep your guests fed and watered, while allowing you to escape the kitchen unscathed.

Vegetarian Christmas recipes
Christmas doesn't have to be an all-ham affair. These vegetarian dishes will keep carnivores and plant-eaters happy at your festive feast, from starters through to the main event.

Christmas roasts
These roasted meats are ideal Christmas recipes, from festive goose to luscious pork belly to an old-fashioned roast chicken. Whatever you choose as the centrepiece of your feast, all of the recipes we've selected here are designed for maximum flavour and impact.

Christmas lamb recipes
From slow-cooked lamb shoulders to barbecued and butterflied legs, for gatherings large or small, you'll find a Christmas lamb recipe for you.

Christmas mains from top chefs
Dan Hong's mud crab with XO sauce, Jacqui Challinor's roast pork shoulder or Heston Blumenthal's roast turkey and gravy? We have all three, plus more impressive Christmas recipes for mains from some of Australia's - and the world's - leading chefs.

Christmas salads
No more soggy lettuce combos. Done right, these side salads might just steal the limelight.

Christmas cocktails
These recipes for punch, Spritz and spiders will ensure you have a very merry Christmas.

Christmas desserts to end your festive feasting on a high]
Be it a traditional pudding, a layered trifle or a pavlova crowned with summer fruit, there's only one rule: make it unforgettable.