Christmas food prep but not the big day!

[Swifey40]

We have people staying with us for nearly two weeks at Christmas, bit not the same people! So, some come for just one night, and some come for three etc. We like to go on long walks, go to a museum, down to the beach etc, so I prep lots of meals and freeze them so I don't spend all my time in the kitchen not enjoying all the festivities.
My list from last year is:-
Pork and cider casserole
Venison casserole (Delia one I think)
Slow roasted lamb
A chilli (we sometimes have this outside with a big fire)
Lots of mini sausage rolls, Palmer's, cheese biscuits and mince pies

Do you have any go to recipes that can go in the freezer, savoury and/or sweet so I can get nicely organised?
Tia

God I'd just do as last year (and invite me).

Maybe bake then freeze a stack of jacket potatoes for lunches?

There is usually between 7 and 12 of us per meal. Any ideas on super easy lunches too 😃
My go too recipes are usually quiche, bread, cheeses and pickles, some of the Christmas ham and rolls, etc.

I've never frozen jackets before? Do you cook them fully? And then how do you reheat? I have an aga, would they crisp up again do you think?

Could you manage another guest?

What about lasagne? Homemade lasagne is amazing, and most people just don't have time to make it regularly. I have some rectangular pyrex dishes with lids that can go in the freezer and then into the oven that I do lasagne in.

On that theme, we really like Bolognese sauce on baked potatoes- you can put the potatoes in before a long walk, heat the sauce when you're back, grated cheese on top.

Pre-make some cauliflower cheeses- particularly good with roast lamb I think. Or baked leeks in cheese sauce.

Soups - do vegetarian ones to cater for all. They freeze well.

Lentil
French onion (with veg stock)
Carrot&Coriander

Loads of fresh bread and grated cheese if you like
And YY to lasagne - really nice to have a homemade lasagne stashed away in the freezer

Any variation on stew is lovely from the freezer: beef stroganoff, boeuf bourguignon, chicken chasseur. Served with a big dollop of mashed potato (also frozen) in a bowl. Comfort food.

Soups are easy for lunch, paired with parbaked rolls, or chunks of left over boiled potatoes.

I often do parbaked rolls for crowd lunches, throw the contents of the fridge on the table and let everyone assemble their own. I keep a few birds eye frozen chicken breasts in batter to make quick hot chicken rolls too.

Bacon takes 20 minutes to cook in the oven from cold, for minimum effort bacon butties.

Fajitas are one of my go-to’s. And curry if you have the right crowd. Pulled pork (from the supermarket) takes minutes and is lovely in big brioche baps.

Oh yes I love a lasagna, but rarely do it because it takes so long, therefore one in the freezer would be great! Fab idea.
Also soup, ye so had forgotten to put that on my list, perfect! I do a veg and red lentil one that everyone likes, you grate parmesan on top!! Really yummy! Xx

Ooh what about a Goulash? We do big communal dinners every now and again and Goulash is always a winner. We then serve lots of baked bread, butter, and salad with it.

Don't think I've ever made a goulash, do you have a good recipe??? 😊

Oh great thread!
Cornish pasties are always a hit here.
I've done some yummy soups (really luxurious ones), macaroni cheese, curry.
Lunches, big warm salads with a Christmas twist.
Quiche we love too. Melted camembert with bread and salad. Hash/bubble and squeaks

Ooooh you're getting me all Christmassy op!

I did the hairy bikers sausage casserole the other week and it was really nice so that's been added to my repertoire of freezer meals. My other freezer favourites inc fish pie, channa masala, chicken bhuna, chicken cottage pie (chicken pieces cooked with leeks, tarragon, stock and creme fraiche topped with mash). If we've guests most basic comfort foods I posh up with good quality crusty bread and butter

I think a stroganoff would freeze if you didn't add the cream, then just added after defrosting, when heating it?

I like the sound of your chicken cottage pie artful!

Lasagne definitely! Also campfire stew - if you google it it's a slimming world recipe but it's delicious

When tomatoes & courgettes are plentiful and cheap, make a large vat of ratatouille, freeze in various portion sizes, eg 2, 4 maybe 6.
Use as a topping for baked potatoes, as a sauce for any pasta or pasta bake, as a side dish with things like roast lamb or baked salmon or baked gammon, add some tinned chickpeas & sausages for a quick sausage casserole, serve with microwave rice for a single vegetarian when all others are meat eaters, serve cold to go with ham/beef/turkey/tuna salad, stir in tinned tuna & olives capers then heat for a fish pasta sauce.

This thread has got my tummy rumbling

Lamb curry
Parmigiana
Fish pie
Flavoured butters
Not sure about what kind of sweet stuff , good point though. I’d never have thought to make and freeze a pudding in advance.

Wait until autumn, then use plums, apples etc in crumbles.

What a lovely thread😍

I absolutely love Coq au vin. That would be lovely with some garlic mash on a cold day.

Pasties and quiches are a good idea too. Ideal for a lunch or bulked up with jacket potatoes and a large salad for a bigger meal.

Delia's ghoulash is my favourite @Swifey40!

Will be taking lots of these ideas on board as I'm expecting my first baby on the 4 December and think Christmas is going to be manic!

I make and freeze chocolate sauce and salted caramel sauce to serve hot over ice cream.
I freeze apple, apple and blackberry and crumble separately. I use ziplock bags and flatten everything I freeze so it’s thin and easy to break up when it’s frozen so I can break off what I need.
Sticky toffee pudding is a good one to freeze too.
Sometimes after a stodgy winter meal, a lighter dessert is nice so I keep boxes of macarons in the freezer. They will have defrosted in the time it takes to boil the kettle.

Mmm, could you link the recipes for your sauces barbararara?

I freeze all sorts , lasagne, cottage pies, cannelloni, curries. Any sort of pie.

I know it's wasteful but the foil containers are amazing.