What can I prep safely today for Christmas Dinner?

[unbelievable1]

Hi All, what can I prep safely today for Christmas Dinner. I have 14 coming and won’t have time on Christmas Eve to do anything as I will be visiting family. I was hoping to prep garlic potatoes, carrot and parsnip mash, make the soup.

Can I peel my potatoes for roasties and keep them in water for Thursday or will I par boil and freeze until Thursday?
I was going to chop my carrots and keep them in the fridge too.
I have elderly guests and don’t want to give any food poisoning 🙈 Thanks in advance
What Can I do about the ham? Could I boil that today and keep in the fridge to roast with a glaze on Thursday?

Hopeful bump 🤞

I would par boil and freeze the potatoes and carrots. I've left them overnight before and the roast potatoes took ages and ages to cook.

You don’t need to freeze the par boiled stuff - it will keep very well for 2 days! Today I have put the ham on to slow cook, prepped the carrots which I will roast on Thursday, put a dry rub in the beef and left it in the fridge, I’m about to peel a gazillion potatoes, make the mash, par boil the roasties, prep the sprouts.
sprouts, carrots and roasties will go in sealed food bags in the fridge. Mash will chill in the serving bowl, cover with foil and go in fridge. Early Thursday morning everything comes out of the fridge to come to room temperature ready to cook.
As long as everything gets up to temperature on Thursday you’ll be good to go.

I’m boiling my ham today, it’ll be fine in the fridge. I’d also make the carrot and parsnip mash and put in the freezer in a dish you can just put in the oven to heat through from frozen.

Peeling and leaving potatoes soaking (fully submerged) is fine today - just change the water tomorrow.

Peeling and chopping the carrots and putting in water in a tub in fridge is also fine. Again I’d change the water tomorrow. And sprouts the same.

soup is also fine.

I wouldn’t do parsnips until tomorrow - and store those in a tub but with NO water in fridge. And cauliflower can also be prepped and washed, but I also tend to store that out of water.

I tend to leave stuffing until tomorrow but have done it 48 hours ahead. Or made and frozen either the breadcrumbs or full stuffing.

Potatoes and parsnips - too soon.
All other veg can be prepped now (though tomorrow better!).
Ham and soup absolutely fine now.

I would also do other bits today (if short on time tomorrow) like laying the table, getting pots, pans, glasses and serving dishes sorted and in situ.

Thank you all, really appreciate the reassurance Would the garlic/dauphinoise potatoes keep in the fridge now with all the cream 🤔

Would you put a glaze on this ham and bake it on Thursday? Thanks

Are you planning on having it hot? If so then yes. If not then do it tomorrow

Yes planning on having it hot on Thursday. Was going to bake it while the turkey rested. I think I will leave it to Thursday morning.
Im overthinking it all! Thanks all

Yes, but only if you make it and then cook it. If you assemble it but don't cook the potatoes will start to go black. Cooked, it will be totally safe in the fridge for 48 hours.

Brilliant 🙏 Thank you