Pre Christmas Cooking

[In A Pickle]

Does anyone else cook things for the festive period ahead of time?
I tend to pre-cook and freeze quite a few things to take some of the pressure off.

For me gravy is probably the most important one I make ahead of time. I like to roast the living daylights out of chicken wings and veggies and then slow cook the lot (plus extra fresh wings and veg) before spending a fair amount of time reducing it down and adjusting the flavour.
Having really good gravy pre-made and then doing my best to keep all the juices in the actual turkey on the day helps me out a lot.
I’m considering some soups this year too, maybe that Italian Wedding Soup mentioned elsewhere?

If you take part in the madness (or in my view perfectly sensible) pre-season prep what do you make ahead and how long before the day do you make it?

 

[pacanis]

I'd like to see your stock/gravy process.

 

[In A Pickle]

I'd like to see your stock/gravy process.

When I do it I’ll take pics and post

 

[dragnlaw]

Once when hosting a particularly large Christmas Dinner (as per usual back in the day) I decided I needed to prep as much as possible ahead of time.
I found recipes for freezing a couple of the finished dishes. Potato, sweet potato/squash. I did them a weeek or more ahead of time. The other vegies I didn't want to freeze I just made sure to prep the several days in advance. One with whole onions I actually cooked 2 days ahead and it was lovely reheated. Even the turkey I cooked ahead of time, sliced it up, wrapped solidly in foil and reheated day of. Was great! Thiink there was only one or two I actually had to cook day of and everything worked out beautifully.

But no more, those days for me are over. I think I actually enjoyed the stress and accomplishments. I'm also lucky enough to laugh off the disasters with an "Oh well, maybe next time!"

 

[Gone Hiking]

For Thanksgiving and Christmas with lots of food and up to 18 people, we pretty much have to start cooking a day or two before, so we make things like stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, a green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, etc. ahead of time. We also have one person who who can't have dairy, and another who can't have gluten, so we need to make small batches of dairy and/or gluten free versions of different things just for them. It's a lot of work!

 

[In A Pickle]

For Thanksgiving and Christmas with lots of food and up to 18 people, we pretty much have to start cooking a day or two before, so we make things like stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, a green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, etc. ahead of time. We also have one person who who can't have dairy, and another who can't have gluten, so we need to make small batches of dairy and/or gluten free versions of different things just for them. It's a lot of work!

It can be a marathon can’t it!
I’ve somethings that improve made ahead, gives a bit of time for the flavours to better meld.

 

[Kathleen]

Last year, really for the first time ever, I made platters of holiday cookies. It was fun for me, but I definitely missed having family to do this with.

 

[In A Pickle]

Last year, really for the first time ever, I made platters of holiday cookies. It was fun for me, but I definitely missed having family to do this with.

They’re not prepared ahead though are they? I mean they’d go stale, unless you’re freezing them?

 

[Kathleen]

I did not make them ahead, but my sister does and then she freezes them. I should do it that way.

 

[dragnlaw]

but I definitely missed having family to do this with.

would I be a passable substitute?

 

[In A Pickle]

Well if invites are going out….

 

[Andy M.]

SO used to make all kinds of Christmas cookies and freeze them. Now that's what my daughter does.

 

[In A Pickle]

What about frozen cookie dough that you can cook from frozen?
Anyone got any recipes for anything like that?

 

[dragnlaw]

Yea gads and lil fishes... LOL all this time I've been think about Pepper and his Christmas cookies.

 

[pictonguy]

The only really really traditional prepared ahead was a Welch Christmas carrot-suet pudding aged in brandy served with a caramel sauce and cream haven't made one in donkeys years. It was my Grandmothers, on my mothers side who where Welch-Scottish, pretty tasty and a very small amount went a long way.

 

[In A Pickle]

The only really really traditional prepared ahead was a Welch Christmas carrot-suet pudding aged in brandy served with a caramel sauce and cream haven't made one in donkeys years. It was my Grandmothers, on my mothers side who where Welch-Scottish, pretty tasty and a very small amount went a long way.

Don’t take this the wrong way I’m asking this purely out of curiosity.

I live right next to Wales, so close a ‘store finder’ function will often send me to Wales as if I can walk on water
I can see Cardiff and the majority the south east coast of Wales out of my window so I know and have worked with a lot of Welsh people.
If you went to Wales and called them Welch you might get filled in
It might be a very old way of spelling Welsh but here Welch is seen as welch on a bet, it means you don’t pay your debts and that comes from the inference that Welsh people are dishonest.

So I am curious how you came to be using that spelling?

 

[dragnlaw]

I think it's the same spelling here. I believe it is just a typo!

 

[pictonguy]

Don’t take this the wrong way I’m asking this purely out of curiosity.

I live right next to Wales, so close a ‘store finder’ function will often send me to Wales as if I can walk on water
I can see Cardiff and the majority the south east coast of Wales out of my window so I know and have worked with a lot of Welsh people.
If you went to Wales and called them Welch you might get filled in
It might be a very old way of spelling Welsh but here Welch is seen as welch on a bet, it means you don’t pay your debts and that comes from the inference that Welsh people are dishonest.

So I am curious how you came to be using that spelling?

No idea, might have something to do with grape juice. Don't think I've ever had the opportunity to actually use it in a sentence.

 

[dragnlaw]

Wouldn't that make it Walish? or you could even go with Wallish?

Sorry - ignore that, I'm tired... long day.

 

[pictonguy]

Wouldn't that make it Walish? or you could even go with Wallish?

Sorry - ignore that, I'm tired... long day.

I edited.