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Christmas

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Getting ahead on Christmas cooking

12 replies

Bubbinsmakesthree · 12/11/2018 01:01

Hosting for four days this Christmas and want to do as much food prep in advance as possible to minimise stress.

My plan is to do a couple of things every week from now to store/freeze.

There's lots of tips out there for Christmas dinner freeze-ahead - I'm definitely going to make and freeze gravy. Has anyone successfully tried freezing par-boiled potatoes to roast or is that a recipe for disaster?

I'm also looking for things like canapés, buffet foods, desserts etc that can be made now and frozen - I've got four full days to think about.

All ideas welcome!

OP posts:
FrancesFryer · 12/11/2018 11:53

I don't freeze potatoes, but i believe you can.

I freeze
Swede and carrot mash
Blanched broccoli and cauliflower - i then put in a pot Christmas morning, cover with cheese sauce and bake - you can freeze cheese sauce too
Sausage meat stuffing - it's then ready to put in oven when defrosted
I wrap my pig in blankets and freeze - this way i can use the sausages and bacon i prefer
Gravy
Blanched parsnips - roast from frozen
I blanch channtonay carrots to roast from frozen

We don't have Yorkshires but i know someone who makes and freezes these too

Basically the only things I don't take out of the freezer is the meat, potatoes and Brussels sprouts. I shread and fry these with bacon lardons.

So much easier on Christmas Day

Tadda · 12/11/2018 12:17

Have you sorted a menu for each day? Wow btw, four days!? - I did three days, Christmas and boxing day, day after last year for 6 plus breastfeeding a newborn and was on my arse for a week after!! Never again! (DD2 is due the week before Xmas this year - chances are will be in hospital or freshly out so a pre-planned 'I'm doing Nowt this year' :)!!!)

I ordered all Xmas Day from M&S - was more hassle than I thought, everything needed cooking anyway! The Turkey was lovely though, I could've done the veg better!

Buffet, cheeses, pickles, pies, salads on table for the evening -

Roast Lamb Boxing day - always par boiled spuds for roasting, no need for small cut parsnips just put in a the same time -

Basically when I wasn't cooking I was peeling veg or studding meat ready for the next cook -

Big buffet the next day - Everything from fridge - with some hot additions (stuffed potato skins, wings, samosas etc)

This year DH 'in charge'.....sandwiches/ready meals expected

SeaToSki · 12/11/2018 12:22

I freeze shepherds pie and lasagna, also thick stews and caseroles. You can always add some small veg when you are reheating to freshen them up.

Shredded potatoes freeze well, and mashed are ok, but I havent tried parboiled.

If you want something decadent try individual beef en croute, they freeze well.

Just dont freeze stuff in a serving dish you might want for something else. I often freeze in disposable metal trays that are the right size to fit in my serving dishes. Then I cut it off before I defrost and put the frozen chunk of food into the serving dish to defrost.

Andtheresaw · 12/11/2018 12:38

My advice would be that you keep it simple.
Of course you'll go all out for Christmas dinner but for the rest of the time, something really good but without too much complication.

Breakfasts: bacon sandwiches rather than full on, or even croissants and conserves.
Lunches: someone up thread laughed at sandwiches but actually by 27th a bowl of vegetable soup and a freshly cut sandwich would be a delight!
Simple Dinners:
Gammon with braised spiced red cabbage (frozen ahead) and chips(frozen) or mash (frozen ahead)
Fish pie (frozen ahead or mash frozen ahead and only sauce made on the day) with greens.
Veg curry (frozen in advance) with rice and/or nan (buy if you don't want to cook), cucumber raita and salad.
Those are my go-to three for the easiest things when someone is staying and we're going out so don't want to spend long in the kitchen.
Hope it helps.

Soup can be made in advance and reheated.

Wormwoodm · 12/11/2018 13:23

I’d do a big gammon and one day can have hot, other day as part of a buffet. Nigellas christmas book is my favourite for hosting

Ooplesandbanoonoos · 12/11/2018 14:33

I would make a big macaroni/lasagne and put in freezer with some garlic bread and just stick in the oven. And/or a big shepherds pie and do some frozen veg to serve on the side.

Make and freeze big pot of soup and serve with crusty bread and put some ham and cheese out.

Bubbinsmakesthree · 12/11/2018 22:22

Really great suggestions!

