please tell me your get ahead Christmas cooking tips

[Misty9]

It's the four of us on Christmas Day, including two under fours...so I really don't want to lose dh to the kitchen for hours but he really wants a nice dinner, probably duck.

So what can we prepare ahead and any other tips to survive and not end in divorce ?

www.maryberry.co.uk/recipes/christmas/roast-potatoes

This tells you how to part-roast potatoes the day before, so on Christmas day all you need to do is roast them for 30 mins and they're done. I've not tried it before myself but I'm going to this year.

I think most veg could be peeled and chopped the day before and kept in pans of cold water overnight in the garage or somewhere cool.

I've also seen the recipe for Jamie's get-ahead gravy and that looks quite nice.

All my tips are based on what I've read though, rather than what I've tried, as I still go to my mum's for Christmas dinner!

I make the red cabbage and the swede/carrot mash a week in advance and freeze. Same with soup if having it. You just have to remember to get them out of the freezer on Xmas eve! Always peel and chop veg on Xmas eve and keep cold in pans of water. Make sure turkey is at room temperature by Xmas Day morning so it's not cooking from chilled (also stuff turkey on Xmas eve). Lay lunch table on Xmas eve too if you have a separate dining table from where you eat breakfast.