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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

What foods can I cook/prep before Christmas Day?

17 replies

BMrs · 22/10/2023 20:30

I have two young DC and we're spending Christmas just me, DH and DCs by the coast as we live far away from family and don't want to spend the day travelling with kids. Our children will be 4 & 6 this year and having spent years hosting large family get togethers, this year and last I really wanted to embrace Christmas Day with kids and take in the day spending time playing games with them, building Lego etc. rather than spending hours in the kitchen.

Last year we were going to eat out but found a local restaurant that delivered our dinner. It was nice to not have to cook but the dinner wasn't amazing and we do really enjoy eating leftovers for a few days afterwards.

So, how can I make a homemade Christmas dinner as simple as possible by cooking some foods the day before and warming in the day?

So far I'm thinking, cook the gammon to eat Christmas Eve and have leftovers with our turkey on Christmas Day. Mashed potatoes, pigs in blankets and stuffing and microwave to warm through. M&S ready made cauliflower cheese etc. Any other ideas?

May be useful to say we're happy with a paired down dinner this year as DCs not massively fussed. Was also thinking turkey crown in the slow cooker and pork and roasts in the ninja smart lid as they're pretty simple ways to cook our meat.

OP posts:
214 · 22/10/2023 20:39

I'd have a look at the Christmas magazines that are appearing now as many of them have advice on this, failing that a lot of chefs / cooks have Christmas books you might be able to pick up cheap? I have a couple stored away until start of December like Nigella, Nigel Slater and I'm sure Jamie Oliver has one as well. Aunt Bessies honey glazed parsnips always go down well here so I'll be buying them soon!

pennyfest · 22/10/2023 20:49

I tend to prep everything the day before. So all veg is chopped and put in pans of water. I cook the meat and slice it then cover with gravy in a disposable foil tray, so it just needs heating through in the oven the next day. I cook and reheat the pigs in blankets and yorkshires. I don't do stuffing in advance as it's quick to make but you probably could do. Dessert is always something I can make a day or two beforehand. So on Christmas Day it's basically reheating, and cooking veg. Oh and roasties.

PurBal · 22/10/2023 21:49

Both red cabbage and cranberry sauce can be prepared now and frozen. With PP all veg gets prepped the day before. Peas can be cooked from frozen. Tbh it’s the prep rather than the cooking of a roast that takes the time, it’s just timing really. We’ve opted for fewer vegetables in the past to save time. Homemade gravy would be one to skip, the roux stresses me out 😂

Roystonv · 22/10/2023 21:55

Make and freeze red cabbage, root veg mash, bread, white and cranberry sauce. Prep other veg. Would not go so far as cooking and slicing meat; sounds a bit like school dinners. If you have Christmas Pud I put mine in the slow cooker.

BMrs · 22/10/2023 22:38

pennyfest · 22/10/2023 20:49

I tend to prep everything the day before. So all veg is chopped and put in pans of water. I cook the meat and slice it then cover with gravy in a disposable foil tray, so it just needs heating through in the oven the next day. I cook and reheat the pigs in blankets and yorkshires. I don't do stuffing in advance as it's quick to make but you probably could do. Dessert is always something I can make a day or two beforehand. So on Christmas Day it's basically reheating, and cooking veg. Oh and roasties.

Yorkshire puddings! I'll add that to the list and reheat in the air fryer...thank you

OP posts:
BMrs · 22/10/2023 22:39

PurBal · 22/10/2023 21:49

Both red cabbage and cranberry sauce can be prepared now and frozen. With PP all veg gets prepped the day before. Peas can be cooked from frozen. Tbh it’s the prep rather than the cooking of a roast that takes the time, it’s just timing really. We’ve opted for fewer vegetables in the past to save time. Homemade gravy would be one to skip, the roux stresses me out 😂

Thank you. We're definitely opting for less veg as there's only me that likes lots of veg and planning a combo of home made and bisto for the gravy!

