What do you usually prep on Xmas eve?

[LizMacD0nald]

I'm going to prep my beef joint and cook it tomorrow as my oven space is limited on Xmas day with the festive bird, potatoes, carrots and what not.
Wondering what else to prep tomorrow so it makes Christmas day easier.
Sorry if there is already thread like this, I couldn't see one.

I par boil carrots , parsnips and potatoes day before. Reduces washing up on the day.

I zip lock the carrots and parsnips and put back in fridge. Potatoes I keep in pan on hob in water with a splash of milk.

Nothing,
I'll make sausage rolls tomorrow and potentially peel the potatoes and put them in water. But usually nothing.

Red cabbage cooked - ready to heat up the next day
Stuffing - in trays and ready just to go in the oven
Cranberry sauce - made and put in fridge
Table set
All the veggies are peeled and put in water

There are only three of us on Christmas Day so I'll only be part cooking the roast carrots and parsnips.

I've already make the gravy, stuffing, cauliflower cheese and red cabbage though.

Everything I can! Will be prepping the veg, parboiling potatoes, making the dessert, getting the gravy started, icing the cake, making stuffing, making a parsnip puree to go with the scallop starter. Most of tomorrow will be spent in the kitchen which I'm happy with, I'll put some crappy Christmas movies on and open a bottle of cava! The calm before the Christmas day storm

Nothing. Not when it's two of us, and not when it was 3,4,5 or 7 one time. I might do if it was more than that or if I'd decided to make a mousse or a cake or something. But generally I only cook things that I find reasonably easy and that don't require a lot of prep. I can't bear stress at Christmas so I try not to create any. (It usually comes anyhow from other directions!)

I make the ham, glaze it and let it cook, then slice and cover and bung in the fridge.l ready to be doused with a bit of gravy and re-heated.

I peel and prep potatoes, parsnips & carrots & stick in a pot of water.

That’s about it. Interested to see what others do.

let it cool

I am planning on baking the ham tomorrow. The kids will decorate the gingerbread house I've spent all bloody afternoon baking and they want to make a squidgy log (Delia Smith) too.

But I am cheating for the first time this year. I'm about to go an collect my M&S order of basically Xmas dinner already prepped. I am stupidly excited. I love cooking but with it just being my and the dcs it seems a waste of Christmas day tbh. I'm planning on watching TV and playing with the kids. They are getting to an age where this won't be a happy option for much longer .

Nothing. I get pissed from about midday, panic wrap the presents circa 10pm, drink lots of champagne and put the elves back if their bastard box in the garage again for another year with a twisted sense of satisfaction and then wing it all on the day.

Christmas dinner for 5 is easy compared to my chef days of 120 for 1pm sit down

Ahhh, shit. I just remembered I need to make my trifle!

I’m going to peel carrots, potatoes and parsnips tomorrow
Will make gravy tomorrow
Have already made a glaze for the carrots
Have made a garlic and rosemary topping for the broccoli
Have made a cottage pie for tomorrow evening

On Christmas day we’ll roast the potatoes, beef, carrots and parsnips
Sprouts are microwaved from M&S, ditto red cabbage

Peas and broccoli will take 4 mins to cook

So nothing much to do on the day other than get the timings right tbh

I’ve bought trifle for pudding too

I normally cook the ham and make a lemon drizzle cake or a Yule log. Maybe some mince pies as well.

The potatoes are already roasted and frozen.

I've got visitors tomorrow so I've just made some tiny cheese & olive scones and some sausage rolls.

As much as possible! Potatoes boiled because cold cooked spuds going into hot dripping makes for the crunchiest roasties. Turkey giblet stock made ready for the gravy. All veg trimmed and chopped. Stuffing made and fridged for the oven. Sausages wrapped in bacon and likewise fridged. Cranberry sauce is already made and in the fridge.

Roast potatoes
Stuffing
Ham

My parents are making the rest of the dinner so that's my contribution

Off topic but how do you make parsnips so they don't burn on the edges???

Peel/prepare the vegetables.
Make the stuffing and bread sauce.
Sausages are wrapped in bacon.
Everything else is done on the day.

We just have a normal roast. No beef and ham as well. How do you eat it all?

Turkey
Carrots
Roast potatoes and parsnips
Brussels
Gravy

That’s it. I’m stuffed after that. (I don’t eat meat so leave that, but rest of the family do)

Nothing, all done on the day (bought Christmas pudding, cake, mince pies and Yule log because was supposed to be feeding the hordes).

I’m part way through making a Baileys cheesecake (the biscuit base is chilling in the fridge) as an alternative to Xmas pud. Will finish it tomorrow. We’ll also prep the veg.

Tomorrow morning's jobs are to cook the ham and make the tiramisu (no Christmas pudding here). Then I'm going for a walk and having a few drinks with friends.

I think I might prep my potatoes also, limited on fridge space also as my kitchen isn't huge, but going to cook my beef joint tomorrow, prep potatoes and prep the chicken (we don't have turkey) and season it, might also just make the stuffing balls too, one less thing to do.

We’re having spiced beef so will marinate the joint overnight tonight then cook it Christmas Eve. Also Christmas Eve we’ll prep carrots, parsnips, spuds & sprouts to take to DM’s on the big day.

I'll cook my ham tomorrow evening, everything else is already in the freezer prepared and ready to go. I set aside a day a week or so before and do as much prep as possible (potatoes, veg, gravy, stuffing balls etc) and freeze them.