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

[grannyinapram]

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)

I always cook my turkey on Christmas Eve, carve it and put in a roasting dish to be heated up the next day with gravy so it’s lovely and moist.
I wouldn’t have room in my oven to do the turkey, roasties, pigs in blankets, stuffing and all the veg accompaniments on Christmas Day, so I’ve always done the turkey beforehand. I can’t imagine being faffed with it on the day.

Sometimes I’ll do my desserts on Christmas Eve too, and soup. Depends what we’re having. Also make the gravy obviously.

Absolutely nothing.

M&S have prepared all the veg, gravy and puddings.

On the day - cook turkey and peel spuds (and shove things in the oven or microwave).

Ive made gravy (will make more on the day and add it together) pigs in blankets, stuffing etc already and its frozen. I'll cook the ham the day before in the slow cooker then glaze and roast before eating. It all makes for a smoother morning with less stress. I usually also make my own cranberry sauce but have just gone shop bought this year!

I make stuffing, wrap bacon around sausages, blitz breadcrumbs for bread sauce, make cranberry sauce and make giblet stock on Christmas Eve. If we are having a houseful or we are going to be out for any function on Christmas morning I get going on the vegetables and get out all the Cutlery and China as well.
I have often worked on Christmas Eve so that is also a factor.

@Shuffled - my friend is a big fan of an M&S Christmas (we’re trying Cook this year). She and her DH refuses to spend a minute longer than necessary in the kitchen on Christmas Day , so buy everything prepared. I’ve copied her on the ready prepared vegetables.

Rather shamefully, alongside peeling and chopping all my veg and leaving in water in the fridge, I also cook a big tray of sausage meat stuffing, let it cool and then slice into the correct portions. Come Christmas day I just microwave it 🙈 saves a lot of oven space!

@Parker231

Totally the same over here. I will even get prawns already mixed into the maryrose sauce rather than do it separately.

I hate cooking though and I'm only cooking for my parents who eat like birds so I don't see the point of going all out !

I make the tiramisu to go in the fridge,
I parboil the potatoes and put them in a tray ready to go in the oven .
I make the bread sauce ready to reheat on the day

I make the cauliflower cheese ( parboil the cauliflower and make the cheese sauce) ready to go in the oven.

I make the braised red cabbage to be reheated ( that I do a couple of days before)

I also make potato tart which we eat cold in the evening if we are hungry andon boxing

As much as possible is done christmas eve. We do not have turkey, usually beef and ham, the ham is cooked christmas eve, the beef put in the slower cooker christmas morning.

Christmas eve I also
Peel and part boil potatoes and put in tray ready to roast.

Peel and part boil carrots and parsnips and soak in honey ready to roast.
Sprouts are cooked along with other veg and pigs in blankets and put in a tray and are warmed back uo the next day in oven.
Creamy leeks prepared day before ready to be cooked christmas day.

I like to get as much done as possible so there is very little cleaning on christmas day apart from a few pans.

Absolutely nothing.

The only moments peace I get on Christmas Day is when I can shut myself in the kitchen and shout at anyone coming in that I’m faaaaar too busy prepping for them to come in for a chat.

I’m usually listening to music, drinking wine and watching potatoes boil 😂

Christmas dinner really is just a Sunday dinner.

@bumblingbovine49 - you can freeze braised red cabbage - mine is already in the freezer. I think the flavours carry on developing (though that might be wishful thinking).

Make meat loaf night before. That's it really.

@thegcatsmother
Thanks , I will try that this year 🤞

Turkey out of freezer
Peel potatoes and put in water
Write timings schedule

Ive made creamed parsnips (basically the same as potato mash. with cream and butter) and frozen that. Will put into patty tins on the day and cook

Will probably make cranberry sauce tomorrow as need some cranberries for stuffing

Couldn't get a stuffed duck, so will probably debone and stuff the duck tomorrow

I measure our all the ingredients in advance and chop all the vegetables. When I cook Christmas dinner I’m like a chef on a morning show, just picking up each little bowl and adding it in. Makes for much less mess and stress on the day of.

I’ve made the sausage stuffing and ham, and will probably do the pigs in blankets tomorrow.

I wipe the gunge from around the neck of the ketchup bottle.