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Christmas Dinner (preparing in advance)

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  • dannodw
    dannodw Posts: 716
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
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    Dont freeze your yorkies:eek:

    Make the batter the night before, they only take 15 minutes to cook and never taste they same if not fresh (imo)

    Mine never fail,

    Equal measures of plain flour, eggs, 50% milk and 50% water and a pinch of salt.

    Whisk together,

    Couldn't be easier.

    We love our Yorkshire Puddings, haven't tasted a supermarket bought one in my life :j
  • wallbash
    wallbash Posts: 17,775 Forumite
    Have been reading about the freezing of the Roast potatoes .
    Will promise to try the method sometime in the near future BUT it wont be at the xmas dinner. Too risky. You can over cook the brussels, make weak gravy,serve the white wine ( no you cant !!) only nearly chilled BUT if the roast potatoes are a failure , Dinner is ruined!
  • why not do it all in advance, after all restaurants and hotels do, just matter of storing it well and reheating each component in suitable manner (ie not miking the whole lot which takes forever and makes all soggy)
    so yep cook everyhting in advance and store in fridge in different well sealed containers, then on xmas day get ur oven, grill, microwave and couple pans hot water on for reheating, if u do it right theres virtually no difference, after all its what the professionas do!!!
    £5000 debt cleared thanks to MSE advice :money:
  • We take it one step further and *eat* it a day in advance ;-)

    Well we did last year, and it worked so well we're going to do it from now on. I spent the 24th in the kitchen cooking and eating mince-pies and playing games with whoever wandered in, got it all on the table for about 6pm - usual main mealtime, so people were actually ready for it - and the kids weren't a) too full chocolate to eat it, and b) itching to get back to their gifts, so it was much more relaxed. Then we heated leftovers on Xmas Day. Nobody had to spend half of Xmas Day in the kitchen, so the adults had time to spend relaxing and being with the family too :-)
  • As my grandchildren are all older now we have decided to have Christmas dinner at 6pm so OH and I can go for a nice long walk in morning and hold a bacon roll brunch about 1pm. I saw the thread for HM roast potatoes and will be roasting them and parsnips in advance. I will blanch carrots and freeze them as well. Will prepare stuffing and sausages in blankets but thought about freezing them uncooked. If I did cook them would it be best to put in fridge overnight or simply put in oven frozen ? I have two veggies to cook for so have to roast potatoes in oil and the smell clings to me as well as whole house. I must admit Christmas day sounds stress to me for a change. I have decided to do a trial run with potatoes and parsnips this week.
  • Things I am doing/have done in advance are;

    made cranberry sauce and frozen it

    wrapped chipolatas in bacon, froze on a baking tray then bagged up

    will make bread sauce and freeze

    made 4 batches of quick flaky pastry for mince pies and sausage rolls

    will make stuffing on Christmas Eve

    will peel and prep potatoes, parsnips and carrots on Chritmas Eve and keep in water

    have made the pudding
  • mon1o
    mon1o Posts: 749 Forumite
    Hi ive just found this im cooking for 5 adults and 2 children and have a small oven so ideally, if i can make some things in advance that would be great! I have some questions though:

    Would you freeze the sausages in bacon cooked or uncooked? If cooked, do you defrost before you re heat?

    Is it best to freeze roasties roasted or ready to roast?

    Can you freeze veg once youve cooked it (honey glazed carrots, parsnips, sprouts, green beans)?

    I like the idea of cooking the turkey and then slicing it the night before. Im gonna do this i think.

    Sorry for all my questions, its the first time ive cooked xmas dinner so it has to be right!

    Monica x
  • mon1o wrote: »
    Would you freeze the sausages in bacon cooked or uncooked? If cooked, do you defrost before you re heat?
    Yes, all raw. It's just to save doing the wrapping on Christmas Day. I'll defrost them in the fridge on Christmas Eve then cook on Christmas Day. I think you can cook them all and then freeze too.
  • I have prepared all my veggies
    Made mince pies
    Prepared Sausages and bacon
    Made the Pudding
    Made the Christmas cake
    All I have to do on Christmas Eve is prepare the yorkshire batter and stuffing balls
    And on Christmas day Roast the Turkey and Potatoes
    My kids would go mad if they didn't come down to the smell of the Turkey and the Christmas tree - it is all part of Christmas to them
    Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones that let in the light
    C.R.A.P R.O.L.L.Z. Member #35 Butterfly Brain + OH - Foraging Fixers
    Not Buying it 2015!
  • Hello All,

    As many of you im going to prepare much of the food for xmas day on xmas eve so the day is less hassle as possible as we have family over, am also using disposible baking/roasting trays (i bought them cheap so kinds OS!!)
    Can any one give me hints/tips/help if thIs is correct?

    *Parsnips to be roasted - chopped & marrinaded-kept covered in fridge on tray ready to be popped in oven on day

    *Roasts - As above - do i par boil these & oil coat them ready?
    *Mash - ill do xmas eve & heat on day.
    *brussels - ready to be done with pancetta on day.

    **Meat!! - Im going to roast these day before. do i slice it then so all ready or slice it on day? - if slice before how do you keep it juicy & not dry?

    Thank you so much - I am quite organised really just wanna make sure its brill as In Laws coming for 1st time & shes normally the 'family host!'

    **Cant do much before as having family thing on 23rd & using most of the freezer space then!!*

    Merry Christmas!

    Ness
    x x
    2010 is my DO IT year! grow own bits,savvy shopping,organised!!Get a hobby!!! be fit!! be happy!!
    Saving all change & paying off debts!!
    constantly looking to save money!!! all help needed!!
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