Make ahead food

[NeverHadANickname]

I thought I'd start a thread for what food we can make ahead and freeze for Christmas. I usually use Christmas eve to prep as much as possible but I'd like to do more in advance. We could share what we do, what has worked and what hasn't worked.

I usually do a mini smoked salmon mousse with a mini prawn cocktail so though I might make the mouse ahead of time and freeze, has anyone had success with this? This is the recipe www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/individual-smoked-salmon-terrines-for-christmas/

Likely also the sausage meat stuffing balls. Either make ahead to bake on the day or completely cook them to reheat. www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/sausage-sage-onion-stuffing

When should I be making my mincemeat for mince pies? Any good recipes? I'm sure Nigella has a recipe for mince pies and says they can be frozen, I'll have to check the book.

This is Jamie’s gravy recipe with freezing and reheating guidelines www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/get-ahead-gravy/

This is a good red cabbage recipe to freeze www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/freezable-riesling-braised-red-cabbage/

This cauliflower cheese can be made up to two days ahead and stored in the fridge realfood.tesco.com/step-by-step/how-to-make-cauliflower-cheese.html (see instructions at the very bottom)

When should I be making my mincemeat for mince pies?
Half-term is good. Ditto the Xmas pudding.
Any good recipes?
St Delia, of course
I'm sure Nigella has a recipe for mince pies and says they can be frozen
Yup, they freeze nicely.

I like Mary Berry’s make ahead roast potatoes. Basically par boil, cool, coat in fat and flour and freeze, cooking from frozen (from what I remember). Couldn’t tell the difference and better than shop bought.

We make mincemeat now. Mince pies can be made & frozen too.

Mince pies can be made & frozen.
If you want to make own mincemeat this is a delicious no cook version you can make now & freeze, defrost to make mince pies when ready (or my DM makes pies & freezes uncooked in trays then cooks as required- she has a vast chest freezer which I don't! )
Freezer mincemeat-
1&1/2lbs raisins
4oz mixed peel
2lbs cooking apples
12oz currants
8oz sultanas
6oz suet ( can use vegetarian version if wanted)
6 tablespoons rum/brandy/sherry to preference
1/2tsp mixed spice
Finely grated rind of 2 lemons
1&1/2 lbs granulated sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
(As long as you keep the overall fruit quantity the same you can add/change to preference. It's yummy with cranberries instead of mixed peel )
Mince/chop raisins & mixed peel in food processor (don't skip this) Peel & grate apples. Mix everything in large bowl, cover & leave overnight. Freeze next day.

Should say those quantities make a lot of mincemeat, enough for me to make for my big family & elderly MIL, so can make 1/2 quantity if just a small family.

We make our roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings in advance. Once cooked they are frozen. Yorkshires only take 5-8 minutes to reheat and the roast potatoes about 15 minutes. If you’re cooking for 8, like we are, it makes it so much easier on the day.

Christmas pudding and sticky toffee pudding are both made beforehand as well. STP is frozen.

I make and freeze the braised red cabbage, the chestnuts, the spiced apple sauce (we have goose), the stock for gravy, and the stuffing (sage, onion and bacon stuffing), and I freeze the breadcrumbs for the bread sauce.

The one thing I don’t think I am good at is the red cabbage - it never tastes as good as I think it should. I’m wondering about doing it in the slow cooker this year.

I will do doing freeze ahead roast potatoes and spiced red cabbage.

Has anyone got a recipe for make ahead veggie gravy? I usually do red onion and mushroom, not sure if the base would freeze or not. If not will do the base a day or two before.

Also any recommendations for slow cooker and air fryer would be welcome! I’m hosting more than usual and only have a single oven.

Do the potatoes taste as nice when they've been frozen par boiled?

Anything goes with my air fryer. Pigs in blankets, roasted veg etc.

I always slow cook my beef and then once it's done let it cook completely, slice, pop in and over dish (deep) and pour gravy one and put it in the bottom of the oven to make it nice and soft and tender.

I always slow cook my gammon too. Once that's done. I pour honey and mustard glaze over the top and pop in the bottom of the oven for 20/30 minutes.

Cool completely*

I forgot yorkshire puddings in advance! My husband actually prefers them like this because they get a bit more crispy.

I might have to experiment with the roast potatoes. I have never messed with them because I like them super crispy.

I always make Nigellas cranberry sauce a few days ahead but it says freeze for up to a months so might do that. I worry about things perhaps going watery when they are defrosted though?

Also, thank you all for joining in! I always worry my threads will be a flop 🙈

I'm just checking Nigellas cranberry mincemeat, what do you all think about suet/no suet in mincemeat?

I like Delia’s mincemeat - will be making that soon.,
Other than that, I always make a Christmas pudding - so much nicer than any shop ones - and nearer the time I make stuffing and pigs in blankets to freeze. Brandy butter a few days before, fine in the fridge. Ditto cranberry sauce.
Nothing else - freezer isn’t big enough.

I do bread sauce, cranberry sauce, stuffing, carrot and swede mash, parboiled potatoes for roasting and parboiled parsnips coated in parmesan and polenta. I've done the Jamie gravy before but it was underwhelming and nobody's particularly bothered about gravy so will probably skip it or buy a posh readymade one.

I have an extra chest freezer thankfully and we have been running it down so there is space. Looks like suet isn't easy to get here (not UK) unless it is for the birds 🤦‍♀️ so I might just do Nigellas after all.

Gravy is DHs job but I keep telling him to let it simmer before adding more flour or whatever, I like thick gravy but sometimes it is nearly sliceable.