Before we know it Christmas will soon be here, so it is time to get organised. We love a good Christmas BBQ. It is the perfect way to spend your Christmas afternoon. The adults can enjoy good conversation over a cold beverage while the children play backyard cricket or take their latest and greatest presents for a spin.
Doing a Christmas BBQ is a great way to keep some of the mess and mayhem out of the house, it will stop the house from being overheated by the oven and eating outside will ensure there is plenty of room for everyone. In order to help you get ready for Christmas, Gas Works have put together a list of our favourite tips, ideas and recipes for hosting the perfect Christmas BBQ.
1. Put the bird on the barbie. Free up oven space and keep the house cool by barbecuing your turkey this Christmas. Try out this delicious recipe for your Christmas turkey or buy a pre-prepared bird and just stick to the cooking method.
Here are more tips for preparing and carving the turkey, to make sure it all goes smoothly.
2. If turkey isn’t your thing then you have a whole BBQ for seafood and other delicious morsels! These are some of our favourite festive recipes;
- Barbecued salmon with lemon and herbs
- Coconut, lime and chilli prawns
- Haloumi and vegetable kebabs
- Moroccan marinated BBQ lamb
- Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto
3. Sides and salads can make a meal so to make sure they are extra special on Christmas day, these will get your taste buds ready;
- Green mango and prawn salad
- No Christmas is complete without brussels sprouts but this is a recipe everyone will love, brussels sprouts with bacon and hazelnut crumble
- Here is another delicious recipe for the BBQ, a roast pumpkin and red onion salad
- Finally we can’t go past a beetroot salad with a delicious cheese and if you roast the beetroot the day before you won’t even have to prepare much on the day!
4. Kick off the meal with a truly special but simple lobster rolls. A twist on the normal lobster fare enjoyed on Christmas day but they will go down a treat.
5. Why not forgo Christmas pudding in place of a dessert that is still festive but compliments the Australian climate, try this Buche de Noel. It is a French dessert but in its Australianised form it is nougat ice-cream. How refreshingly delicious!
6. Now that we have the food organised it is time to think about table decorations. Just because you are having a BBQ doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful table setting. Here are some tips on deciding whether to keep it formal or informal. We personally love this colourful and inviting look, it is more relaxed but overall is makes for a very festive feel.
7. Make it a memorable Christmas with a delicious drink on arrival. We suggest a chilled mulled wine or a classic margarita for the adults and a homemade lemon cordial topped off with fresh mint and plenty of ice for the kids and drivers.
8. Backyard games will help to entertain children and adults alike while the food is being prepared and may even help work some of it off at the end of the meal! It can be as simple as a game of quoits (you can pick up a set for $6 at Kmart) or bocce, all the way through the backyard cricket, but it helps to be prepared and have all the equipment ready before the guests arrive.
9. Prepare in advance. Make sure you do as much as you can leading up to Christmas, as we all know how hectic it can get on the day. Cook as much as you can on Christmas Eve. Clean the BBQ using our great cleaning tips the weekend before. Gather all the table settings and games the night before. What ever you can streamline will ensure you can enjoy the day even more with all your friends and family.
10. If you are in need of a new BBQ before Christmas or perhaps as a Christmas present, you know were to find us! Gas Works has a large range of BBQs for all requirements and as you can see we love a good barbie so we sure do know how to pick the right ones for our customers.
Wishing all our wonderful customers a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
