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?

Being fair, I find cooking easy, instinctive and enjoyable, I love feeding a crowd.

If I didn’t, I wouldn’t do it, I would buy it all from M&S, and give zero fucks.

The only real bonus to making it all myself is it’s a lot cheaper to feed that crowd.

I always peel and par boil potatoes and sometimes half roast them as well. Part roast parsnips. Prepare and half cook carrots. Stuffing is already made and in the freezer so take that out. Prepare bread sauce. prepare gravy. Lay table. Get serving dishes out and label them as to what will go in them. Double check there are enough serving spoons etc. Make sure drinks are in the fridge, ensure there is enough ice. Check timings for everything and set alarms as required.

We don't have mash or cauliflower cheese, otherwise I would make the mash in advance and prepare the cauliflower cheese.

I don't think I can add anything that's not been suggested but here goes.

Christmas Eve I do all my veg prep. Parboil the potatoes and parsnips then into the fridge. Any other veg I prep and leave in saucepans of salted water. This year we are having a turkey crown from frozen so will make sure that is defrosted. I buy in Yorkshires so no prep there.

I don't make gravy just buy a tub from Waitrose, tastes lovely and saves a huge amount of work. Stuffing and pigs in blankets get prepped.

We've never done cauliflower cheese, bread sauce or red cabbage with Christmas Dinner so they are not on my radar.

I love this thread every year. The prep is my favourite bit coz I'm a saddo.

Christmas Eve:
Cauliflower cheese assembled and fridged
Yorkie batter mixed
Potatoes peeled left in water
Carrots and parsnip peeled left on water
Broccoli hacked up
Turkey unwrapped, buttered, garlicked, herbed and draped in bacon
Stuffing made up in a dish and clinged
Meat stuffing rolled and piggies wrapped
Honey vermouth tarragon butter for roasted veg mashed and fridged

Antipasti plated and well wrapped ready for lunchtime nibbles / starters.

I made some gravy yesterday and froze it but will add the turkey juices and a load more wine on the day. I do everything exactly the same every single year and no one will allow any different.

I used to cook the turkey early and wrap it in loads of towels while I cooked everything else, but this is my first year with a huge range oven so it will be interesting to see how it goes this time.

We spent so much time prepping on Christmas eve in 2019 we thought fuck it, and just had the meal that evening. Best thing we've ever done. Christmas day is now dedicated to treats and leftovers. No wrestling the kids to the table. Wine, chocolate, cheeseboard, cold meats.