What prep can you do Christmas eve?

[JorisBonson]

To save time and stress on Christmas day.

I'm thinking...

Make the mash (can be reheated)
Assemble the cauli cheese
Peel and chop the spuds for roasties, leave in water

Any more?

If you have Yorkshire puddings, you can make the batter.
I make up the stuffing and keep it in the fridge. Ditto for the bread sauce, but I add a little extra milk as it tends to thicken overnight. Just reheat when you need it.
Sprouts, parsnips and carrots can all be prepped and kept in saucepans of cold water.

I prep the veg, make the base of the gravy and make the stuffing (but cook it on Christmas day).

@Fivemoreminutes1 I thought about the stuffing but didn't know if it would go dry?

Carrots, yes!

Prep veg, stuffing, potatoes.

Dress the table

Well i am doing my big 'christmas dinner' on xmas eve ! Then xmas day is party food bits and nothing that needs more than 20mins in the kitchen.

First time im trying it, but will deffo save on jobs and stress on the day!

But to answer your actual question, i normally prep the sprouts, parboil parsnips and potatoes and put them on baking trays covered in clingfilm, ready to go on xmas day. Stuffing made the day before so only needs reheating.

One year i cooked the turkey on 23rd, then on the day sliced it and covered in hot gravy and it was good to go. Wasnt quite the same as cooking ot on the day tho.

This is my list -
Set the table
Make the beds
Peel potatoes and veg
Assemble the pigs in blankets
Make the cauliflower cheese
Make the batter for Yorkshire puddings
Make the meringue for dessert
Make the apple crumble for the 2nd dessert
Make sausage rolls for evening snacks

I definitely open the Turkey before the shops close on Christmas eve and prepare it for roasting . That way you still have time to arrange something else if there is a problem with the turkey . Once that is done I cover in foil in roasting tray , stick it back in fridge 'til morning .

Veg peeled, chopped, seasoned etc in pans in the oven. Some can just sit in the oven if you don't have fridge space.
Stuffing made into balls in pan in the fridge
I usually sort all my herbs and seasoning and get them easily accessible in the front of the cupboard so I don't have to go searching.
I also season my turkey the night before including butter under the skin, veg in the inside etc- it makes the flavours sink in more.
I make a soup for starter the day before, same with bread

Starter! Yes! I can do most of that the night before.

Just to say that often if you parboil spuds for roasting and keep in the fridge, they can go a bit black. DON'T WORRY... that disappears when they are roasted. I coat them in Goose fat before chilling.

All other veg are M+S ready to shove in the oven or micro. My mash is made and in the freezer already. But there's only us two this year Hallelujah, so it is an easy meal. Dessert is the piece de resistance, so will make Tiramisu.

I peel, parboil and then heat trays with goose fat/ oil and put potatoes on it with seasoning. Let it cool then put in fridge. Takes 45-50 minutes the next day.

I peel and cut all other veg and keep in water.

I prep stuffing, roll into balls and put in fridge on trays.

I put ham in slow cooker overnight on low then take out, put honey and mustard seasoning and in oven first thing for 30-40 minutes to crisp up.

I check everything, send hubby out if anything is missing then:
Put the red cabbage side on to cook (this year's is already in the freezer though as I made a double batch for a Thanksgiving)
Set the table
Prep all the veg, including parboiling where needed;
Make the pigs in blankets, the meat stuffing etc, cook and chill ready to reheat
Yorkie batter if I'm having them
Cheese sauce if I'm doing cauli cheese
As much as possible on the starter, if it's something that needs prep;
Mince pies, my 'christmas muffins'
The turkey is usually sitting in a brine mix for a day or so before, I normally cook that Christmas eve too, and a ham if we're having one; this year I'm cooking it on the day but will probably do alll the butter etc and stick it in the fridge overnight.
Hubs usually gets back from last minute shopping in time to wash up 😉
I make myself a list and work down it; I had it timed so I would be done in plenty of time to take DD to the crib service. She's 21 now but it still means as much prep as possible has been done and I have a relaxing Christmas Day.

I make the stuffing and then just reheat it the next day. It’s a sausage meat recipe so it’s never been dry for me doing it that way for the past ten years.

Ive just seen someone else post that they make their bread sauce too…I will do that the day before too this year! Great idea!

My mum cooks the meat in advance. Slices it up, puts in a roasting tray, covers with gravy and freezes. She takes it out the freezer on xmas eve and just has to reheat on xmas day. It doesn't dry out because it's soaked in the gravy. Saves a lot of time and worrying if meats cooked through properly.

