Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Just made my first bit of crimbo dinner today. AIBU

143 replies

Whatabloodycircus · 05/09/2021 00:12

So, I've done it for a few years... make and freeze the yorkshires, roast tats, roast parsnips, carrot and swede mash, braised red cabbage etc. a few weeks before xmas.

Today I got a lidl waste not box and it had carrots, swede and red cabbage in... I've made my first bit of xmas dinner on THE FOURTH OF SEPTEMBER!!! (carrot and swede mash btw... braised red cabbage'll be tomorrow 🤷🏻‍♀️).

I'm feeling a tad unreasonable!

OP posts:
StiffyByng · 05/09/2021 09:39

@Whatabloodycircus if your husband is doing his share throughout, then great. I wasn’t really aiming my original post at you in particular - many people posting on this thread appear to be the sole owner of their family’s Christmas meal, to their own detriment.

Bouledeneige · 05/09/2021 09:44

I tend to cater for 15 every other Christmas so I'm interested in this cooking ahead mullarkey. It is quite intense on the day and I don't use anything ready made.

A couple of questions - what do you freeze the veg in? In bags, Tupperware, what? I don't have a huge freezer but it's not terribly full as I live on my own most of the time when my DC are at uni.

Also, do you have a huge fridge? I struggle to have enough room in mine in the days before Christmas and often end up storing my Turkey in a sealed plastic box in the garden or cellar.

CatMandarin · 05/09/2021 09:45

Yanbu. I'm impressed you have the freezer space. I've just got a fridge freezer which easily fills up but I assume you've got a chest freezer? Sorry if you've mentioned this. I read all your posts but could have missed it

Original poster
Whatabloodycircus · 05/09/2021 09:47

@Djifunrsn

Do you have the steps for the mash you made? Sounds great and I’d like to copy it!
Whose? Mine?! The carrot and swede one?
OP posts:
HoldMeCloserTinyBadger · 05/09/2021 09:48

I pre cook at freeze roast potatoes! They come out even better. Like triple cooked chips. It makes life so much easier on the day. Have also frozen Parmesan crusted parsnips. They also work really well.

Outfoxedbyrabbits · 05/09/2021 09:49

@Annoyedanddissapointed

I can imagine the other veg, but cabbage must come out quite weird from a freezer?
@Annoyedanddissapointed Braised red cabbage? It freezes perfectly! It's like anything "wet" (a curry or a Bolognese type sauce or whatever), it tastes even better after getting to know itself a bit.
Oldfestivalgoer · 05/09/2021 09:53

'Crimbo'.

Cooking vegetables for four people three months in advance.

Fucking hell.

Original poster
Whatabloodycircus · 05/09/2021 09:55

@Bouledeneige

I tend to cater for 15 every other Christmas so I'm interested in this cooking ahead mullarkey. It is quite intense on the day and I don't use anything ready made.

A couple of questions - what do you freeze the veg in? In bags, Tupperware, what? I don't have a huge freezer but it's not terribly full as I live on my own most of the time when my DC are at uni.

Also, do you have a huge fridge? I struggle to have enough room in mine in the days before Christmas and often end up storing my Turkey in a sealed plastic box in the garden or cellar.

I use the plastic tubs that takeaways come in for mash, red cabbage etc. and reusable zip lock bags for roasties and yorkshires. I have a regular tall fridge 🙂
OP posts:
SparklingLime · 05/09/2021 09:55

Genuinely, can you not keep this on the Christmas board? Wittering about it from August on really takes the shine off for many.

Djifunrsn · 05/09/2021 09:57

Yes that one the carrot and swede

StiffyByng · 05/09/2021 10:03

It does feel very early for my Festive Feminism.

Original poster
Whatabloodycircus · 05/09/2021 10:03

@CatMandarin

Yanbu. I'm impressed you have the freezer space. I've just got a fridge freezer which easily fills up but I assume you've got a chest freezer? Sorry if you've mentioned this. I read all your posts but could have missed it
I have an under the counter freezer in my kitchen for day to day stuff and a tall freezer in my garage for batch cooked meals/ veg/ reduced meat from the supermarket.
OP posts:
fantastaballs · 05/09/2021 10:06

I do my Christmas cake about now as that actually improves with age.... pure cooked frozen veg? Good Lord no. I actually enjoy eating my Christmas dinner so want it to be the best I can possibly make. I couldn't sit down to eat cooked frozen defrosted veg at any time tbh. Just the thought of out makes me feel queasy but I can't say why 🤔.

