The ultimate 'Bring a Plate' collection

The communal nature of celebration lends itself so beautifully to that Kiwi concept – invited over for a meal and told to bring a plate. A gift-giving feast where everyone shares the load of the most arduous task – the cooking. While a fruit plate is always welcoming, we’ve gathered our favourite options with New Zealand beef and lamb to inspire you for future invites.

Six crackers topped with roast beef, radicchio, and sprouts on a plate, with a hand picking one up.

Sirloin on seed crackers with horseradish

A brilliant recipe that is less about cooking and more about assembly, something that can quickly and easily be done when you get to your hosts place. We love how it transforms a sirloin steak into a whole plate of tasty morsels.

Golden-brown spiral pastries with a dark filling, served on a gray platter with a bowl of dark dipping sauce.

Kebab pastry twists

These little twists are the ultimate plate for the party season. Lamb mince lightly flavoured with the classic Indian trio – ginger, coriander and chilli, they’re divine with a little bowl of mango chutney on the side for dunking.

A wooden board holds a white serving tray featuring several mini beef sliders, some fully assembled with lettuce and pickles, alongside additional shredded beef, buns, lettuce, and sliced pickles.

Pulled beef sliders

If you love cooking ahead of time with mere last minute assembly, this is the plate for you. The beef can be cooked up to two days before hand and kept covered in the fridge until needed.

Overhead view of meatballs in sauce, garnished with grated cheese and parsley, served with grilled bread.

Spicy tomato meatballs

Not traditionally a ‘bring-a-plate’ plate but we promise few people will turn their noses up at a bowl of meatballs and grilled baguette or ciabatta for scooping. A pile of napkins on the side is a good idea too.

Mini sliders with crispy potato tops and decorative skewers on a tray.

Cheeseburger skewers

Most people will have these ingredients in their fridge, it’s just about thinking outside the square. Smashed potatoes take the place of buns, mince is cut into little squares and burger sauce can be store bought, or even swapped for something you have on hand – tomato, barbecue, or even steak sauce.