What can I cook in advance and freeze?

[Pico2]

I'm going to be quite pregnant at Christmas. We'll have a minimum of 9, max 14, one or two vegetarians. DH will do the turkey, potatoes, carrots and sprouts plus Paxo (which I don't like, I love proper stuffing). I've made the pudding. What else can I make and freeze in preparation and how early can I do it? Thanks!

Delia said braised cabbage freezes well
Mince pies do too
As do meringues

You can make a Christmas pud in advance but don't freeze it!

Delia also recommended preparing roasting veg up to a week in advance. Prepared and chopped root veg and onions, crushed garlic and a little lemon and thyme and leave in a sealed bag jn the fridge

You can make decent stuffing and freeze it but roast it on the day with the sausage and bacon rolls. Why dont you get one of those three bird roasts that you can do on xmas eve and warm up on the day. Buy frozen roast pots (some people say they are ok and will free up oven room), Frozen peas, pre-cook swede and carrot mash and nuke on the day, even frozen sprouts are acceptable if you dont stew them until they turn to mush. You can make a no cook cheesecake that will keep for a week or more (never lasts that long here). I generally cook for 20+ for xmas and prep all veg and a day or two before and keep it in the garage in a bucket. I cook the meat the night before and only cook from scratch, on the day, stufing, spuds and chipolatas. This is because I dont have the oven space.
Good luck and dont over stretch yourself.

I'd love a 3 bird roast, but DH won't consider it. He will happily do the bits that he likes, but extras or things I like won't get done if I don't do them. I love red cabbage and mashed swede - great ideas then. I will also look out for stuffing recipes that the vegetarians can eat too.

I've just remembered that we will have people staying from 23rd too, so need to think of things I can do for the 23rd and 24th. It would be fine if DMIL wasn't the fussiest eater I've ever met (DH comes close). My gluten free DM seems easy in comparison.

I'm doing braised cabbage and our sausage stuffing in advance and freezing them, and I may blanch some parsnips so they can go straight into the oven.

23rd and 24th: can you ask them to bring some stuff? and have some smoked salmon in

No no to paco ... now I don't mind shop bought nothing buy prepare your own stuffing in advance

I am going to do the mash and carrots and parsnips in advance as will have newborn

I won't get the choice over Paxo, though we will be having an alternative or two.

In the nicest possible way if you are going to be massively pregnant should you really be cooking for 14 people on Xmas day + serving fussy people for 2 other days?

I always do our family Xmas meal have done since I was 19 but this year when dd was 6 weeks old I did a mini Christmas for just me and dh it was easy no stress or fuss not trapped in a bloody kitchen all day I'm being mega selfish this year as well! (db words)

Cabbage gravy roast veg (Jamie Oliver recipe's) all freeze well but I'd be tempted to go for M&S / waitrose and do a easy starter filo brie and cranberry tartlets& salad or nice soup you can make and freeze nuke serve with part baked rolls posh butter.

Stuffing wise I jazz up paxo so grated apple crushed walnuts way to much butter roll and bake you can freeze and reheat but I'd use and tin. Very tasty and veggie friendly

I was heavily pregnant with DD the Christmas before she was born (NYD) and didn't have a problem cooking for a similar number and even more for tea. But I made sure that those who were coming helped in some way. Get those who are coming to help and train DH in the meantime to do whatever is necessary.

A lot can be done the day before and bunged in the fridge overnight.

Cranberry sauce and gravy can't be frozen successfully in advance. Swede can be cooked and mashed and left in the fridge a day or so ahead of time as could a nut roast and stuffing.

I normally do cooking on the night before as the kitchen is DH's domain on Xmas day. So I should be fine to do the equivalent stuff over the next few months and freeze, provided I pick things that do freeze. My last day at work will be Xmas eve (DH will be at work too) so we need the guests as babysitters anyway as DD's nursery will be closed. I might see if we can get a takeaway for one of those nights and DMIL can just lump it if she doesn't like it.

We will get the guests to help out a bit, though some are more useful than others.

