Christmas day menu - What do you make ahead?

[foodiemama26]

Trying to plan our Christmas day menu for 14. I to decide what I can make ahead and chill/freeze to make Christmas day easier and give me chance for a few glasses of fizz on the day. I know some things don’t freeze well so looking for some tried and tested suggestions please! What are your menus and which bits do you make ahead?

You can par boil & freeze potatoes for roasting, or pre make mash & freeze. Other veg like carrots & sprouts can be par boiled & frozen & just reheated. I've even seen veg be stored in the freezer in freezer bags then added to boiling water still in the bag to re heat. You can again pre make & freeze cauli cheese, red cabbage etc. Pre make & freeze Yorkshires if you have them. Likewise pigs in blankets (or just buy them ready made).

We don't have starters & just buy canapés from M&S & have a few of them with a few crisps & nibbles & a glass of bubbly. If you want starters, look for freezable recipes like soups or something you can make in advance & leave in fridge (pate etc).

If you want desserts other than Christmas pud, make a cheesecake & freeze or pavlova a few days before.

My husband is a chef he preps the veg xmas eve then cooks all the veg early xmas morning so all that is out the way then we just re heat that, everything else is fresh.the gravy we make with the stock off the veg it is the best gravy ever just add stock cubes etc & thicken it,he makes that xmas eve x

I make chicken liver pate and smoked mackerel pate a day or two early, mince pies, pigs in blankets, braised red cabbage and carrot &swede mashed up all on Christmas eve. I make and freeze Yorkshires and gravy. On the day I have to make toast and cut up some cucumber for the starters, do the meats (hairy bikers ham and a chicken- both easy), roasties, stuffing (shop bought stuff)and sprouts for the main and open a shop bought yule log for pudding.

Brandy butter can be made now and frozen.
You can make gravy now and freeze and then just add the juices from your Christmas turkey to it before serving.
Stuffing freezes well and I even freeze mine in the oven dish so once it's defrosted it can go straight in the oven.
Some people parboil and freeze their potatoes.
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. Nigella's recipe includes freezing and reheating instructions www.nigella.com/recipes/my-mothers-bread-sauce
Braised red cabbage and the cheese sauce if you serve cauliflower cheese can be frozen for one month.
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

Some great tips, thanks all! Gravy will be a great one to get done now.

I’ve made my gravy today and frozen it (Jamie Oliver recipe). Veg will be prepped and put in fridge the day before, potatoes in pan of water. I sometimes make stuffing and freeze beforehand. Christmas pud is made, needs steaming on the day. Nibbles such as sausage rolls, mince pies will be made in advance and frozen.

Just try to remember to defrost everything, and rope in an extra pair of hands to help, even if just hoovering and laying the table the day before, serving drinks etc.

Stuffing, cranberry sauce, bread sauce, brandy butter and gravy made ahead and frozen. Pudding made kept cool reheated in slow cooker on Xmas day.
Veg peeled on Xmas eve and kept in cold water.

I don't tend to freeze stuff, but I'll make the gravy base (roasted chicken wings etc) the day before and just add meat juices, make mash and microwave it, par boil roasties, and prep all stuffing/pigs in blankets ready for the oven.