We've got a revolving set of friends and family descending at various times, so other than Christmas Day which will be the traditional set up I think I'm going to keep most of the food fairly flexible and informal.

I do like to cook but don't want to be a slave to the kitchen so I like the idea of giving the food some TLC, just at my leisure some weeks before it is needed!

For the big day I'm without a doubt making and freezing gravy ahead - gravy is my nemesis so that will take a lot of stress out. I like the idea of blanching carrots, parsnips etc in advance and cauliflower cheese would be a great addition.

I think having soup and mac and cheese as failsafes is a good plan - they can always become starters or sides if I need to bolster a meal if if we are catering for more than expected on any day.

Other ideas I need are canapés that can be frozen or prepped ahead, and some desserts. Cheesecake can be frozen I believe but never tried it. I've been looking at some iced parfait recipes but I don't know how far in advance they can be made.

OP posts:
foodiemama26 · 14/11/2018 10:58

Nigella’s parmesan shortbread can be frozen and are great for canapes.

You also buy some chipolatas (maybe in different flavours) from the butchers and stick in the freezer. Just oven cook with a honey and mustard glaze and serve with cocktail sticks and lots of napkins!

Marinade and freeze bitesize chicken pieces (tikka and soy/ginger/garlic are faves here) and cook in a griddle pan or roast and serve with a dip (raita, garlic mayo, etc depends on the marinade).

Buy the vac packed olives and soruce up with some extra herbs/oil.

Pulled pork freezes well and could be served in sliders.

foodiemama26 · 14/11/2018 11:27

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/freeze-ahead-chocolate-chestnut-parfait

I’m also sticking this in the freezer!

BiddyPop · 15/11/2018 17:30

Make a few family sized meals like lasagna or cottage pie. I make them in a combination of pyrex dishes that can be frozen (but I have limited sizes and numbers of those) or larger pans that can be frozen (but again limited number). If you put a layer of greaseproof hanging out the top into it, you can remove the dish once frozen, wrap in foil over the greaseproof, and takes up less space and frees up the dish again. When thawing, take off the wrappings and put into the dish straight from the freezer, allow it to thaw, and then cook as normal.

The other option is to make "wet" sauces. So batches of things like stews, spaghetti bolognaise sauce, curries - whatever you want to serve. Freeze these in some larger batches (to suit your normal family size) and some in single portion sizes. So you can add in extra people to the pot easily (and it's easier to stack them and move them around the freezer). And single portions can be defrosted relatively quickly to add to the pot if you have an unexpected additional person at the table.

You could then do a curry feast night very easily - over the next few weeks, do a very large batch each week of a different curry for family dinner, and freeze a second family sized portion of each at least. For the Christmas period when entertaining, get out maybe a lamb, a chicken and a veggie curry, and reheat in the oven, and all you are cooking is rice really.

Or Chilli con carne and a chicken and mushrooms in creamy sauce dishes (so 1 spicy, 1 plainer) both served with rice and both could be from large batches of family dinners in the next few weeks.

I also do mac and cheese, with loads of bacon/ham, and veg (fried onions, fried garlic, fried mushrooms, uncooked pepper chunks, petit pois peas, fried or blanched courgette slices etc) as a family dinner. This is another "huge pot" meal, everyone eats loads, and when it's finished, leftovers get frozen to be recooked as a pasta bake with some grated cheese over the top. I do the same with leftover pasta dishes using a tomato sauce base as well - maybe meatballs and tomato sauce, or chopped up decent sausages like cumberlands.

The other thing I like to have in the freezer is already diced mixed medditeranean veggies for roasting - equal sized diced onions, garlic, pepper, mushrooms, courgette, tomatoes (cherry or regular fresh tomatoes) etc - marinaded in olive oil, salt and pepper, and some dried or fresh oregano/thyme/basil/rosemary (whatever Mediterranean herbs you have on hand), and maybe a slug of balsamic vinegar. They are great to throw in the oven alongside a roast joint or chicken joints (part boned breasts, or thighs/drumsticks etc) for a fast roast dinner (with a potato gratin or diced/partmentier type potatoes or mash).

6onTheHappyFarm · 15/11/2018 17:36

Following! Loving all the suggestions so far. I'm catering Christmas eve, which is more informal/buffet style.

ByeGermsByeWorries · 15/11/2018 17:41

I freeze my parboiled potatoes all the time because I like a midweek roast and they always roast beautifully Grin

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