Christmas Eve for 12- cook ahead

[TesterPotQueen]

I really need some inspiration for main course on Christmas Eve for our family and our friends 100 yards down the rd. We always get together and it's my turn to do the main meal but for various reasons involving elderly folk and puppies we are eating at their house! There will be 12 of us and I have done chilli, posh moussaka etc in the past, and my friend last year did a lovely beef stew.
I would really like something I could make next week and freeze...wondering about a couple of curries but please could I have your suggestions and any recipes too. We all eat more or less anything but I'm shying away from fish/prawns as high danger of overcooking.
Thank you...I've promised myself to be organised this year!

I think I would make 2 good size pies - steak and ale and chicken and leek served with mash and peas . Easy to make now and freeze and super easy to cook on the day

Morrocan lamb stew

I have done lamb rogan josh style curry for this sort of thing in the past as it's very forgiving and stores well. I tend to use a paste but add fresh ginger, chilli, cardomom and cinnamon because I think that ups the flavour.

This might not be helpful for you but for Christmas Eve I am hosting a similar gathering and I am planning to do a slow cooked lamb shoulder which I will have in the oven from early in the day (it's a 6 hour recipe) and I'm just going to add some flatbreads (shop bought), and then I will make or buy hummus, tzatiki and tabbouleh. So it means cookng on the day, which might not be ideal for you, but its' low effort and you can shove it in early and leave it for a long time.

I would probably make a couple of these: https://ottolenghi.co.uk/pages/recipes/slow-cooked-chicken-crisp-corn-crust
You can freeze the stew part. You do have to make the topping on the day, but you can also bake the whole thing in the morning then reheat when you get there.

-Pasta bake, lasagna or make up say 2 sauces, then cook pasta on the night. Bolognese, arrabbiata, Norma, pesto etc
-Oxtail and/or beef stew. I ended up with a jar of pickled walnuts 1 year and found this recipe. I add veg in (carrot/onion/celery, add a handful of pearl barley I don't bother with the pastry topping. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/highland-beef-pickled-walnuts-puff-pastry-tops Served with crunchy, buttered rolls
-Thai curry such as a red or green and a milder yellow one
-Tagine type curry, maybe chicken or lamb and a veggie one with cous cous
-Cottage pie

Venison lasagne with green salad and garlic bread

Or...

Chicken tagine and lamb tagine served with jewelled couscous and flatbreads

Thanks for the ideas everyone, I definitely want to cook and freeze and for it to have different flavours than Christmas day. I'm liking the idea of the lamb tagine @Forgottenmyphone or Moroccan lamb stew@@Lifeglowup do either of you have any recipes that have worked for you? Also jewelled couscous sounds lovely...would that mean adding pomegranate seeds?

I use this Tom Kerridge recipe www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/one-pan-lamb-tagine-with-chickpeas and this jewelled couscous www.easypeasyfoodie.com/easy-peasy-jewelled-couscous/

TBH, when I've tried making cous cous from scratch, its always bland, glooping and horrid. I buy those packets from aldi/lidl/sainsburys etc like this https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/p-bramwells-moroccan-medley-cous-cous-100g/4088600513140
Make them up as instructed, then serve with slivered, toasted almonds on top, pomegranate seeds and a sprinkle of coriander. It looks like I've slaved in the kitchen for hours when I clearly haven't.

Sorry I don’t I thought it was just a good alternative to chicken or beef. Jewelled cous cous is a good shout to serve with it, maybe flat breads too.

Thank you very much @Forgottenmyphone that looks like a great recipe. And I will have a go at the couscous too@JC03745. Might do a mini version of both this weekend for me and DH just as a dry run before I make a large vat of it!

I use the Mary Berry lamb tagine recipe from her Cook now eat later book. It’s amazing. Later ones are faster but it’s worth doing this one: https://kitchen-delights.blogspot.com/2008/04/lamb-tagine.html?m=1

Just to add, I wouldn’t serve it with rice though! I serve with cous cous and fine green beans or chargrilled artichokes if I’m bring fancy!

Thanks @MeanMrMustardSeed I will have a go at the Mary Berry one and the Tom Kerridge one and decide which one I like more. I agree with no rice
...couscous all the way!

I just wanted to update that I made Mary Berry's lamb tagine with rocket and couscous ( with mint and pomegranate seeds so it looked very Christmassy) and it was very well received!
Thanks to everyone who commented and Happy New Year!