freeze-ahead ideas for Xmas period?

[zinaida]

Not for Xmas day itself but nibbly bits so we can all relax that week. I've come up with sausage rolls, cheese straws, mince pies, crumble... What else?

Last year I found that lots of party food were on offer in the supermarkets a couple of weeks before eg I bought all my pigs in blankets, mini sausage rolls, dim sum bits, that sort of thing.

You may be looking for actual recipes though? Jacket potatoes keep well and then you could make a huge chilli to freeze to go with them as a change from the rest of the usual festive fare?

what about fine pastry cases - sweet and savoury?

posh bread rolls? pate? Salmon mousse type things, tarts, icecream, puddings, endless really..

Much rather homemade to shop bought sausage rolls the smell always turns my stomach.

Delias vegetarian sausage rolls freeze well (uncooked) ... we're not vegetarian but love them.

You could make your own bacon-wrapped sausages for Christmas Day,make extra, put some in the freezer for festive nibbles....

Caramel oranges freeze well, could serve with ice-cream and some shortbread, which you could also freeze.

Would also start making extra of your regular meals and freezing, so if you make spag bol in next few weeks, cook extra sauce ready for a lasagne/chilli/etc.... if you are making a stew between now and Christmas, make extra so you can make a pie over Christmas. etc etc

With cheese straws, you don't need to cook them before you freeze them, just open freeze the cut out dough and then cook when you need. You can do the same with mince pies and sausage rolls too.