Cook and freeze ahead of time?

[causeimunderyourspell]

Please give me your best cook and freeze tips for the day :-)

It's my youngest DDs birthday on Christmas Day so last year was hell trying to sort dinner from scratch and I felt she wasn't given the full attention she deserved!!

So I'm looking for ideas for what I can do beforehand so there is as little to do as possible on the actual day

Blimey, you are getting organised early!
Could you afford to buy it all from somewhere like M&S & then just bung it in the oven? Not the cheapest but fairly easy & time saving

Almost all of it can be done in advance. I’ve done two christmases with small babies and made almost everything in the run up to Christmas and froze it. Christmas Day mostly about turkey, reheating and drinks!

Gravy - make and freeze. You can either make from a turkey/chicken meal in advance or just add the turkey juices on the day once your turkey is out of the oven
Yorkshire’s - make and freeZe, heat from frozen
Roasties - make and freeze
Red cabbage - make, freeze

For your other veg - google recipes that you can freeze. I think I made most of my other veg a few days before and stuck in the fridge. Anything roasted (eg roasted carrots/parsnips) are easy to reheat in the oven once your turkey is out.

Christmas pjs can obv be made in advance and steamed through. If you’re having a starter think about how easily it can be prepped (things in individual dishes for example can take a while of faffing).
Supper wise I think we had a quiche/Big meat pie, cheese board, salads, ham, trifle etc - all stuff that could be made in advance or took very little prep.

*christmas pud

Not pjs!

@InNeedOfALieInNow so the roasted veg and potatoes - so fully prepare and roast, cool on the side and then freeze? And then just heat the from frozen or let them defrost first?

Sorry I know I sound like a clueless numpty but I've never done this before

Roasties I cool then freeze on the baking tray covered with film. Once they’re frozen fully I tip into a ziplock bag and put back into the freezer. Reheat from frozen in hot oil for about 45 mins

Carrots and parsnips I roast/cool/freeze in the same way. They won’t take quite as long to reheat

Red cabbage I freeze in a ziplock and defrost the day before and just reheat in a pan

Sorry - roasted veg reheat in the oven I meant to say

I do most of my prep on Christmas Eve (some on 23rd) rather than frozen.

But you can peel all veg and potatoes on 23rd or 24th. And slice up ready to cook.

Keep potatoes, carrots and sprouts covered in cold water, in separate pots/plastic containers - but change it on 24th to avoid getting slimy.

Onions, garlic, parsnips all need to stay in airtight containers but NOT in water. (And separate!).

Make and freeze breadcrumbs, or even make the stuffing and freeze it.

You can also make herby (& garlicy if desired) butter in advance and store as a log in a greaseproof paper roll in the fridge, or freeze.

Soup for a starter can freeze too, and have some part baked bread rolls to go with it to pop into the oven after the turkey is out shortly before you eat.

You could make the gravy the day before and just add the meat juices and reheat when getting ready to serve.

I know some people do par boil the veg, toss them in their seasonings (and potatoes in goose fat) and freeze those ahead of time so they only need to be roasted on the day. And the same with mince pies, rolled out and filled, ready to just bake or even just reheat when needed.