Prep time: 15–20 minutes
Serves: 1 generous solo platter (or 2–3 if you’re sharing)
Keywords: Christmas platter, grazing board, Australian summer recipes, festive sharing food, easy entertaining
🎄 A Lazy Summer Lunch, Sorted
There’s something beautifully Aussie about Christmas lunch. Warm weather, everyone “just bringing a plate,” and that one uncle who insists ham counts as a salad.
This Aussie Summer Grazing Platter is my ultimate solution for when you’re flying solo but still showing up festive. It’s colourful, easy, and totally customisable — think of it as the mix tape of Christmas food. You don’t need to cook anything fancy or spend half your day washing dishes. Just grab a board, pile on your favourites, and let the good times (and snacks) roll.
Even better? Everything here can be scaled for one, two, or twenty without waste — so you can prep just enough for yourself, or assemble a shareable platter that’ll impress without stress.
What You’ll Need
🥩 Proteins
- Sliced leg ham or turkey breast (go for deli cuts if you’re short on time)
- A few cooked prawns or peeled shrimp
- Optional: smoked salmon, roast chicken strips, or veggie falafel balls
🧀 Cheeses
- A few cubes of vintage cheddar
- One wedge of brie or camembert
- Marinated feta (bonus points if it’s in olive oil with herbs)
🥒 Fresh & Crunchy
- Cherry tomatoes
- Sliced cucumber
- Baby carrots or sugar snap peas
- Olives (green or kalamata — or both)
🍇 Fruits
- Mango cheeks, grapes, or kiwi slices
- Strawberries or cherries for a pop of colour
- Optional: passionfruit halves or pomegranate seeds (they look fancy and festive!)
🍞 Crackers & Extras
- Seeded crackers or lavosh
- Mini pita rounds or breadsticks
- A handful of mixed nuts (almonds, pistachios, or cashews)
- Dips: beetroot hummus, tzatziki, or guacamole
- Fresh herbs (mint or rosemary) for garnish
🍽️ How to Assemble
- Pick your base:
Use a wooden board, large plate, or even a chopping board — it doesn’t need to be Pinterest-perfect. - Start with bowls:
Place small bowls of dips, olives, or feta first. This gives you anchor points to build around. - Layer your proteins:
Fold or roll slices of ham and turkey for texture. Add prawns or salmon in clusters for that “abundance” look. - Add colour:
Arrange your veggies and fruit in little rainbow sections — red tomatoes, orange mango, green cucumber, golden cheese cubes. - Fill the gaps:
Slide in crackers, nuts, and a few fresh herb sprigs to make it look full and festive. - Final touch:
Drizzle a little olive oil on the feta or add a squeeze of lemon over the prawns just before serving.
☀️ Tips from My Kitchen
- Keep it cool: Chill your platter components until the last minute — cheese and prawns wilt faster than your energy after dessert.
- Mix & match: You can swap in anything you’ve got — roast chicken instead of ham, watermelon instead of mango.
- Mini hack: If you’re bringing this to a friend’s house, assemble it on a baking tray lined with baking paper — easy transport, zero cleanup.
- Waste-free win: Leftovers can become lunch the next day — wrap up in a tortilla or toss into a salad.
🧊 Storage
- Before serving: Keep everything chilled until just before eating, especially seafood and dairy.
- Afterwards: Store leftovers in airtight containers — meats and cheeses for up to 2 days, fruits and veggies for 1 day.
- Freezer tip: Freeze leftover ham slices or breadsticks for next week’s lunches.
🎁 Gifting or Group Idea
If you’re heading to Christmas lunch, offer to bring “the nibbles” and show up with this. Trust me, it’ll disappear faster than pavlova in a heatwave. You can even make a Mini Grazing Box for someone spending Christmas alone — just pack a small cardboard box with all the goodies and a handwritten note that says:
“Because Christmas is better when it’s shared — even in snack form.” 💛
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
It’s the easiest way to look like you’ve made an effort when, in reality, you’ve mostly just opened packets and arranged things attractively. No oven, no drama, no soggy salads — just sunshine, snacks, and good vibes.
✨ Thanks for staying
Tried your own version of this Aussie Summer Grazing Platter? I’d love to see it!
Snap a pic and tag @Plan4One with #Plan4OneChristmas, or drop your combo ideas in the comments below.
Next up in our Plan4One Christmas Platters Series: The Festive Cheese & Fruit Wreath — a showstopper that looks like you spent hours (but took 10 minutes flat).
