From Christmas tree burgers to cauliflower baubles: the best and worst supermarket Christmas foods of 2021

• Find Christmas recipes, tips and inspiration at the Good Food Christmas hub
• The plum pudding taste test

Phew, we made it. For the past four weeks, the Good Food team has been taste testing all the Christmas exclusives from Australia's big three supermarkets. Our blood alcohol level is now .05 per cent pudding brandy and every day presents a new challenge to use leftover ham and prawns (anyone know a good recipe for jambalaya?).

From more than 100 products, we've whittled a list down to the good, the bad and the "what were they thinking?" to help guide that final Christmas shop. Minimum Australian ingredient contents are provided, but were not factored into the judging. Similarly, animal welfare and environmental impact was not scrutinised when taste testing, but we strongly recommend buying meat from the most sustainable and ethical farms you can find.

Overall, the quality of Christmas supermarket foods this year is the best we can recall and we hope the trend of using Australian ingredients such as Davidson plum and lemon myrtle continues – all the better if they're sourced from more Indigenous-owned businesses in the future too. Here's our last-minute guide to supermarket shopping this week.

COLES

THE GOOD

Coles Crackling Victorian Ash Smoked Rib Rack Roast Ham, $24 per kg

Certainly not as impressive as a full leg for the table, but this is a nifty option for a Christmas Eve where you don't want to go the whole hog. Sweet and smoky with potential for great crackling if you let the ham dry uncovered in the fridge overnight. There's also American South-style brunch potential for the period between Christmas and New Year's – ham steaks with coffee-infused red-eye gravy and grits is a powerful morning. 98 per cent Australian ingredients.

Coles Finest Free Range Triple Smoked Half Leg Ham, $14 per kg

This might be the most attractive supermarket ham in Australia, largely thanks to its burnished chestnut-brown skin and plump, round curves. The smoke flavour is smooth and pleasant, and although the meat is sometimes too dry around the edges, we'll take that over a ham that's been pumped full of water and brine to the point it's clammy. Made using RSPCA-approved pork sourced from Albany, Western Australia. 96 per cent Australian ingredients.

Coles Classic Summer Berry Trifle, 1.4kg, $18

Loading a punch bowl with Swiss rolls, cream, custard and fruit is arguably more fun than actually eating trifle, so buying a ready-made version isn't a concept we're completely across. However, this is a better-than-expected supermarket effort with lots of vanilla bean mousse and a pleasant sponge that hasn't been soaked into oblivion. The raspberry-heavy coulis goes alright too. 75 per cent Australian ingredients.

Coles Finest Australian Cream With St-Remy Brandy, 250g, $4

Properly thick for a dollop that stands to attention. The brandy and cream balance is bang-on to soften a boozy pudding or brighten a dull one. 94 per cent Australian ingredients.

Coles Finest Indulgent Mirror Glaze Mousse, 570g, $20

Well done, Coles. This is a super decadent (and very shiny) dessert log to whip out for afternoon tea over the holidays. Belgian dark chocolate provides the mousse with a depth of flavour uncommon to the supermarket sweet section, and of all items tried this is the one we keep returning to for seconds. Made in the United Kingdom.

Coles Finest Luxury Fruit Mince Crumble Mini Tarts, 220g six-pack, $6

The worst part about supermarket mince tarts – besides cloying fruit and oily pastry – is often the massive gap between pie filling and roof. You can sometimes fit a whole extra tart in that waste of space. Coles has rectified this fault in 2021 by topping cherry brandy-soaked vine fruits with a coconut and almond crumble rather than a standard pastry lid. Smart. Also: pretty delicious! 82 per cent Australian ingredients.

Easy Carve Turducken With Davidson Plum, Five Spice and Pistachio Stuffing, $30 per kg

Supermarket turducken battle, ahoy. Aldi has offered turduckens for the past few years, but this Christmas is the first time Coles has rocked Frankenstein's festive monster too. Turkey breast and duck is layered around a good-enough pistachio stuffing spiked with Davidson plum and five spice, all stuffed into a partly-deboned chicken with its legs still attached. You'll want to keep basting with butter through the two-hour cooking process as this could easily become stringy and dry, but properly roasted it leaves Aldi's cranberry and apple stuffing turducken in the dust. 97 per cent Australian ingredients.

