Preparing food before christmas

Thamks Juney and others for lots of good ideas. I will dig out some pyrex dishes/lids and try to get ahead with things. I usually do Delia's red cabbage recipe. My Dutch aunts red cabbage is the best but ever never been able to re create it! Do any of you use a food processor to cut the red cabbage?

You can make and bake stuffing balls in advance and then freeze them. Take them out an hour or two before popping them in the oven with the roast veg or on their own for 5 mins. You can also freeze mashed potatoes. I always deliberately cook more than I need as I'm on my own and freeze the rest. Put in fridge overnight and reheat in microwave. Makes things so much easier.

I made the lentil soup yesterday! We are having Christmas dinner at DD's but I'll supply the soup and dessert. Dessert will probably be made on Christmas Eve.

Too busy trying to tidy up the house right now to think about food!

I don't have a big freezer, so can't do too much in advance.
Will make stuffing the day before, ditto brandy butter, and prepare pigs in blankets.
Might also simmer the turkey giblets for gravy stock, otherwise on Chr. Morning.
Will make lots of mince pies a couple of days before, and a big batch of my very very cheesy cheese straws.
All Christmassy cooking, whether on the day or before, is done to either Classic FM or a CD of Carols from King's, or equivalent cathedral choir. And probably a glass or 2 of something! Buck's Fizz if it's Chr. Day.

Chelseababy, Christmas is always at my house (by popular demand lol) I can sometimes have up to 12 folks. The tray I use just fits on a fridge shelf for that amount of people. It's worthwhile just checking that it fits your oven shelf too if you ever do a large amount. For 4 people, I'd say a slightly oversized dinner plate would suffice for you, keeping in mind it's only for the veggies.

The tray I use is a shiny, round, stainless steel platter thingy. It's a nice tray so that I can place the whole thing on the table for people to help themselves - another advantage for people with smaller appetites. Watch out for those with huge appetites though lol.

I don't suppose it has to be metal. It just has the be ovenproof.

Hope that helps

Marzipaned the cake yesterday, currently simmering the red cabbage recipe from Good Housekeeping mag (cinnamon stick and star anise smells lovely) the recipe is for 8 and we will be 2 so freezing in smaller batches. Presents wrapped, some shopping done but oh going down with flu !

I do enjoy making sausage rolls to Carols from Kings but I have some in freezer already as well as mince pies & cheese biscuits etc. I will make the desserts the day before too.
You can do the roast potatoes the day before & heat them up on the day- I was dubious about this so tried it out a few weeks ago & they were delicious-really crispy.They freeze well once cooked too. If you have a problem with oven space it is a good tip as when meat comes out to rest they can go in.
If I'm honest I quite like the buzz of the kitchen on the Day- as long as everyone leaves me well alone to do it- I can;t stand other people in my kitchen when I'm busy. The DGC can help the rest of the year but not on Christmas Day!!

Juney I like the sound of your cake slice tray. What's it made of and how big? How many people do you cater for? We were on our own for Christmas day but have now invited another couple to share our turkey. I tend to get a bit stressed these days when chattering for more than 2 so your method sounds worth a try.

I am working until 23rd and DD until 24th we both work for the same Charity but she has drawn the short straw as her shop is in the middle of a shopping centre and has to open to the centre's shedual,I have ordered the veg and desserts and table crackers to be delivered on 23rd when OH is at home and they will be already prepared and ready to go thanks to Mrs Claus so a lot of pressure taken off us,meat will be cooked overnight on 24th all ready for xmas morning.

I used to find hours at the stove very tedious so developed my own way of preparing the main Christmas Dinner around 25 years ago. It starts on Christmas Eve and I do one veggie at a time 'as the spirit moves'. I usually start with a big pot of potatoes and take a load out half way through for roasting, then mash the rest. The mash then go into an oven-proof, round tray (which fits in the fridge). I put the mash on the tray as if it were a slice of cake, cover in tinfoil then pop it into the fridge, followed by washing up the tatoe pot. The roasties go into a separate (tinfoil) tray in the fridge.

As the day progresses, I'll then do maybe the carrots, later the pigs in blankets, swede, etc etc, as and when I feel like it. Individually, they get added to the tray in the fridge (when cooled) in the form of another 'cake slice'. On Christmas Day, the whole tray is wrapped in tinfoil and popped into the oven for 25 mins and I have all the veggies on one tray, piping hot and with no veggie pot washing up. This only leaves the turkey, the gravy and roasties to be done on the day.

Works for me

This way, I'm no longer slave to the kitchen at Christmas and everything is lovely and hot on the day. Provided the tray is loosely sealed with the tinfoil, nothing over cooks.

Forgot the crackers

The day before check the table cloths, serviettes, cutlery, plates, glasses etc. As you say prepare the veg. Make sure the turkey is out of the freezer, that the baking tray and foil is ready, put wines to chill, put your clothes out you intend to wear and the makeup and jewelry, check that any presents you need for your guests are wrapped, have a relaxed evening go to bed.