OP posts:
HamstersAreMyLife · 22/10/2023 22:51

What do you do with your red cabbage to freeze? I'm doing Christmas for the first time and keen to venture into new veg! My tip is jamie olivers cauliflour cheese from a few Christmases ago. I make in advance and take to reheat wherever we're eating. I bet it could be done earlier and frozen though.

BMrs · 23/10/2023 22:47

HamstersAreMyLife · 22/10/2023 22:51

What do you do with your red cabbage to freeze? I'm doing Christmas for the first time and keen to venture into new veg! My tip is jamie olivers cauliflour cheese from a few Christmases ago. I make in advance and take to reheat wherever we're eating. I bet it could be done earlier and frozen though.

Thank you- I'll check out the cauli recipe. I don't do red cabbage as I'm the only one who will eat it so thought I'd skip that this year but someone else replied to my OP regarding it.

OP posts:
Nonplusultra · 24/10/2023 05:17

There’s a woman on Facebook called Christmas Prepper who is working her way through a 1970s Mary Berry pamphlet called “Freeze for Christmas”.
Some of the recipes are a bit … well, 1970s! But it’s funny and quite surprising what can be frozen.

MotorwayDiva · 24/10/2023 06:54

Have christmas dinner on Christmas eve evening instead, kids are too excited to sit for a big meal on Xmas day anyway.
We've done that for past 7 years, then had left overs or precooked beef and daulphaoise potato's next day

ThreeRingCircus · 24/10/2023 09:03

Last year I'd been ill and we did our entire Christmas dinner from COOK (you can order online.) It all comes frozen but is really good quality..... I prefer it to M&S for example.

Some of it was so good we're going to have it again. Particularly their stuffed turkey crown, roast potatoes and stuffing balls.

Monkeymonkeymoo · 24/10/2023 13:01

Turkey- I found a crown is much easier/less faff. Unless you want loads of turkey leftovers then this is what I’d choose. I liked the Ocado ‘Black Farmer’ one. It comes with stuffing so that’s another thing you won’t need to do separately (it is expensive but most supermarkets have something similar).

Roast potatoes- These are the one thing I’ve never been able to prep in advance and still have them taste good. I’d probably focus on doing these on the day unless other people have tips.

Pigs in blankets/stuffing balls- Most supermarkets and butchers have them premade. They’re usually pretty good and it’s a good place to save prep time (there’s a negligible difference between store bought and homemade, especially with pigs in blankets).

Gravy- Homemade gravy is the thing I find requires most time on the day. Definitely make in advance and freeze or buy premade gravy (Tesco and M&S both do fresh turkey gravy at Christmas).

Carrots and Parsnips- Lightly steam or parboil the day before. Put them into the roasting tin. Just before roasting drizzle with honey, oil, butter, salt/pepper and thyme.

Sprouts- I prep them fully the day (including peeling, cutting in half and parboiling). Then on the day I finish them off by roasting them with pancetta, butter and chestnuts until they’re hot and the pancetta is crispy.
If you like them just steamed/boiled then I’d peel the day before and then steam just before eating (they’ll go soggy if you cook them the day before and then try to reheat).

Red cabbage- If only you like it but you want it then I’d buy the M&S premade one and microwave it.

Cauliflower cheese- If you want to make it in advance then I’d recommend parboiling the cauliflower slightly less than you would normally and then roasting it to make sure there’s no moisture which will make it go soggy in the freezer (you don’t want too much colour but it does add extra flavour too). Mix with the sauce and freeze. Don’t add anything to the top before freezing or cooking because you’ll probably need to stir it multiple times (I find that if it’s been frozen the sauce can end up watery/separated- after stirring it’s fine). Add any extra cheese and breadcrumbs about 10 minutes before the end.
If you don’t want to bother then Cook and M&S ones are nice.

Yorkshire puddings- Freeze brilliantly once fully cooked and can be reheated from frozen without any problems.