THE BAD

Entertaining Vegetable Selection, 204g, $7

Vegans already have it tough at Christmas, so why is Coles making it even tougher with this plant-based trio of refined soybean oil and cornstarch? The "sweet-and-sour candy canes" taste like a cut-price curry puff; oily cauliflower and pumpkin "baubles" look more like a COVID illustration than something you would hang on a tree; and the jackfruit stars could pass for cinnamon-dusted prawn toast if you didn't know what you where eating. Made in Vietnam.

THE WHY?

Nature's Kitchen Christmas Roast with Sweet Chutney, 650g, $10

More or less a big bloody log of stuffing covered in a Trump-orange sauce which has about as much in common with real tomato chutney as Kraft Singles do with cheese. It's not the worst thing on this list however, mostly due to aggressive seasoning of a wheat protein base with hints of rosemary and onion. Bypass the cloying chutney and serve with cranberry sauce for that extended family member who has become vegan over the past 12 months and waited until Christmas morning to let you know. 40 per cent Australian ingredients.

WOOLWORTHS

THE GOOD

Woolworths Gold Glaze and Bake Leg Ham With Davidson Plum & Honey Glaze, $12 per kg

A bone-in full or half leg ham is a Christmas Day essential, but there's a lot to recommend about a smaller porker for satellite events around December 25. With a subtle beechwood smoke flavour and appealing natural grain to the meat, this was heads and shoulders above the other boneless hams tasted, which too often have the texture of a boiled rubber band. That glaze isn't half bad either, made with a generous amount of Australian honey and Davidson plums harvested in northern NSW. 95 per cent Australian ingredients.

Woolworths Gold Hand Finished Lemon Meringue Pie, 700g, $20

By "hand finished" we assume that involves a factory worker with a blowtorch in front of a conveyor belt, but the end result is one of the most attractive desserts we can recall seeing at a supermarket. The gently torched meringue looks like a frothy iced latte, while the shortcrust is buttery enough to stand up against the sweet-sour Eureka lemon curd filling. Sure, you can make lighter, fluffier meringue from scratch, but this a fine replacement if you've reached peak egg-white separating post-pavlova. 75 per cent Australian ingredients.

Woolworths Gold Gin Infused Fruit Mince Tarts, 220g six-pack, $9

These guys are Woollies' best mince tart effort to date. Davidson plum buzzes over the top a warming apple and sultana fruit mince, cased in all-butter pastry made by Buonissimo, a family-owned bakery based in Sydney that has been supplying Woolworths since 2016. Attractive star-shaped lids and a light dusting of icing sugar means these tarts can be displayed before eating. 82 per cent Australian ingredients.

Woolworths Gold White Chocolate and Macadamia Tarts, 220g six-pack, $9

Another tart made under commission by Buonissimo Bakery, these pucks are filled with a sweet and fudgy mix of white chocolate, honey and Murray River salt flakes. A tumble of roasted macadamias top each treat and the end result tastes like a Milky Bar got fresh with dulce de leche. 81 per cent Australian ingredients.

Woolworths Gold Roasted Almond Shortbread, 500g, $14

Scotch Finger biscuits for the neighbours you like. These buttery little moons are a little on the sweet side, but nothing a strong espresso or bitter amaro can't solve. Bonus points for the logo-free gold tin perfect for storing buttons long after the last shortbread has been scoffed. 100 per cent Australian ingredients.

THE BAD

Woolworths Gold Lemon Myrtle Meringues, 72g four-pack, $6

We really wanted to like these – topping a single-serve meringue with lemon curd, cream, fresh mango and crushed macadamias sounds like a ripper way to spend a summer afternoon. Unfortunately a chalky texture and lemonade Icy Pole taste (not in a good way) means it's back to making meringues from scratch – or at least sourcing from an independent bakery. 96 per cent Australian ingredients.

Woolworths Gold Triple Cream Brie Wreath, 550g, $15

The brie lacks any subtle, buttery flavours and is just an all-out cream assault that's most definitely not the kind of thing you want to serve fondue-style before lunch. A 10-roll ring isn't quite what you want to serve after lunch either, even if the ciabatta is super fresh, which this isn't. A strong, piny taste of rosemary doesn't help proceedings. 94 per cent Australian ingredients.