I do all of the cooking on Christmas Eve, because I take a dinner to a relative on Christmas morning. I used to dislike resent this, but now I quite enjoy it. I'm a sherry fan too, like a pp and this is the only time I drink it (with a few cigars, of course). And something Christmassy on the box.

I have it easy though, compared with some of you. No visitors; at least on the Day.

I'm fed up with it all by Boxing Day and back to my usual low-maintenance eating.

I'm another MinniesMum who uses the outside temperature to chill food and drink overnight as the fridge won't hold everything.

I put suitable 'stuff' outside (cling-filmed) on the picnic table on the patio and cover it with a big blanket weighted down.

We shall collect the turkey (a fresh one) on 23rd and cook it straight away. We can then carve it and pack it up into separate packages to fit in the fridge. Sliced breast meat will go in the bottom of the oven in gravy while the veg roast.

I am doing Christmas dinner for me, my daughter and three grandkiddies this year. I am buying a frozen ready to oven pork joint and will do roast potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts and cheesy leeks as veg, gravy and Yorkshire puds (my grandkiddies love them). My eldest granddaughter doesn't like having to chew meat so I will do some of her favourite Richmond sausages for her instead. Christmas pud for me and daughter and ice cream for the kiddies for pudding. I cook for the five of us every day so it isn't any difference really. Planning an easy breakfast of fresh fruit, bucks fizz and chocolate pancakes (already made and in the freezer) and a buffet tea

I do exactly what Maggiemaybe does - especially the carols from Kings on the radio! It isn't just food prep, its a vital and important part of my Christmas before the noise and chaos starts (and I LOVE the noise and chaos). Turkey also prepared in its roasting pan and in a large plastic box but in the coal shed. We have a large brickbuilt outhouse with coal one end and a rack of shelves the other where I keep vegetables and fruit as the house is quite warm.
Not our turn to do the neighbours drinks this year so I can go next door and enjoy the nibbles and a couple of drinks. The Midnight service at Church is at 10.30 pm this year so we all pile down there, then home to bed.

My freezer was hit by death rays yesterday. Luckily I am going to DD2 . Reading "how poor were you?" I reminded myself that Mum managed Christmas for three separate families with no fridge let alone a freezer and she had a second hand vile gas cooker with three burners. She cooked chickens and took them over to her mother's and mil on the bus . They presumably reheated them with veg. We had a capon( think Falstaff - belly with good capon lined.) for Christmas.

I was going to use Christmas Eve to make a curry for Boxing Day - we are out for Christmas Day - but DH has now decided he doesn't want curry this year (DS and SiL will be mortally disappointed. WOT! No curry?? ?). So I now have to think of something else. Normally I would just prep the veg on Christmas Eve and the pigs in blankets, and I always cook my ham then too, and we have a cut off it for supper. I have another batch of minced pies to make - having a snotty tissue permanently attached to your mitt for a week doesn't lend itself to making pastry, so I'm a bit behind with that.

Maggiemaybe interested in your way with the roasties. I'm guessing you parboil, then cool, then put in fridge overnight. Then about 60-75 mins before needed, start the roasting process.

Is that right? Might try that this year.

I think I need to change my mindset on all of this in general, not just christmas.
I have just followed on from my mother's way of doing things. A bit rush rush. Plus I am pretty sure she never has preprepared frozen savoury dishes so I dont do it either. I need to change my way of thinking. Open my eyes more. Thank you everyone. and Merry Christmas!

Mincemeat and Christmas cake made ages ago.

I shall be making things and freezing them. Aiming to do mince pies today and marzipan the Christmas cake.

The veg peeling infront of the TV on Christmas Eve is a tradition I picked up from mum. 'piggies' are in the freezer and so is the prepared stuffing along with the turkey and the cheap bacon to lay on top and some M&S party food.
We don't have any visitors so no worries there.

ankers this is the first year that I'm not working in December so I have all the time in the world - my point being that when I was working I didn't have time to plan in advance never mind to prepare things in advance!

I have the Good Housekeeping Christmas Special magazine and there is a section on recipes with a "get ahead" tip, so this year I'm making full use of that. For example there's a recipe for Red Cabbage with Clementine and Ginger that is made 2 days in advance. Same with the recipe for baby red onions (stuffed with sausage meat). And so on.

Like kitty I have people coming and going over 3 days, but I am very lucky in that we have a local equivalent of Nadiya Hussain, she has a "pop up shop" from her home, takes orders. So my Christmas Eve meal is selected Indian treats from her (samosas, onion bhajis, etc. delicious because freshly home made) and I make a big pot of Jamie Oliver's hearty curry sauce and provide bread and chutney, raita etc.