Absolutely everything bar the roasting is done the day before.

Ham - boiled. Skin stripped and scored for crackling. Fat trimmed, glaze made and applied, and stick the cloves in. Covered and back in the fridge.

Turkey - defrosted if needed, unpackaged, brined if you do that, otherwise, giblets out and in pan for stock, trimming done, stuffed, butter under the skin, and seasoned apart from salt. Covered and back in the fridge.

Stuffing - made and used to stuff turkey, remainder rolled into stuffing balls and in a roasting tray, back in the fridge.

Pigs in blankets - links severed, rolling done, I like to put them on kebab sticks for roasting as they are easier to handle and I can prop the sticks over the top of the roast potatoes as they cook, so they are skewered. Back in the fridge.

Potatoes - peeled, par boiled, tossed in oil or dripping, seasoned , back in the fridge.

Sprouts - peeled, scored and steamed in the steamer above the boiling potatoes ready to finish the next day. Fridge.

Red cabbage - sweated with grated apple, mulling spices and a little water ready for a quick steam the next day. Fridge.

Green beans - topped and tailed. Packed into the top of the steamer. Left on side overnight.

Broccoli- chopped. Packed into the centre of the steamer. Left on side overnight.

Carrots - peeled, chopped, packed into the bottom of the steamer, covered with water, left on the side overnight.

Stock/gravy - all the odds and ends of the veg and giblets are boiled up for the stock which is then drained and fridge overnight for gravy next day.

Cranberry sauce made and put into sauce boat.

Yorkshire Pudding batter - made, covered, fridge.

All puddings and cakes baked, ready to go. Make the brandy butter. Whip the cream.

On the day -
Turkey out of fridge, salt sprinkle, in oven, Ham joins it a bit later.
When done, take them out to rest, yorkie puddings, pigs and potatoes go in.
Last fifteen minutes, Turn on the steamer, Sizzle the sprouts. Thicken the gravy and add roast juices.
Serve.

potatoes can be parboiled the night before, it makes them crispier if they have spent time in fridge!

We have always prepped everything the day before! Even as children, my siblings and I would be sat at the kitchen table peeling and chopping potatoes, sprouts, carrots, red cabbage, kale and whatever other veg mum had chosen on Christmas Eve afternoon! I did the same with my children when they were young, always supervising them with sharp knives of course. Anything that needed it was kept in water and covered. Potatoes got a dose of milk too to stop them going black.

As kids got older they would help me make the stuffing and then stuff the turkey, add the sausage meat, drape with bacon, make the pigs in blankets, lay the table etc. Depending on the size of the turkey I would get up early to put it in the oven then the potatoes and veg would go on around midday and we'd eat between 1 and 1,30.

This is a really good thread of tips from MNetters . @Mumsnet any chance this can be pinned to top of board?

Just been wondering the very same thing.

I ought to know by now. But wondering if I can do more than I already this is ok.

Crumbs. Had a bump on the head this morning. Just reading back my last post and it is rubbish.

Same! There's only 3 of us but my mother is hard to please 🤣

Christmas Eve we prepare all the vegetables. Potatoes leave in water, everything else chopped up and in individual freezer bags in the fridge. Make both puddings and cauliflower cheese. I lay the table and get out all the plates, serving dishes. I prepare the turkey in roasting tin and pop in fridge. Write myself a rough timetable too.
Makes Christmas Day so much easier. Have done this for over 30 years!

I will be doing more on Christmas eve than on Christmas day:

Make the pates for the starter
Peel potatoes and leave in water
Prepare the stuffed butternut
Prepare and assemble the cauliflower cheese
Make the yorkshire pudding batter

I hope to be able to lay the tables but not sure as we have to do some complicated furniture moving and that might not be able to be completed until Christmas morning.

On the day, all the prep work will be done so all I have to do is the cooking/heating.

I will prep the veg, although I'm only doing carrots, potatoes, broccoli and green beans this year plus sprouts but they are microwave ready prepped M&S ones.

I'm doing home made stuffing so I will make that on the 23rd.

I will also get all the cutlery out and cleaned properly, so put into boiling water and dried with a tea towel to make sure it's really clean and gleaming. I'll also get plates out and water and wine glasses and check they're all clean.

Puddings are all ready made so nothing to do there except get bowls out and spoons.

Presents are all wrapped, food is all ordered, as is wine and the tree is up so there's not much to do really.

@InTheFutilityRoomEatingBiscuits
That's very thorough (& helpful!) Thanks x