Prepare ahead & Freeze

[DiamondBright]

Is anyone getting ahead with Christmas food prep and freezing? Any recipes and ideas would be appreciated. Does anyone prepare and freeze roast potatoes or parsnips?

I made some gingerbread cookie dough yesterday, I baked 1/3 to check it was nice and froze the rest so I can make fresh cookies with minimal mess and fuss at some point.

I was thinking about making some pastry for pies and freezing it while I'm on leave next week. I've got plans to make frangipani mince pies and a pumpkin pie, I won't finish work until the 23rd and want to make Christmas Eve less stressful.

Freeze ahead roast potatoes www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/freeze-ahead-roasties
Mary Berry’s sage and onion stuffing with freezing and reheating instructions www.thesun.co.uk/living/2206325/mary-berry-stuffing-recipe-sage-onion-christmas-dinner-bake-off/
Jamie Oliver’s get ahead gravy www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/get-ahead-gravy/
Red cabbage www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/freezable-riesling-braised-red-cabbage/

I would usually do gravy and stuffing in advance but I can’t this year. We’re in the process of moving, waiting for the buyer to sign the contract and for searches on the house we want. If it goes through we’ll probably move early December 🤦‍♀️

I know it’s a bit early but I’ve just bought some red cabbage to cook and freeze for Christmas. I’ll probably prepare roast potatoes in December (parboil, coat in duck fat and a bit of flour, freeze flat) and also, depending on what happening at Christmas make canapés to freeze and cook on the day.

@LeNil Do you think olive oil would work the same as goose/duck fat for roast potatoes?

This may be a really stupid question but am I reading that recipe right that you cook the roast potatoes directly from frozen, you don't thaw them first? I've already made and frozen the Jamie gravy and some braised red cabbage, was going to make bread sauce too. Just hoping it means less work on Xmas eve/day!

I always freeze my red cabbage.

A cauliflower cheese.

A load of mince pies.

I think that's all I usually do.

[quote DiamondBright]@LeNil Do you think olive oil would work the same as goose/duck fat for roast potatoes? [/quote]
Goose / duck fat is better, nice taste & high smoking point, but olive oil would also work.

@hannahbanana2007

This may be a really stupid question but am I reading that recipe right that you cook the roast potatoes directly from frozen, you don't thaw them first? I've already made and frozen the Jamie gravy and some braised red cabbage, was going to make bread sauce too. Just hoping it means less work on Xmas eve/day!

I’m planning to peel, parboil and freeze spuds next week. I’ll cook them straight from frozen.

I make ahead and freeze pigs in blankets and stuffing. Freezer is too small for much else.

@herecomesthsun I'm vegetarian so goose/duck fat isn't an option.

@DiamondBright we much prefer olive oil and roasties always come out perfectly 👍🏼

Thanks @IWantT0BreakFree

I've never tried any of this before. Does it all come out a simliar quality to fresh food? No mushy-ness etc?

Does anyone know a good make ahead gravy recipe for beef? I've done the JO chicken wing one when we've had turkey so would like something similar for the beef rib we're having this year.

I've already cooked my rib and frozen it as I cook it with a sous vide and I always find the reheated leftovers much more tasty and tender than the original cook (and I got a great deal on the rib at a farm shop).

Sausage rolls

thanks for reminder OP - I'll be doing red cabbage and cauliflower cheese (with wholegrain mustard) this week to get ahead...by 2 months.

Might be doing the red cabbage in a few portions to use over the winter months. Great idea though. One red cabbage seems to go a very long way. Will be adding caraway seeds to a couple of batches...

@WhyDoesItAlways For turkey I always buy a good turkey or chicken stock, heat and thicken it with flour and butter on the day and then add some of the turkey juices at the last minute. Wouldn't the same work for beef? The JO recipe,from memory, is just detailed instructions on how to make chicken stock and thicken it.

@Diamondbright the best oil I’ve found for roasting is rapeseed oil, it has a high smoking point but olive oil works too.