Christmas Dinner (preparing in advance)

[C_Mababejive]

Nothing prepared the day before...total cooking time isnt much different to a good Sunday dinner so its all done fresh Chez Mabebejive..

[Triker]

Ham in coke, done took 1 hour in pressure cooker. Yesterday day.

Last night....Turkey crown done, 25 mins in PC, cooled, sliced, doused in stock gravy ready to be reheated.

Brussels, done PC 3 mins, cooled, ready to be thrown in pan with bacon later.

Swede and carrots, done, PC 4 mins, mashed, cooled, ready to be reheated.

Stuffing, mixed and prepared ready to be cooked later.

Jars of various sauces assembled.

Homemade bread sauce made last night, took 10 mins.

Stock made from turkey bones and veg, PC, took 30 mins, cooled overnight, to make extra gravy with.

To be done, assemble pigs in blankets, PC spuds for roasts, open pack of Aunt Bessies Yorkshires and assemble on baking tray.


Friends are bringing dessert over, but I have an emergency back up dessert involving meringues, marscapone, cream and raspberries so no bother there.

Reheat, relax, enjoy, imbibe, collapse.


Send loving glances over towards my Pressure Cooker.

Merry Christmas all.

[greent]

Nothing (well, except I have left over braised red cabbage in freezer, so we're using that up today)

Today I have peeled the veg (potatoes for roasting, carrots for honey glazing, parsnips for roasting and sprouts for pan frying with bacon), made cauliflower cheese, wrapped the pigs in blankets, made sausage meat stuffing, made Delia's bread sauce, draped bacon over the turkey and made a fruit flan for pud. It's just a bigger Sunday dinner, after all

[Rebob]

I made the yorshire pud batter, prep'd the veg, sauted the onions and mushrooms for the gravy and set the table. I was going to make wrap the pigs in their blankets but forgot so did them today during a quiet spell. I like to pre the veg so I can sit with the family more and not be working myself into a state like my mum used to.

[zippychick]

ive merged this with our christmas dinner - preparing in advance thread so you can see what others do

Zip

[zippychick]

ive merged this with our christmas dinner thread

This post has heaps of links to help. Hope your dinner turned out ok

Zip

[SpottySocks]

I hope no one minds me bumping this! I was looking for ideas that would stop me living in the kitchen all day on Christmas Day! Some fab ideas here, I finish work next week, I think I will make a start on my Xmas veg and start stocking the freezer this thread has been a God-send!

[daisiegg]

Great thread, just read it through start to finish

[ellies angel]

Christmas eve I cook my turkey, prep my veggies etc.
I have a few cheats such as I buy prepared roast potatoes which just need to be cooked in goose fat, ready made rum sauce etc.
Last year as my turkey was cooling on Christmas eve and I was at the Indian being rewarded for working hard my lovely big ridgeback decided she was taste the turkey to make sure it was ok. We came home to find it on the floor. Picture the scene driving all around Aberdeenshire Christmas eve at 7pm trying to find another one. Unfortunately my beautiful big girl passed away in February. The turkey should be safe. My beautiful little girl is too small to reach it

[bossymoo]

I'll put the ham in the slow cooker on Xmas eve night. It doesn't exactly need any of my attention . I might make up the stuffing in advance though, just mixed but not cooked. Mum is doing the veg, and MIL the turkey. Puddings are bought. Well, I've bought meringue nests and pastry cases but will make the fillings on the day, it's only a bit of cream to be whipped and some fruit or preserve to dole out.

[Justamum]

I've decided I'm going to make the veggie wellington from the Great British Bake Off. I've got the book from the library, and it looks quite easy. I can get it mainly done the day before. I've already made my puddings (the house smelled gorgeous when they were cooking )

[Butterfly Brain]

Roast potatoes prepped and in the freezer I have also prepped a bag of honeyed parsnips, sprouts, carrots, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls, and made 24 mince pies, cheese straws, cheese rolls (like sausage rolls) sausage rolls, 24 mince pies, cake, Christmas pudding, Lemon cake, Chocolate rum and raisin Torte and a Chocolate chestnut cake

[bossymoo]

Chocolate chestnut cake? Sounds lovely!

We are having profiteroles (my late dh's favourite), stepdad wants Xmas pud, Mum wants lemon meringue, I want banoffee pie, MIL wants pavlova, kids want ice creams and FIL wants a bit of everything. We also have Xmas cake and mince pies lol. So everything is in mini version this year. That way we can all join FIL in a bit of everything without making ourselves sick

[Emm-in-a-pickle]

Just a little reminder for those planning to have SWEDE - cook it in the microwave (like a jacket spud) then scoop out the inside when it`s soft enough. NO PEELING OR CHOPPING!!! Tastes better than boiled/steamed, too. You can freeze it or chill it & reheat. Most useful tip I`ve seen in years, I found it on these forums a while back.

(Sorry if someone`s already said this, I`ve not read all the pages.)

[binkyboo]

going to do some precooking and freezing this year to try and make things a little easier on the day.

does anyone know if i make sage and onion stuffing up from a packet should i make balls and freeze it raw or cook it first then freeze?

[Justamum]

Originally Posted by binkyboo

going to do some precooking and freezing this year to try and make things a little easier on the day.

does anyone know if i make sage and onion stuffing up from a packet should i make balls and freeze it raw or cook it first then freeze?

I wouldn't bother - it takes seconds to make so why not just make it on the day?

[binkyboo]

Originally Posted by Justamum

I wouldn't bother - it takes seconds to make so why not just make it on the day?

just wanted to save on the time, mess and extra washing up! would rather pull the roasties and stuffing balls out of the freezer and straight into the oven. Read on here that people have frozen their stuffing before just not sure if they cooked it first?

[Lilyplonk]

If you want to save time on Christmas Day, I'd just do it the night before, let it stand, and then shape into balls and put into the fridge overnight. that way, you can soak and wash-up the bowl before going to bed. When making it up don't use too much water if you're going to shape it into balls.

If your kitchen is very cold overnight, you could just leave it out on the worktop - but I wouldn't advise doing that if you have any 'four-legged family members' .

[Justamum]

Originally Posted by binkyboo

just wanted to save on the time, mess and extra washing up! would rather pull the roasties and stuffing balls out of the freezer and straight into the oven. Read on here that people have frozen their stuffing before just not sure if they cooked it first?

I must say I haven't tried it. I know some people bake their stuffing, but my mum never did - just poured boiling water on it and then it was served up so that's the way I do it. As for roast potatoes, I've always got spare parboiled spuds in the freezer, and they are really handy.

[binkyboo]

Originally Posted by Justamum

I must say I haven't tried it. I know some people bake their stuffing, but my mum never did - just poured boiling water on it and then it was served up so that's the way I do it. As for roast potatoes, I've always got spare parboiled spuds in the freezer, and they are really handy.

I have just part cooked my roast potatoes going to open freeze them then bag them up to reheat from frozen and finish off the cooking in the oven on christmas day, starting to worry i've done that wrong now too! Should i have just par boiled them and then frozen them?