I'm going to make gravy, soup and stuffing this week, anything else I should do?

[pontipinemum]

I'll be doing my shopping later and think I will get the bits to do the gravy, soup and stuffing this week then freeze it.

Anything else you make and freeze in advance?

I'll prep the roast spuds Christmas eve. Also peel spuds for mash, peel sprouts, carrots will be bought pre cut. I'll cook the ham/gammon Christmas eve.

I like to have as little as possible to Christmas day.

MIL + SIL are doing desserts.

Anything you'd add?

I’ve made & frozen:
prep’d & blanched sprouts,

pigs in blankets,
mince pies,
alternatives to C pudding
(I’m sure there’s something else but don’t remember what!)
Will soon do the same with parsnips & a vegan wreath plus hopefully stuffing too.
Will brine the turkey crown & peel spuds & carrots on C Eve.

Make bread sauce and cranberry sauce?

If you're having red cabbage, make that in advance as it is a bit of a faff on Christmas Day. I've just wrapped some sausages in bacon to make pigs in blankets, if you don't buy them ready made (its a bit cheaper to make them if you have a lot to buy)

Braised red cabbage freezes very well!

Do other people find that a roast turkey doesn't produce enough juices to make sufficient gravy? What are your secrets? Jamie's chicken wings a week before faff? KFC? B—to?

Minced pies.

Last time we had a roast chicken I froze the stock to add to the minimal turkey juices, that along with a kallo organic chicken stock cube and yeast extract usually does decent gravy. Jamie's chicken wing one does look good but seemed quite a faff to me🤔

I put a lot of butter under skin of turkey and after melting that gives juices.

I saw Jamie Oliver made his cauliflower cheese with broccoli the day before and put in fridge. Then after Turkey comes out to rest for 2 hours. He cooks roast potatoes and then puts cauliflower broccoli cheese in oven that was prepped the day before.

I also mix up stuffing with sausage meat into large balls and put ribbons of streaky bacon around them day before sit in fridge.

Here's a little tip for you, never make what you can buy in M&S!

Yes, stop all of the nonsense.
Sit down, have a glass of wine, watch a Christmas movie, chill and give yourself a break.

TBF I am doing a few bits now when it can easily be frozen so that on Christmas day I can just chill and enjoy the day

If you have room in your freezer you can prep your roast spuds.
Par boil. Fluff. Cool. Put on a tray into freezer

Pastry - if you're making it for Mincenpied Sausage rolls etc. Make now.freeze. I will.keep.for a few days in the fridge too.

I do a chicken on Christmas day, I am just not a big fan of turkey. In Ireland we always do a ham/ gammon with it too so pigs in blankets are nice but not really needed.

Anyway, I have a large chicken bought this week. I will use that meat for a dinner or lunches after roasting but make the gravy from the juices after - then freeze.

My Christmas dinner will be chicken, ham, spouts, carrots, roasties, mash, stuffing, gravy, probably another veg cauliflower or parsnips and cranberry sauce.

Delia's Christmas Red Cabbage is far better a d a fraction of the cost. Food made with love.

Sure if you like wasting money (£8 for 600g on Ocado). And mingy portions. Imagine how much cabbage you could buy for 8 quid…..

Controversial on a Christmas Dinner I know, but I’ve been making double batches of yorkies and freezing half. 5 minutes to reheat from frozen on the roasties & they’re ready.

There would be mutiny if Yorkshire puds weren’t on the table on Christmas Day. I’m a beef & yorkie purist, unfortunately outvoted.

I also batch freeze stuffing balls, I’ll probably make the clementine & cranberry ones later and already have the usual sage & onion ones frozen. Same as the yorkies, double batch & freeze half. When I next use the oven I’ll probably make the choux buns for profiteroles too (freeze empty, fill & dress before serving, they only take an hour to defrost usually). If I want to re-crisp them, 5 mins in a hot oven does the trick.

I’ve made quite a lot of pastry which can be repurposed for quiches, mince pies etc. All in the freezer. I’ve also made and frozen three sourdough fruit loaves which are ideal toasted with cheese.

Definitely get the red cabbage done. It takes 2 - 2.5 hours in the oven, so not something you want to do when there are other things to bake/roast.

I made mine the other day ago and scoffed the bit that wouldn't fit in the freezer container. Delish!

Yep - mine was maximum £3 for 2kg homemade - 79p for a 1kg cabbage, about £1.50 for the apples. Then add on the oven costs.

I premake carrot and swede mashed with butter and freeze it but saw it frozen in Iceland yesterday. Also premake the stuffing; sausage meat, packet stuffing with chestnuts, onions and cranberries. I tried frozen cauliflower cheese from Lidl done in the airfryer and it was really nice so won't be making that from scratch this year.

I was planning on doing them the day before - par boi - fluff - leave on tray in the fridge. My trial run came out great. How long do you cook them after freezing? Also do you coat them in anything pre freezing? Sorry for all the questions!!

It's not something I have ever done, not a 'thing' in Ireland. Maybe I will try it. MIL grew up in England she might like it