CHRISTMAS LUNCH what can i freeze in advance?

[andthenshewasdone]

as above really! will be 8 adults and 4 children for christmas lunch and tea. So far I have made christmas cakes and am now thinking what else can i get ahead on.....
any ingenious ideas appreciated.

tia

You could make gravy and freeze in advance. Jamie Oliver has a good recipe for that. Chestnuts can be cooked, peeled and frozen. I tend to take the view that lots of guests means lots of kitchen lackeys and no-one should be unemployed! Hand out the spud peelers, bowls, carrots and bags of sprouts etc.... keep your kitchen crew nicely oiled with drinks whilst supervising. Makes lunch more communal and festive.

stuffing
bread sauce
stock for gravy
mince pies
sausage rolls
braised red cabbage

I'm going to do my cranberry sauce, stuffing and bread sauce and freeze.

Ive frozen jamies gravy, stuffing, sausage rolls, sausages in bacon (raw), gonna attempt to freeze quiches but not sure how that will fare. I also want to freeze a ham hock terrine but google cant seem to tell me if its possible.

potatoes can be frozen, ready to roast

par boil and shake 'dry', brush in melted goose fat/oil and open freeze on a tray until solid, then bag up and use from frozen.
need about 30mins in a hot oven

TheDoctors - definitley best to make, bake and freeze the quiche pastry cases unfilled. Then just take out, thaw and put in the filling in fresh and bake. It does not take much time to make the filling.

I've got Nigella's Christmas which is brilliant as every recipe has make ahead and freeze ahead tips (where possible).

I've already done stuffing, bread sauce, cranberry sauce, mince pies and the fantastic BBC Good Food Christmas Pie for Boxing Day. I love my freezer

Red cabbage is fine frozen in advance too!

I've parboiled and then frozen parsnips, they can go in the oven from frozen... didn't realise I could do potatoes too mustdache ... will try that, thanks :)

Not a freezing question, but can I prep all veg - carrots, sprouts, shallots, broccoli - the day before? Doesn't sound like much work, but it all adds up, and I want to enjoy the day with the kids, not be peeling veg!

Thanks :)

Hi
That good food Christmas Pie sounds good....at what stage should I freeze it?

I do all my veg the day before and leave it in cold water. Sprouts splay a bit if you are the tradional type that puts an x on the stalk. Thanks for the pastry tip morebeta. Off to check out christmas pie!

janx I freeze it after cooking, defrost overnight in the fridge and serve cold. We're having it with ham, baked potatoes and salad on Boxing Day. This must be the fifth year running I've made it.

Thanks Fatsatsuma (love your name btw)

inthe I've always prepped my veg and left them on the hob in saucepans covered in cold water for the night. It's always been fine for me