Polly - is that can or can't be frozen for gravy? It's probably our weakest area as DH likes Bisto.

Just as a head up - just remember you will have to reheat a lot of the prepared ahead stuff - make sure you know how you are going to do so - you do not want to run out of hob/oven space bitter experience

As for the other days - I would keep it simple - pre-prepare a nice beef in wine casserole and serve with either new pots and veg or mash (you can do the mash ahead and re-heat for 40-50 mins in the oven. Or do with jacket spuds.

Get people to bring puddings. Nice not to have to think about whole courses.

We do struggle with oven space at Christmas - good point. Casserole sounds good and bringing puddings would work well as DMIL makes good puddings, but the rest of her food is pretty weird.

Stock can be frozen. If you are having chicken or turkey between now and Christmas, make the stock and freeze it ready to make gravy on the day.

Make you meal plan. Once you know what you want, decide what can be delegated and delegate. It will be a big help if you can get so done else to do the shopping, or book a slot. Parsnips can be prepared in advance and put in the freezer; they are much better if they have some frost.

Keep your menu as simple as possible.

That's interesting about the parsnips - do you parboil them before freezing?

We'll get Ocado to do the shopping, so will book slots as soon as they come out.

You can parboil the parsnips or just peel and cut, put into bags and freeze. Don't barboil for too long. I sometimes, prepare and freeze without boiling and then defrost.

Stick to casseroles or do something like chilli or bolognaise for other days. You can use quorn mince for the veggies (if you still have them) and freeze.

Soup freezes well and can be made in advance.

Get part baked baguettes when you do your shop, you will find that they come in handy for plenty of meals/snacks.

If your pans are big enough, cook more veg than you need and you can have bubble and squeak on Boxing Day with leftover meat/nut roast.

For a really easy dessert, that freezes perfectly try Delia's Chocolate Truffle Torte. It's rich so a little goes a long way. Keep a few extra amaretti biscuits just to 'top up' when you've defrosted.

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/main-ingredient/chocolate/truffle-torte.html

I agree with the red cabbage suggestion. Come to hunk of it I think I might have some lurking in the freezer from last year.

Cranberry sauce and bread sauce can be made and frozen too.

I do LOADS in advance and freeze....two/three types of stuffing, pigs in blankets, winter root mash, red cabbage.....I also blanch and freeze carrots and parsnips. So much easier!

I froze everything apart from the turkey the year we had Xmas on our own. You can parboil potatoes and freeze for roasters. I did then in flour and then froze. Think it was from Nigella or Delia. I also froze a delia pudding and mince pies.

For starters, when I have the hoards, I normally do pate and mozarella with tomato salad with french toast, mixed leaves and pesto. This will cover the carnies and the veggies.
What meat are you doing? If you are doing a whole turkey try to get one with giblets as it makes the BEST gravy - with turkey bisto if OH insists. If you are doing pork you can re crisp the crackling on the day.
I cooked a month before I had twins and the freezer was my friend. (as was next door's oven as she was away)
For xmas eve we always have marmite on toast (it's a family joke/tradition from when my mum go so stressed when we asked for tea, herself preparing for the hoards, told us to get what we could find ourselves. Alas the quality street was out of bounds or we would've had that for tea!) or tinned tomato soup.
Boxing day is cold meat, mash pots and pickles with salad and for some reason, peas.
The day after we have bubble and squeak with bread and butter and fried eggs.

I did everything frozen last year! potatoes and parsnips part boiled and frozen then cooked from frozen, braised red cabbage, two different types of stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, mashed sweet potatoes, braised buttered leeks etc. it was so bloody easy.

Yorkshire puddings and pigs in blankets

I par-boil and freeze roasties and prepare and freeze red cabbage. I buy a pouch of good quality ready made gravy and add a glug of port. I also- waits for gasps of horror- have a turkey crown which I cook on Christmas Eve and carve then serve cold on Christmas day. Everything else is hot and it takes away the whole cooking turkey on Christmas day thing. We have done this for the last 15 years and my mother always says she wishes she had thought of doing this when we were young. So easy.