Make ahead Christmas food

[MothersGrim]

Anyone have any good recommendations for how I can prepare ahead?

I will try and dig out Jamie's make ahead gravy, and I know I can par boil and rough up the spuds the day before. Wasn't sure if I could do thinks like freeze stuffing ahead of time etc?

Thought I would just M&S food it but I'm finding the brochure a bit uninspiring.

Also curious what chocolate pudding I can make ahead. Might make a brownie trifle or do chocolate loaf with choc custard...

I always make stuffing and bread sauce ahead and freeze, usually the Goid a Good recipe Buttered Toast Bread Sauce and Nigella's Gingerbread Stuffing.

The stuffing Jamie Oliver made in his xmas show with the gravy can be frozen too - its gorgeous

Saint Delia of Christmas says that you can freeze , er most things, really. She mentions ALL stuffings, mince pies, sausage rolls, soups, red cabbage, parmesan parsnips, cheesecakes etc.

I LOVE her red cabbage and it takes an age to cook, so I'll pre make and freeze that. And I'll probably stash away some meaty and veggie sausage rolls.

And loads of veg can be prepped the day before. People on here always talk about cooking the turkey the day before, and heating up in gravy, but I think that sounds bogging.

I do roast potatoes ahead of time and freeze them

Choc roulade? You can do it a day or two before

Pigs in blanket

JOs make ahead gravy - best gravy ever

Stuffings

Sausage rolls

Cheese and onion rolls

Mincepies

Half a Christmas cake is still in the freezer from last year!

Practically all Christmas dinner is make ahead:

parboil potatoes, peel any other root veg

red cabbage can be made in advance and sit in the fridge/freezer

ditto bread sauce (make Delia's if you think you don't like it - it's lush)

stuffing also make in advance

brandy butter or cream

Christmas pudding should be made in November anyway and then steamed again on the day (or just buy a microwaveable one )

all your pigs in blankets can be made up and ready to go

So effectively all you are doing on the day is taking stuff out of the fridge and putting it in the oven/on the hob at the right time + steaming/microwaving a pudding.

Chocolate pudding - this is fantastic:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/dec/13/how-cook-perfect-yule-log

Mine did not look at all perfectly rolled and was more of a splodge but it was definitely a yule log and it was delish.

delia's chocolate truffle torte makes ahead, as does the pork, sage and onion stuffing. I don't freeze anything, but will make these two a couple of days ahead and keep in the fridge.

We really don't go all out at Christmas but I do make my own mincemeat and will make next Sunday.

Stuffing I might do. The Jamie gravy is frequently mentioned on here.

Soup is frozen here also

The red cabbage that freezes, how do you unfreeze it?

Thanks for all suggestions they sound great! I'm not used to making ahead, I either buy it ready made or make it fresh. (Halloween name change fyi)

I just put it in the oven (or microwave) frozen. Doesn't need thawing before reheating.

The quantities Delia gives makes a HUGE amount so if you're not feeding the 5000, I'd suggest dividing it up into 4 portions before freezing so you don't waste it too.

I made Adam byatt's red wine jus in advance and it was far superior to JO. Omg. Awesomeness

I prefer making things fresh but I am truly sick of spending Christmas morning peeling spuds

Sonly - you could peel them christmas eve/23rd and keep them in a bowl of water with a dash of lemon juice? Preferably in the fridge, but if it's too full I have just left mine in a cool place (garage) and they've been fine.

You can parboil spuds, rough them up and freeze them, then chuck them straight from the freezer into hot fat and roast.

FreeButtonBee - do you have a link to the red wine jus?

You can freeze hm cranberry sauce too.

Alternatively, Tesco Finest frozen roast potatoes in goose fat.

You can make profiteroles in advance and freeze them, stuff on Xmas eve.

Am starting on apple chutney today.