A question or two about preparing stuffing in advance....

[virgiltracey]

So do I just make it and freeze it to brought out on the day and put straight in the oven? Or do you cook it and then freeze it to be defrosted and just reheated. Last year the stuffing tipped me over the edge (mainly as a result of a lack of work space, lack of oven space and 14 people for dinner!!) so I'm determined to be more organised this year!

Oooo I'll be watching this! This will be my first christmas making stuffing! :)

Check out deliaonline for the definitive, but I think it depends what you're making and what you want to do with it.

If it has a sausagemeat element and you want to freeze it uncooked, you can do this for up to three months, then defrost overnight in a refrigerator. If you're actually putting it inside the bird, then make sure it's out of the refrigerator at least an hour before the turkey goes into the oven so that it can come to room temperature. Otherwise, it might cool the turkey down inside and the cooking time won't be sufficient for the bird to heat right through.

Alternatively, if you're doing stuffing balls separate from the bird, then I'm sure it would be possible to cook them first, then freeze them once cooled. Defrost overnight in a refrigerator, then just bung them in an oven and make sure they're piping hot all the way through before you serve them.

The Delia page about freezing - v. useful:

www.deliaonline.com/news-and-features/christmas-freeze.html

I just make mine the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight. You can freeze stuffing as well. Defrost it thoroughly before cooking.

I usually make mine a week or so before Christmas with fresh sausage meat from the butcher, put it in a foil tray and freeze it uncooked. Defrost overnight in the fridge Christmas eve, then cook as normal on Christmas day.

I make Nigella's gingerbread one around now (must put gingerbread on the shopping list...) and freeze it raw in its loaf tin. Then I take it out on Christmas Eve, let it defrost overnight and stick it in the oven once the turkey comes out.