Pre-prepping dinner...

[LittleOwl153]

I'm trying to preprep Christmas dinner (and other stuff for those few days) as otherwise I spend my day in the kitchen. I'd like to have it all in trays in the freezer/fridge at least a few days before ready to just drop in the oven.

So hit me with tried and tested recipies!

I have roast potatoes/parsnips par boiled and lathered in goose fat in the freezer which I've done this way for many years.

The Batch lady does a lot of prep work for Christmas, I'm sure she has some good tips.

I do Jamie's shredded sprouts with pancetta and chestnuts and freeze them. Homemade cranberry sauce too. Mash works well as well.

Jamie’s gravy https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/get-ahead-gravy/
Bread sauce https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/creamy-bread-sauce-2/

I always make the stuffing and pigs in blankets in advance, and freeze. Cranberry sauce and brandy butter a day or two in advance.

Otherwise I’ve always kept Christmas dinner fairly simple - not umpteen different veg and sides, so as long as I’m organised re timings (a schedule on the front of the fridge) I don’t find it much of a faff at all - that is, as long as I don’t knock back too much Buck’s Fizz - I once completely forgot the roast potatoes, hadn’t even parboiled them, so Christmas dinner was at around 5 instead of 3 pm. but that worked so well - everyone was that much more ready for it - that we’ve had it at 5 or 6 ever since.

I don’t understand the need for ‘make ahead’ gravy - sounds like a major faff to me, and proper gravy takes 5 minutes once the turkey is out of the oven to rest. I make the stock on Christmas Eve by simmering the turkey giblets with onion, carrot and celery, maybe a couple of sage leaves, When we had a dog she thoroughly enjoyed the non-bony giblets for her Christmas Eve dinner!

I always cook my meat and Yorkshire puddings the day before. I have 13 for Christmas lunch, including children. I can’t be late with it otherwise the children get cranky. I couldn’t manage to cook meat on the day.

Otherwise following thread.

I prepare and vacuum pack the meat. Beef will be sousvide and just seared for colour on the day.
Roasties in the freezer and cook from frozen in hot fat.
Yorkshire puddings, I make in advance and freeze. Warm in the oven is only a few minutes.
As I make the beef sous vide I hardly get any drippings for the gravy, so I roast bones and make stock and gravy well in advance. Freeze is only reheated on the day.
I cook the parnips and carrots on the day. Parboiled the day before. I don't bake them but pan-fried will a brown butter and honey glaze.
This glaze is done in advance and frozen in ice cube tray for easiness.
Pigs in blankets are prepared in advance and frozen, just need cooking on the day.
Pretty much by Dec 1st I have Xmas dinner ready 😂

How do you do the honey glaze? I loved honeyed parsnips but DH doesn’t . Making glaze separately sounds ideal

@Daffidale
100gr butter 100 gr honey.
Brown butter, mix with honey etc voila!
I just parboile the parsnips first and then put the glaze in a pan cook there the parsnips until golden.
Fast as the high sugar content.
I have done it from baked parsnips and works fine too.