THE WHY?

Woolworths Christmas Tree Shaped Burgers, 400g four-pack, $8

FINALLY. Someone has had the sense to design a burger pattie for all those triangle-shaped buns out there. 98 per cent Australian ingredients.

Woolworths Festive Sausage Trio Wreath, 480g, $12

Anyone pray for a three-sausage wreath? If yes, great stuff. Here it is, featuring beef and garlic snags woven with chicken and thyme sausages plus a pork and sage number. These plaited mystery bags taste typical of a bog-standard supermarket snorker, and anyone baking the wreath at home may need to increase the cooking time for a golden-brown colouring rather than the grey finish that comes after 25 minutes in the oven as per packet instructions. Maybe just buy quality sausages from a local butcher and throw them on the barbie instead though? 87 per cent Australian ingredients.

ALDI

THE GOOD

Specially Selected Triple Smoked Half Leg Ham On The Bone, $11.99 per kilogram

The winner of last year's Good Food supermarket ham taste test was best in class again. Terrific smoke aroma and taste, and a consistent texture that's juicy without being watery. If a supermarket isn't triple-smoking hams these days, is it really that serious about Christmas? 98 per cent Australian ingredients.

Curated Collection Christmas Fruit Cake, 200g, $3.99

There are plenty of family-size puddings and fruit cakes on the market, and more than a few single-serve desserts for late nights on the couch, but there really ought to be a greater range of desserts like this for two. This is the perfect size fruit cake for parents after something rich to drown in brandy custard while the kids get stuck into ice-cream. Chock-full of sultanas and glace cherries with a sticky almond and pecan crown. 41 per cent Australian ingredients.

Curated Collection 30 Months Matured Luxury Christmas Pudding, 907g, $19.99

This super boozy pud was named runner up in Good Food's Christmas pudding taste test published last week. A long ageing period means generous pours of armagnac, cider, brandy, rum and port don't overpower the fancy Vostizza currants. All the flavours have blended beautifully over time, and the handsome toadstool shape means this is a top choice for the middle of the table. Made in the United Kingdom.

Curated Collection Luxury Milk Chocolate Burnt Butterscotch, 125g, $5.99

The type of hard candy-style butterscotch we don't see enough of these days, chopped into odd-sized bits and pieces and coated in chocolate. These will absolutely get stuck in your teeth and are essentially a fancy Fantale without the Michael Douglas biography. Made in the United Kingdom.

Curated Collection Luxury Iced Christmas Cake, 900g, $16.99

If you're one of the eight per cent of Australians who actually enjoy a wedding-style iced Christamas cake, then hi – welcome to the club! We meet once a year at the Cooma Multifunction Centre. A hot topic for conversation at the next AGM will be Aldi's admirable dabble in the marzipan-covered art, rich with glace cherries, sultanas and rum. Made in the United Kingdom.

THE BAD

Ocean Royale Premium Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Canapes, 240g eight-pack, $4.99

Cream cheese and Atlantic salmon are wrapped in a flaky margarine pastry and sprinkled with chives. A little bit ricotta-filled filo triangle; a lot regional fish-and-chip shop fish cake fried in old palm oil. Made in Poland.

Curated Collection Sweet Pistachio and Cranberry Crispbread, 150g, $5.99

Nope. These are so highly sugared they taste like McDonaldland cookies, but nowhere near as fun. A snappy, craggy texture makes the crispbread a joyless experience to eat and we're not sure what you would want to eat them with anyway. Too sweet for cheese, but not sturdy enough for coffee or ice-cream. 85 per cent Australian ingredients.

THE WHY?

Turkey mince filled with a cheesy bacon and cranberry sauce is the kind of deep-fried snack you might expect to find at Disneyland in the lead up to Thanksgiving, so it's a little surprising to discover that these are made in Australia with local birds. God knows how these have a 3.5 Health Star rating – bite into one and it looks like a golf ball with Type 2 diabetes – but if you're a bit dusty after too much tawny the night before, well, you know… there are worse things. 83 per cent Australian ingredients.