Christmas food you can make/freeze ahead

[fatsatsuma]

What are you making and freezing ahead?

I've done the cake and mincemeat, and am planning to do mince pies to freeze, plus this Christmas pie, which is my absolute top tip for making ahead. We're having it on Boxing Day instead of cold turkey because I'm not cooking on Christmas Day. It's delicious, and really satisfying to make and put in the freezer to whip out when required. Looks much harder than it is .

Would love to hear other people's favourites to freeze ahead, especially for meals around Christmas eg Christmas Eve/Boxing Day. Anyone got any good puds?

That pie does look good! We aren't cooking on Christmas Day either, but am thinking of cooking something for dinner on Christmas Eve, just to take the pressure off on that day.

Not sure what to do though, is lasagne too boring?

Not if you like lasagne, which i do [grin} It's a good one to freeze ahead, as it's virtually a complete meal - all you need to add is a bag of salad and maybe some bread.

I'm thinking of doing a big ham joint hot on CChristmas Eve, and then having it cold along with the pie on Boxing Day and following days too I hope.

Doh! Just when I thought I'd got the hang of using using these

One year I followed a Delia christmas magazine special which involved freezing sausage rolls, the sausage meat, home made custard and bread sauce.
There were lots of other suggestions too but I drew the line at that.

I've got that Delia magazine - I quite like it actually. But yes, her approach is perhaps a bit TOO organized...

Was thinking of doing the lasagne with bread and salad.

Can I leave here and come to yours? Hot ham and Christmas Pie sounds yummy.

Would get the Delia Magazine but HAD to eat some chocolate icecream earlier as I'd run out of space in the freezer. Will perhaps get the magazine when we've troughed a bit more and made some room.

The christmas pie looks great fatssatsuma. Would be great for DH's birthday on Boxing Day. How long do you defrost it for? In the fridge? Do you reheat it or serve it cold?

I usually make some individual quiches to freeze ahead - smoked salmon and leek are very tasty. Can be reheated just before serving and always go down well for a Boxing Day buffet.

Also do a ham on Christmas eve for Boxing Day. has become a tradition!

I'd also love to hear some pudding suggestion as I always end up having to make them on Christmas Day or Boxing Day morning. Would be great to find something that can be frozen or made a couple of days in advance.

MrsToffeeCrisp - I guess I would get the pie out the day before and defrost it for a while at room temp before putting in the fridge overnight - but not sure if that's recommended... You could take it out a good 48 hours in advance and defrost in the fridge. I would def serve it cold, am not sure how the pastry would cope with being reheated.

What do you serve with your ham?

As for puddings, there is a Delia apple and mincemeat jalousie which you can definitely freeze, and is v nice - but wouldn't work with a pie as too much pastry for one meal I think

Have seen lots of ice cream recipes for Christmas, but I'm not that keen on ice cream in the winter. Let's hope someone comes along with the perfect pudding for us!

I find i have a lot of free time at xmas.
idont knwo what all the freeze ahead thing is about

FreeGeorgeJackson you're very lucky to have a lot of free time at Christmas - I wish I did. I'll be busy most of the time with my family and would rather get some of the cooking and prep done now so that I can enjoy the time I have with the dc's.

What's your secret??

For me the freeze ahead thing is about knowing some things are already organised and giving me a bit more time with my DC and less in the kitchen. I definitely wouldn't have any free time otherwise.

Fatsatsuma I'm not mad about ice cream recipes either - though one year I made some sort of passionfruit ice cream tart - think it was a Nigel Slater recipe - was nice. My Mum always does Delia's chocolate truffle torte and that's a big hit but I need something different for me to do!!

With the ham: cold turkey, cheeses, pickles, couscous, coleslaw and new potatoes. Lots of picky bits and pieces and too much of everything so we'll be eating it for days. That's what Christams is all about in our house!

FGJ, I'm usually a take Kerry Catona's advice and get wasted go to Iceland but I thought I would try and change my ways a bit this year and try to be a proper mum/wife

Ooo that Christmas pie souns lovely.

I apologise in advnce if this is a really stoopid question - but could you make it but not bake it. Freeze it uncooked, so you could bake/cook it once defrosted and eat it warm???

If you cook it before freezing and then it it cold once defrosted is the pastry OK?? Does it go soggy??

disclaimer:we have plenty of freezer space...if i can, i prep all the veg (except potatoes) and open freeze then bag

veggie fancy nut loaves freeze well so we always make a few and have one in the new year to break up the beans on toast diet!

we have a boxing day pudding which is chopped up leftover xmas pudding and whatever nuts (macadamia, my fave) you like and really nice vanilla icecream then squoosh together and refreeze

i dont see the deal
wake up
open presents
kids play with them
oyu cook lunch

dd wakes up,
open pressies
extended family arrive mid morning
more pressies to open
talk to visitors
play with presents
alcohol
minimal effort putting dinner on
back to family for fun, raucous time

Think pollywobblebauble's Christmas morning is more realistic - and more fun

slummymummy36 I don't see why you couldn't put it together and freeze it raw. I tend to use frozen ingredients to start with (eg chick breasts, sausagemeat) so need to cook it again before freezing, but I think you could cook it after freezing. Pastry is fine tho' if you cook and freeze it and eat cold once defrosted.

I am making quite a few things beforehand and freezing them. Christmas Eve evening we are having home-made quiches, Delia's quick cheese, sage and onion bread and salads. I will make the quiches and freeze them, and the bread is already in the freezer. I have also made some prune and Armagnac ice cream, which is in the freezer.

For Boxing Day lunch, we are having soup (already in freezer) and another bread thing (already in freezer) and salad. In the evening it will be cold chicken and ham, baked potatoes and braised red cabbage (the red cabbage is in the freezer too).

I have also made some savoury cheese and olive scones for snacks, which are in the freezer, and will be making some vegetarian sausage rolls to put in there.

Sounds great SoMuchToBits - we are on the same wavelength

Having said I'm not into winter ice creams, I'm liking the sound of prune and armagnac...

thank you fatsatsuma....it's organised chaos here...and i get to save on planning/cooking other meals as we visit those i fed on xmas day, after xmas....result!

Still on the lasagne theme, Fatsuma what's your favourite lasagne recipe?

Well, I have to confess I usually make it up. However, the two I've used in the past are Clare Macdonald (delicious cheese sauce with Wensleydale iirc) and Tamasin Day-Lewis, in her 'Kitchen Bible' - great alternative to Delia by the way.

Sorry - haven't got time to find links - someone coming round for coffee - but tbh, I think most lasagne recipes are pretty much the same - you could google Jamie Oliver or Nigella.

Or do you have a really special one Ineedsomesleep?

Thanks Fatsuma. No I don't have a really special one unfortunately. I've bought Good Housekeeping and thought they had a Christmas Eve Lasagne recipe but when I've looked at it more closely its for Game Pie!

I have found a pudding I am doing this year which can be frozen ahead - up to a month I think. I found it in my Mum's Sunday Mail (I don't read it myself ) and it looks great. Here is the link

link here

Am hoping it works!

Scrummy!