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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

What prep do you do the day before Christmas (for dinner)?

143 replies

grannyinapram · 01/12/2020 14:10

Reading another thread and the Op is talking about prepping christmas dinner the day before.
I was thinking about it and I just couldn't think of anything other than thawing out a frozen turkey? Maybe peeling spuds?

It's just a big Sunday dinner here with a few extras.
We definitely don't prepare anything the day before.

What is this extra food I've been missing out on?!

(this is light hearted clearly but this is also mumsnet so I need to state it clearly)

OP posts:

vanillandhoney · 01/12/2020 14:13

Nothing whatsoever

Camomila · 01/12/2020 14:24

I've chopped and peeled the carrots the day before too (left in water in the fridge overnight).

If you are making a cake you would probably make it the day before too.

CGWGWOO · 01/12/2020 14:26

I prep all my vegetables. I will make the trifle And I cook the ham.

I have already made the cake and pudding. I’ve made the stuffing and frozen it. I have also made the stick for the gravy and frozen it.

This week I will make the pigs in blankets.

awwkkwwaard · 01/12/2020 14:26

I always cook the turkey the day before and braise it in gravy on the day - but we have never been the type of family who has every thing laid out on the table - the bird is carved in the kitchen, veg is on the table to help yourselves. We much prefer braised turkey as it is really moist and not a dried up breast...

CGWGWOO · 01/12/2020 14:27

Stock not stick.

OoohTheStatsDontLie · 01/12/2020 14:31

God I do loads the days and weeks before then I can just enjoy the day.

I've made stuffing (actually some left over from a while ago not specifically for this) and made carrot and swede mash and braised red cabbage and that's all in the freezer, I'll reheat on the day. I've made a nice gravy in advance before but I'll make sauces etc the day before (last year we had beef so I made a creme fraiche and horseradish sauce the day before etc) or things like salad dressing if we have a salad starter. Ive made some nice cheesy biscuits to have before dinner. And generally make a pudding the day before and just re heat on Christmas.
I rope others in to peel veg earlier on in the day.

cherrypie790 · 01/12/2020 14:32

My DDs and I spend a happy hour in the kitchen on xmas eve, we prep all the veg ready, i make sure i've got everything out of the freezer like stuffing etc, and we set the table. All done with copious amounts of nice snacks and prosecco.

I like doing it ready - yes it's just a large sunday lunch but I prefer to spend the morning sat with family as opposed to being stuck in the kitchen. And there is always at least 14 of us so it's a big sunday lunch!

OoohTheStatsDontLie · 01/12/2020 14:32

I have a heath condition though that means long time on my feet is difficult and I can get really tired so I am used to breaking up tasks into little bits. Even with say a tart, ill measure everything out one day, make pastry the next day and just mix ingredients and bake the next day

Finfintytint · 01/12/2020 14:34

I’ve made my stock and stuffing. The day before I’ll make most of the trifle but that’s about it.
It’s never a big affair as there’s never more than a maximum of 4 people. We enjoy cooking it together on the day. Not bothering with making a cake this year and for the first time in years I have bought a microwave so I’m going to microwave a pud.

JeNeComprendsPas · 01/12/2020 14:35

I make the Yorkshire pudding batter and leave it to rest in the fridge I know Yorkshire puddings shouldn't be on a Christmas dinner but DH is a heathen

BarryTheKestrel · 01/12/2020 14:38

I prep ahead so I don't have the spend the morning in the kitchen as we like to eat at lunch time rather than later in the afternoon.

Just peeling and preparing veg for cooking, getting bits out to defrost etc. It's maybe an hour of my time but it means its all just ready to go.

WoolyMammoth55 · 01/12/2020 14:39

I like to do pigs in blankets day before so they're ready to go in.

Also found that potatoes peeled, par-boiled and roughed up on xmas eve, then sat overnight in your choice of fat are VERY good that way - better than made on the day, plus timings are much easier.

All xmas eve prep feels fun to me so it's a win-win IMHO :)

Anniecott · 01/12/2020 14:39

Well my roast potatoes, yorkies, cauliflower cheese, pigs in blankets and stuffing are already in the freezer, so not much to do on Christmas Eve, thank god as I work but I do my fresh veg and mash then, then on Christmas morning it's just a case of doing the Turkey and taking things out of the freezer, I've done it this way for a while, never had any complaints. X

icedaisy · 01/12/2020 14:39

Everything really
.