Any additional veg or sauces just buy premade (or cut them entirely). If your family love bread sauce then it can easily be made in advance.

Pudding- honestly I’d buy something premade but if you want to make it in advance the sticky toffee or chocolate pudding freezes well or a premade meringue is pretty simple (you just need to whip the cream on the day and add some berries).
Both M&S and Tesco do lovely fresh custard (the ‘finest’ one is just cream, milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla and basically the same as you’d make at home home but without the fuss). Or cream/ice-cream.

Ihateslugs · 24/10/2023 13:37

We always cook the turkey the turkey on Christmas Eve, we have a fooled breast so no bones to deal with. It frees up the oven for everything else on Christmas Day! After slicing, I heat it through using a steam method in the microwave but this year I’m going to try using the steam roast function on my Ninja 1 in 15 air fryer - having a chicken joint this weekend to try it.

Everything is prepped the day before, the veg pellet and cut, bacon rolls and sausages on trays ready ( disposable foil ones to cut down the washing up!), potatoes are bought ready to cook in goose fat and the table is set. It’s like a military operation on Christmas Day getting stuff in and out of the oven and my warming drawer comes in very useful, we usually have 12 to 14 people for dinner.

Jedstre · 24/10/2023 13:50

HamstersAreMyLife · 22/10/2023 22:51

What do you do with your red cabbage to freeze? I'm doing Christmas for the first time and keen to venture into new veg! My tip is jamie olivers cauliflour cheese from a few Christmases ago. I make in advance and take to reheat wherever we're eating. I bet it could be done earlier and frozen though.

I always make Delia’s red cabbage. Delicious and freezes really well
https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/christmas/christmas-100-recipes-to-freeze/traditional-braised-red-cabbage-with-apples?amp

Traditional Braised Red Cabbage with Apples | Delia Online

https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/christmas/christmas-100-recipes-to-freeze/traditional-braised-red-cabbage-with-apples?amp

Robinonaspade · 24/10/2023 13:58

We have used the recipes from Justine Pattison after family illnesses around Christmas time, and not being sure of how many to cater for. I prepared lots of mini turkey for 2, and froze, lifting out the right number when we had a better idea of how may were coming.

The meal was really tasty and very easy on the day. I did buy sausages and turkey from m and s and used 'nicest' ingredients from butchers and shops. We also were able to focus on just chatting and playing with toys! A real bonus, all the huge pans and mess weren't needed doing on the day either.

https://www.justinepattison.com/a-very-different-christmas/

Christmas Dinner for Two - Simple Recipe by Justine Pattison

Even for Christmas dinner making individual portions is a great way to avoid waste. Only take out what you need when you need it

https://www.justinepattison.com/a-very-different-christmas

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 24/10/2023 14:35

I did try freezing pre-prepped roast potatoes one Easter , they are not as good. But easy enough to get the par boiled/steamed bit out of the way.

I make and freeze cheese sauce then it’s ready to add to lightly steamed cauliflower and into the oven. (Defrost and heat the sauce so everything is hot when it goes in the oven)

I peel and cut up vegetables the night before and put in sealed containers in the fridge.

puddings like apple crumble can be made ahead , freeze the cooked apple and crumble separate then assemble and cook

sticky toffee puddings freeze well

YY to lists. I write everything I think of in my Christmas Notebook. ( yes it’s A Thing ) 😁 then whittle through what I want/don’t want to do

lilachouse · 25/10/2023 19:53

Bit ( a lot!) 70s but a hostess trolley is your friend on Christmas Day! We got one second hand and love it as can start cooking the endless vegetables required by my family and they sit in there quite happily.
I just do standard red cabbage recipe with apple and spices and pop in lidded Tupperware. No special treatment required. Usually freeze stuffing raw. Delia’s cranberry sauce freezes really well as does bread sauce. Gets all the fiddly stuff out of the way if you freeze in advance.

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