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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

What do you freeze ahead of time?

12 replies

LiquoricePickle · 16/10/2018 10:00

I've just been reading the "what's on your Christmas table thread" (thank you, yum and now I'm starving!) and it made me wonder what you make ahead of time? Anything for the festive season is welcome! (I.e. I must make the piccalilli soon.)

OP posts:
BiddyPop · 16/10/2018 10:48

Very little.

At least one half batch of cookie dough, to slice and bake from frozen (in case we don't have either the time or the energy to bake cookies from scratch on Christmas Eve for Santa's snack). I just make a large batch sometime in autumn and freeze part of that in greaseproof paper.

Sometimes, some pastry or already assembled mince pies. (The years I am truly organized).

Chicken stock from a roast at some point, or better still, turkey stock from Thanksgiving dinner in November, for making the gravy. (TG is a small turkey joint that I cook after work on TG day - no great effort is made).

And breadcrumbs - I make those with any odd heels and crusts and leftovers over the course of the autumn, especially if we get any particularly nice loaves! (And then I end up using loads for stuffings, covering chicken goujons or crab cakes, sprinkling over the mashed potato top of smoked fish pies etc).

I know lots of people talk about roasted potatoes already parboiled and fluffed, or roasted roots done the same, or red cabbage etc. But we don't eat red cabbage, and I like to do the veg fresh on the day. We're not catering to loads - we peel and chop everything on 24th (or 23rd if we will be extra busy), and just leave most things soaking in cold water (potatoes, carrots, etc) with a few in airtight containers and no water (parsnips, onions, garlic), and DH makes the stuffing on 24th as well. So it's easy then to cook them quickly on 25th.

Oh - I DO make sure I have lots of ice cubes made.

And I also generally have sliced lemons and limes there too for drinks - we only ever use a couple of slices and got fed up wasting so much, so slice the whole fruit and freeze the spares and they work really well in drinks straight from freezer! I usually try to add a few extra before Christmas when we might expect visitors.

Sgtmajormummy · 16/10/2018 11:29

Sprouts!
I get them every year in November from Lidl. Clean off the outer leaves (no bottom cross cut necessary) wash and freeze. They’re going to be boiled and TBH they’re just a nod to tradition in our house.

girlywhirly · 16/10/2018 12:05

I make chestnut and bacon stuffing and freeze it in an ovenproof dish, so that I can defrost it overnight and it’s ready for the oven on Christmas Day. I also freeze a small quantity of it to put in the roast chicken.

I make a carrot and parsnip purée which has a little creme fraiche and nutmeg added, and freeze that in a microwaveable container. It’s easy to heat.

I make mince pies and freeze those, and also make vanilla ice cream in my little ice cream machine. This year the mince pies are only for DH and guests, I am on low carb sugar free diet and they are too sweet. However the ice cream I can make with Stevia, and the ice cream is made with egg yolks and double cream so is quite nutritious, but rich and you only need one scoop!

Ricekrispie22 · 16/10/2018 16:24

Christmas pud and Christmas cake can be made now.
Brandy butter can be made now and frozen, or made up to 3 weeks in advance and kept in a jar in the fridge.
If you're making soup for starters, that can be made now and frozen.
Bread sauce can be made a month in advance and frozen. Same for braised red cabbage and the cheese sauce if you serve cauliflower cheese.
Yorkshire puds freeze well and can also be made one month ahead www.saga.co.uk/magazine/food/cooking-tips/best-ever-yorkshire-pudding-recipe

Gammeldragz · 16/10/2018 18:46

One year I froze nearly all of it over the month before, as I had small children and I was hosting.
Cheesey leeks. Braised red cabbage. Par roasted potatoes, parsnips. Homemade yorkies. Stuffing balls. Pigs in blankets.

Happycow · 16/10/2018 18:50

@gammeldragz I've done the same when I was hosting then ds was born earlier that year.... par-boiled the potatoes, roughed them up then in the freezer. Straight from freezer to oven on the day. Stuffing prepared in trays in the freezer, out on Xmas eve ready for the oven.

On the day, I did the turkey and veg and gravy. Everything else was done in advance. Also used disposable baking trays I know, I know . Made it easier than a normal Sunday roast!

thismeansnothing · 16/10/2018 19:01

The red cabbage...made it a few week ago

CherryPavlova · 16/10/2018 19:03

October time - Christmas pudding and cake. Mincemeat. Apples and blackberries prepared and frozen ( not only for Christmas). Marzipan..

Later on freeze bread sauce, canapés for Boxing Day, stuffing, angels on horseback, piggies, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire puddings, ice cream along with red cabbage, made up mince pies, palmier, ready to bake quiche etc.

Make pavlova bases, truffles, Cumberland sauce and cranberry sauce in advance.

PotteringAlong · 16/10/2018 19:05

Gravy
Stuffing
Red cabbage

LiquoricePickle · 17/10/2018 00:26

@gammeldragz I do a lot of the same things as you. I host every year and I have a one year old and I'm pregnant, so it saves stress on the day!

I make and freeze:
Sage and onion stuffing
Pork, bacon and chestnut stuffing
Red cabbage
This year also yorkshires and cauliflower cheese
Pigs in blankets

Biscuit dough (cranberry and white chocolate, dark chocolate orange)

Cinnamon rolls, croissants, bread

And I'll make the Christmas pudding, piccalilli, chutneys and jams this month.

OP posts:
LiquoricePickle · 17/10/2018 00:29

Oh and I also freeze canapes. This year will be quails scotch eggs, mini pasties, Thai fish cakes, beaded brie, palmiers, mushroom tartlets, curry puffs, spring rolls, chicken satay. Mind you, they're all very brown, so I'll have to think of some not so brown things to make.

OP posts:
Coolaschmoola · 17/10/2018 00:31

Stuffing, cranberry sauce, red cabbage are my main freezer ones.

Christmas cake, chutneys, pickles etc in the cupboard by the end of October.

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