All the veg done, potatoes in water, red cabbage into slow cooker with spices, carrots and sprouts done.

Pigs in blankets X a million made and covered on trays.

Stuffing made and ready to go in overnight.

Turkey all sorted, get up early to pop in oven.

Ham cooked.

Table set.

So just actual cooking to do on day.

CarolinaWeeper · 01/12/2020 14:40

Stuffing balls, braised red cabbage and yorkshire puddings are made in advance and kept in the freezer then just heated up on the day.

If cooking for a lot of people, I'd peel the carrots, parsnips and potatoes the day before then keep them in pans of water ready for Christmas Day.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 01/12/2020 14:41

Anniecott Do you make your yprkies and freeze them whole or just freeze the batter? To then cook them do you chuck them in to the oven frozen?

BarbaraofSeville · 01/12/2020 14:41

I buy the food the day before, is that what you mean?

If you're having trifle, then it helps to start that the day before, so the jelly and custard can cool down before assembly.

If you're having more than one meat and want to do ham or brisket in a slow cooker it can help to do that the day before.

There's plenty of time for veg prep after the turkey has gone in but if you also need to fit in a huge extended present opening session something has to give, but I've honed down the timings to 3 hours from start to finish with plenty of breaks for drinking fizz so what do I know?

Winterfairy23 · 01/12/2020 14:43

Peel and chop the veg and leave in water overnight

Make soup and creamy garlic mushrooms for starters so I just need to reheat and serve with bread/toast on the day.

I make cauliflower cheese on Christmas Eve too.

I find if I spend 2 hours doing this on the morning of Christmas Eve then I have from noon onwards to relax or do what I want all day and it's also 2 hours saved on Christmas day. I've only meat and veg to cook then everything else is simply reheating.

AryaStarkWolf · 01/12/2020 14:43

None for the actual dinner but DH makes soup the day before and DD usually does the dessert the day before as well. Just free's up the kitchen for the dinner the next day

Anoisagusaris · 01/12/2020 14:44

I make the stuffing and trifle, boil the ham, prepare the veg and potatoes for mash, parboil the potatoes for roasties. I generally don’t have 10 for dinner on a Sunday or make as many side dishes and a dessert. And don’t want to spend all Xmas day preparing food.

caperplips · 01/12/2020 14:44

I always boil and then glaze and bake the ham on Christmas Eve night. We eat some for late supper with pickles, relish and mustard with really fresh bread. It was a tradition in my childhood, passed down from my grandparents and now I do it exactly the same way. I love that continuity.

I don't prep anything else at all. We eat our dinner on Christmas night so loads of time to get it all ready during the day

unchienandalusia · 01/12/2020 14:45

loads! the more free time on Christmas day the better!

Peel potatoes and leave in cold water
make stuffing and pigs in blankets
make the cranberry sauce
make the bread sauce
brine the turkey
make the brandy butter
prepare the nibbles (we have christmas brunch, nibbles all day then have a very late lunch)
lay the dining table
Chill the champagne and white wine

I enjoy it, christmas songs on, fire going, mulled wine....

WineIsMyMainVice · 01/12/2020 14:47

Yorkshire puddings!
I know it’s not traditional Christmas dinner fodder but everyone in my family loves them! But they always need attention and oven space just when you’re trying to dish up. It was a revelation to me that you can freeze your own, then just heat them up & they’re as good as when I first made them!!

Fluffythefish · 01/12/2020 14:50

I make the vegetarian option; port and red cabbage dish and fresh cranberry sauce on Christmas Eve. Then the husband does the rest on Christmas Day. Lovely :)

helloxhristmas · 01/12/2020 14:54

I used to but don't really see the point anymore unless I'm hosting the extended family of 20 when I'll do vegetables the night before.

We don't have starters just oven party food from M&S and I buy dessert. Also buy in pigs in blankets and stuffing in trays from the butcher.

Make gravy on the day, it doesn't take long and is so much better than the make ahead stuff.

Only 4 this year and having beef fillet so really not much to do on the day.

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