What parts of Christmas dinner do you do Christmas Eve?

[nappyaddict]

I want to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible so what can I do Christmas Eve to make cooking on the day less hectic?

Well, what are you having? Traditional Xmas turkey etc?

I've been tasked with bringing a salad, so doing a roast veggie one - am busy roasting beetroot, aubergines, courgettes etc today will knock it all together in the morning, just been to mils she's hard at work defrosting prawns.

But we're o/s and don't have the traditional sprouts and roasties to get cracking on.

Peel and wash veg today - leave potatoes in pan of water and the rest in bags/bowl with a sheet if wet kitchen paper in top and put in the fridge.

The turkey!

Cooking the ham in slow cooker today, will prep carrots and sprouts (parsnips and potatoes par boiled and in freezer already as is gravy)

Make bread sauce and cranberry sauce if you have them (and don't buy them)

Jazzandh, you've inspired me. How do you cook the ham in the slow cooker? Do you put anything in with it? Presoak or anything? Finish off in the oven?

Many thanks.

I'll make the stuffing, maybe peel some spuds, make a pavlova tonight so it can stay in the oven over night, was planning on baking the ham, have road tested the prosecco...

Peel and chop all veg, make Yorkie batter, cook ham and turkey

Today Dh is doing the ham, I'll be making the cranberry sauce, and the dessert, and preparing the red cabbage and sprouts.

I cook many of the veg - they reheat very well in the microwave - mash, carrots, swede. Cranberry sauce is in the fridge and I'll make oatmeal stuffing today too. Sprouts will be prepped today too.

I've done part gravy already with a roast chicken last week, will be boiling giblets etc this afternoon, then just need to combine and simmer tomorrow. Red cabbage already in the slow cooker this morning (don't worry, not cooking it for the entire 28hrs!!) Also I cook the sausages and bacon rolls today, then just blast in microwave when needed. Sprouts/potatoes/parsnips will be prepped this evening. At some point in the morning I assemble a broccoli/cauliflower cheese, the it goes into the oven at the same time as the roasties/stuffing. Starters are cold - doing a smoked salmon terrine later today, and prawns and a couple of fish pates tomorrow.

Make the stuffing and herb butter for the turkey; make bacon rolls, peel all veg and keep in potatoes in water and carrots/parsnips in sealed plastic bags in fridge; make salmon mousse for starter; set table and get all serving dishes ready. Make chocolate brandy snap torte for the Xmas pud haters.

Most important make a time plan and a tick list for tomorrow.

Oh yes - giblet stock all ready for gravy.

Turkey is now going in.

Stuffing cooked.

Red cabbage is in the slow cooker.

Son doing all the desserts today as well. Veg will be peeled and left in water and gravy will also be done! I aim to do very little on Xmas day and most things keep well and warm up well.

Peel potatoes and leave in cold water.
Prepare parsnips in maple syrup and leave in fridge
Trim sprouts and put in freezer bag in Fridge
Brine turkey
Make soup
Puddings already made
Prepare dry ingredients for Christmas morning muffins

Basically I do whatever Nigella tells me too .

You can do the roast pots on Xmas eve. Leave in tin. Cover with foil NOT in fridge. Warm through on the day. Honestly they are great. And my family is VERY particular about its roast pots.

My FIL does his potatoes the day before too. I am tempted to try it.

He won't do the turkey the day before but my mum always did and as long as you warm it up in the gravy it doesn't dry out.

So ixos, do they keep crispy still?

So so tempted to do the potatoes today but don't think I can risk it!

I brought some pre prepared pigs in blankets that take 40 mins to cook in the oven. The packet says do not reheat but do you think it would be okay to do them tonight and reheat tomorrow? I really want to do as little as possible tomorrow!

I'm doing the pigs in blankets, stuffing and brandy butter today. Giblet stock if turkey comes with giblets. If not I have some ready made stock from the freezer anyway. Family vetoed trifle for tomorrow in favour of Christmas pud, which is a bit of a shame as trifle fits into a smaller space in the tum :)

I may also be cooking a friends turkey today as they are having a bit of an oven crisis.

Could someone tell me how to reheat red cabbage and the slow cooker recipie please? I want to do mine today but not get a mush tomorrow and not done it before.

Re ham in slow cooker, I sometimes bring it to boil in the saucepan just to get rid of the scummy stuff (today I haven't bothered), then I sling in whatever I fancy....coke, apple juice, ginger ale...plain water onions etc....let it get on with it.

I don't glaze....too lazy in general

Does anyone know if you can parboil potatoes today for roasting tomorrow? It would save faffing and extra washing up tomorrow! And parsnips too?

making mince pies, soon
doing ham
preparing veggies, may be.

Yes you can parboil potatoes today. See link below which is an old daily mail article from years ago but the box at the bottom has really good tips and the potatoes work brilliantly.

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1328728/Christmas-dinner-CAN-stress-free--long-start-cooking-NOW.html

I've mashed the swede, made Jamie O's get ahead gravy and prepped the Yorkshire pudding batter mix
I'm about to prep the pigs in blankets

Did the apple and plum sauce for the goose and the red cabbage yesterday.

Just made the stuffing (with potatoes and apples) and parboiled spuds for the roasties. I'll also peel the spuds for the mash and prep the other veg.