Christmas food in advance

[ForTheLoveOfCatFood]

Thinking ahead to Christmas - what food do you cook in advance and freeze?

Intrigued to know if any one cooks veg etc in advance then freezes and reheat on day itself?

Brandy butter can be made now and frozen.
You can make gravy now and freeze and then just add the juices from your Christmas turkey to it before serving.
Stuffing freezes well and I even freeze mine in the oven dish so once it's defrosted it can go straight in the oven.
If you're making soup for starters, that can be frozen.
Bread sauce can be made in advance and frozen. Nigella's recipe includes freezing and reheating instructions www.nigella.com/recipes/my-mothers-bread-sauce It also keeps for a surprisingly long time in the fridge - just make it a few days before, and you'll only need to add a splash of milk and microwave it.
Braised red cabbage and the cheese sauce if you serve cauliflower cheese can be frozen for one month. This recipe for red cabbage has freezing instructions www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3064/braised-red-cabbage-with-cider-and-apples
Yorkshire puds freeze well and can also be made up to one month ahead www.saga.co.uk/magazine/food/cooking-tips/best-ever-yorkshire-pudding-recipe
You can boil your parsnips and keep them in the fridge for up to a day before, to cut down on the cooking time. Alternatively, you could freeze them. Delia's Parmesan parsnips have freezing instructions.

I usually do Jamie Oliver Get ahead gravy and Mary Berry stuffing balls. Both freeze well and save loads of time on the day. I also sometimes do braised red cabbage and freeze that too.

Stuffing, bread sauce, carrot-swede mash (done by roasting them in the oven).

I intend to come up with some buffet stuff too - mini pies? Mini toad in hole? But don't know if I will actually get around to it!

Thank you so much, some great recipes and ideas

Aside from the main meal itself, you can also make and freeze nibbles and canapés. I don’t think I’ll be doing these this year though because I’m not catering for the masses!
Cheese straws www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cheese-mustard-straws and sausage rolls

Most Yule logs can be frozen. www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/c/chocolate_yule_log.html I use this one, but Nigella’s also has freezing instructions.
If you’ve got freezer space, then you could do this as a pudding www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/winter-pudding-bombe/
Mince pies www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a535687/freeze-ahead-mince-pies/

I prep pretty much everything in advance. I make and freeze cauliflower cheese. I also parboil carrots and parsnips ready to be roasted on the day as well as trimming/ prepping brussel sprouts before freezing

I freeze snack foods like sausage rolls and quiches. I also do Yorkshire puddings in advance (please don’t tell me they don’t belong on Xmas dinner) and freeze them as otherwise they can sense my stress levels and collapse. I am also planning to do a different pudding this year which I will freeze (Delis mini puddings). Can’t be bothered to boil real mini ones for three hours and re-boil for an hour. Too much steam!

For the last few years I had to serve four Christmas dinners over the holidays so I prepped well in advance.

I prepped all of the following - froze them on baking trays on the freezer then bagged them up.

Par boiled potatoes and parsnips.

Pigs in blankets - bacon round raw chipolatas

Stuffing balls.

Bread sauce Made the recipe as normal then put into ice cube trays to freeze then into bags.

Yorkshire's - cooked these and froze as above.

Meant I could take out exactly what I needed for each dinner.

I'm already halfway through my planing for this year - I hoping my children will be able to come home from university with no problems - otherwise I'll have a freezer full of food 😀

Stuffing meat potatoes will all be roasted night before Christmas to save me lots of time and pigs in blankets ill cook on the day cauliflower cheese prepped in advance

For those that freeze roasties do you park boil then freeze?

@ForTheLoveOfCatFood

Yes I parboil mine

I do most things ahead some well ahead others just a couple of days.
Obviously cake and pudding, mincemeat, chutney and piccalilli.
Frozen bread sauce, cranberry and port, Cumberland sauce, cauliflower cheese, chestnut stuffing, gravy starter, red cabbage, Yorkshire puddings, mince pies, brandy butter all frozen. Ice cream made well ahead. Vegetarian main usually made and frozen.
Potatoes part roasted. Parsnips and carrots part roasted. Sprouts blanched. Devils made but not cooked.
Hams cooked ahead. Canapés some frozen, some part made ready to put together.