In preparation I do spread the veg prep over the 23rd,24th and rope my teens in. I also make my stuffing and pigs in blankets on the 24th. Dinner doesn't take much longer on Christmas Day that your frozen version

Tlollj · 05/09/2021 10:12

I’m interested in Parmesan parsnips.
Other than that why? I’ve never understood prepping and batch cooking you’re not saving time you’re just moving it.

Original poster
Whatabloodycircus · 05/09/2021 10:13

@Djifunrsn

Yes that one the carrot and swede
Just boil some carrots and swede, mash with butter and black pepper... so easy and delicious! Half a swede and about 5 carrots is enough for 6 people I'd say 🙂
OP posts:
ShowOfHands · 05/09/2021 10:19

@fantastaballs like I said above, I felt the same as you but then read up and had it recommended to me by a couple of my favourite chefs. Not for convenience but for flavour. It really isn't the same as bunging value frozen mixed veg in a pan. It genuinely improves some of the food. I was shocked.

Original poster
Whatabloodycircus · 05/09/2021 10:23

@fantastaballs @Tlollj you're missing the point a little, I got the veg in my waste not box and utilised it for my Christmas dinner. I'm aware that starting Christmas dinner in September is a bit ridiculous... that's why I made this light-hearted thread.

As far as "not saving time, just moving it" goes, I'd rather spend the time in advance and enjoy more time with my kids and husband on xmas day.

If you don't like frozen food then 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Batch cooking is great, of course you're saving time by just cooking once, not twice/three/ four times!

OP posts:
ShowOfHands · 05/09/2021 10:23

@Tlollj

I’m interested in Parmesan parsnips. Other than that why? I’ve never understood prepping and batch cooking you’re not saving time you’re just moving it.
It's not "just moving time" if it frees up time when you need it. I host 13 people for Christmas and make 7 fairly fancy veg dishes, 3 choices of meat, a vegan option, a couple of allergy related dishes, several sauces made from scratch, 3 puddings and a hot and cold buffet for later. Of course doing some in advance makes sense or I'd have to get up at midnight!
Peppertower · 05/09/2021 10:23

thank goodness it's not just me! What've you got? Am I behind?!
My sauces and a couple of the veg side dishes! Combination of freezing lots of my veg I grow over summer and living in a place that can be a pain to get out of (and to tesco) in winter months, so I freeze a lot, including Christmas stuff!

Annoyedanddissapointed · 05/09/2021 10:23

@Outfoxedbyrabbits interesting! Thanks!

OhWhatsTheDifference · 05/09/2021 10:25

Mmmmm Christmas Dinner that's almost four months old. What's not to love?

TatianaBis · 05/09/2021 10:29

@Bouledeneige

I tend to cater for 15 every other Christmas so I'm interested in this cooking ahead mullarkey. It is quite intense on the day and I don't use anything ready made.

A couple of questions - what do you freeze the veg in? In bags, Tupperware, what? I don't have a huge freezer but it's not terribly full as I live on my own most of the time when my DC are at uni.

Also, do you have a huge fridge? I struggle to have enough room in mine in the days before Christmas and often end up storing my Turkey in a sealed plastic box in the garden or cellar.

I am very anti cooking on Christmas day. Even cooking from scratch the only things I have to do on the day itself are stuff the turkey and throw everything in the oven.

Xmas timetable:

  • Red cabbage freezes well, in Tupperware, so do weeks before.
  • Two weeks before make Delia Smith cranberry relish
  • Cake about a week before
  • few days before start soaking the milk for the bread sauce with onion, cloves and bayleaf
  • Christmas Eve afternoon - parboil carrots and parsnips and lay out on baking trays, prepare the devils on horseback, make the stuffing, add the breadcrumbs to the milk for the bread sauce.
  • Day of - stuff turkey, DH prepares roast potatoes and the Brussels with chestnuts (Waitrose frozen chestnuts are better than vacuum packed). Then everything ready to shove into oven on timetable. Make gravy last.

Don’t make pudding though - M&S Christmas pudding is excellent and we also get their profiteroles stack.

Original poster
Whatabloodycircus · 05/09/2021 10:29

@OhWhatsTheDifference

Mmmmm Christmas Dinner that's almost four months old. What's not to love?
You don't eat frozen food then, no?
OP posts:
Annoyedanddissapointed · 05/09/2021 10:31

@OhWhatsTheDifference

Mmmmm Christmas Dinner that's almost four months old. What's not to love?
My roasties are probably older than that considering.... I buy ready made frozen ones😂
OhWhatsTheDifference · 05/09/2021 10:33

Only frozen veg. I don't tend to cook and freeze, no. If I did I would eat it far before four months were up.

Swipe left for the next trending thread