23 food and drink recipes for the ultimate Christmas Day

Give your Christmas ham a tropical twist with the sweet and tangy flavour of pineapple and a touch of chilli. This RACV Club recipe will infuse your festive feast with the taste of summer.

This timeless roast beef recipe is ideal for a family dinner or hearty Christmas lunch if you're entertaining. This delicious roast beef is infused with the flavours of rosemary, thyme and garlic, as well as a bit of pizzazz with orange zest.

Impress your family and guests at Christmas with this recipe for a succulent stuffed and rolled turkey breast. With an outside layer of bacon to add flavour and moisture and a stuffing of sausage, breadcrumb, cranberries, herbs and nuts, this roll is a succulent alternative to cooking a whole turkey.

These fall-apart tender lamb shanks with creamy mash will have everyone raving this Christmas. Orange zest and star anise add aromatics and extra flavour to this classic dish, but you can also use cinnamon to add a bit of zing. The beauty of this recipe is you can use a slow cooker and make dinner while you keep working, or you can use an oven or stovetop.

This rich and creamy vegetarian lasagne recipe will satisfy the biggest appetites, and a family of four can enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day. This crowd-pleasing vegetarian lasagna, created by RACV Club Executive Sous Chef Craig Dowling, combines layers of pureed pumpkin with a sauce of ricotta cheese, cream, parmesan cheese and spinach.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle this Christmas with this nutritious steamed fish recipe, which is suitable for those living with diabetes. The steamed John Dory with a vegetable julienne is delicious and easy to prepare. You can substitute any fish fillet of your choice: snapper and flathead are also excellent.

With coeliac disease affecting about one in 70 Australians, and more people becoming health conscious, non-flour pasta is riding high in popularity. This Gluten-free zucchini pasta with mushroom and tomato sauce recipe from the RACV Club kitchen is also suitable for vegans. 

If you love a juicy, flavoursome sausage roll wrapped in golden flaky pastry, then have a go at making your own at home this Christmas. The addition of vegetables in this recipe makes the rolls healthier, and the sauces, parmesan cheese and fresh parsley create truly moreish flavours.

Stuffed, spiced butternut pumpkin is easy to make, and it's sure to impress vegetarians and meat eaters alike. It's filled with the festive goodness of spices, herbs and dried fruit, and it’s easy to make. Along with sultanas, dates, prunes and apricots, this recipe uses barberries, which are traditionally used in Iranian cooking.

Baked, fried, caked or crispy - there's a spud recipe to suit every taste and occasion. But you can't beat a classic, and when it comes to potatoes, a smooth and buttery mash is about as good as it gets. RACV Club's chefs share reveal the secrets to making restaurant-style mashed potatoes at home with this recipe.

This warm smoked chicken salad is served with a “green goddess” dressing that is loaded with fresh, herbal flavours. Take your chicken salad to the next level with Cajun spice and, if you dare, some smoky eucalyptus flavours. This recipe comes from the RACV Healesville Country Club & Resort kitchen, where the dish is served in the alfresco dining venue, Riddell's Green.

Say goodbye to soggy chips and hello to crispy golden fries with fluffy potato within. Whatever else you're serving up this Christmas, follow our tips for making delicious homemade crunchy chips.

Celebrity chef Gabriel Gaté’s smoked salmon parcels are a sure-fire way to impress your family and friends. Tabasco, dill, black pepper and other ingredients make this smoked salmon pop with fine flavour.

This easy gingerbread biscuit recipe from Le Petit Gâteau will sweeten any special occasion, including your Christmas festivities. Plus, everyone will love the smell of these homemade gingerbread biscuits baking in the oven.

Gingerbread houses are synonymous with Christmas festivities around the world and are said to have originated in Germany in the 16th century. The whole family can have fun making gingerbread houses this Christmas with this gingerbread house recipe.

No Aussie Christmas is complete without a crowd-pleasing pavlova that’s topped with fresh whipped cream and summer fruits. With its amazing crispy exterior and a fluffy, melt-in-your mouth interior, this pavlova can be adorned with summer fruits such as berries, mango or passionfruit.

Who can resist a vanilla slice, especially one that’s home-made? Follow this vanilla slice recipe and impress your family and friends with this melt-in-your mouth combo of crisp pastry and creamy custard.

You’ll be the apple of everyone’s eye when you dish up this delicious oat-free apple crumble recipe. Is there anything better than a bowl of gooey, caramelised apple crumble? With its warm, cinnamon-spiced filling and crunchy, butter-and-brown-sugar topping, it’s easy to see why this classic apple crumble is still an absolute crowd pleaser.

The Romans may have invented mulled wine, but the fact we still enjoy this spicy and sweet drink today is testiment to its warming powers. Devised by the team at Bourke Street Green in Melbourne's CBD, the secret to its sensational flavour is shiraz gin, along with fresh apples, oranges, black pepper, and cinnamon to get those fruity and spicy flavours.

If you're wanting that throat-warming nightcap that isn't a mulled wine, try this hot toddy recipe for a sweet treat on Christmas evening. This hot toddy features honey for sweetness, lemon for zing and cinnamon for a hint of spice.

The salted caramel version of the classic espresso martini is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. Its moreish flavours pair perfectly with other decadent Christmas treats.

Keep summer going with this zesty, fruity and refreshing cocktail that's perfect for dinner parties and nights in. Whether you're a seasoned cocktail connoisseur, or a novice wanting to try fresh new flavours, it's hard to look past the Peachy Keen cocktail for an easy-to-make, yet sophisticated summer beverage, with notes of complexity from gin, sweetness from peaches and zest from lemons.

A local twist on the classic Mojito, the Myah’s Delight mocktail is about to become your new go-to non-alcoholic cocktail. This recipe adds in cucumber and apple, then tops up the sweetness with lemonade.