Mum shares Christmas Eve checklist for a hassle-free Christmas dinner

A kitchen-savvy mum has shared all of the dishes she prepares in advance ahead of Christmas – and the list is great for anyone hoping to cut down on the time they spend in the kitchen on the big day

With Christmas just round the corner, it’s time to wrap up your last-minute preparations. From setting the table to prepping your veggies, there’s lots you can do ahead of the big day to save on time.

Thankfully, for anyone hoping to complete the bulk of their preparations before Santa arrives, a mum has revealed her top tips. She shared the handy advice after a parent took to Mumsnet keen to know how best to prepare.

In response, a mum shared her tried-and-tested list for all the must-dos you can tick off a day in advance. Explaining her method, the woman said: “Absolutely everything bar the roasting is done the day before.”

She then shared her recommendations, starting with her preparation list. It read:

“Ham – boiled. Skin stripped and scored for crackling. Fat trimmed, glaze made and applied, and stick the cloves in. Covered and back in the fridge.

“Turkey – defrosted if needed, unpackaged, brined if you do that, otherwise, giblets out and in pan for stock, trimming done, stuffed, butter under the skin, and seasoned apart from salt. Covered and back in the fridge.

“Stuffing – made and used to stuff turkey, remainder rolled into stuffing balls and in a roasting tray, back in the fridge.

“Pigs in blankets – links severed, rolling done, I like to put them on kebab sticks for roasting as they are easier to handle and I can prop the sticks over the top of the roast potatoes as they cook, so they are skewered. Back in the fridge.

“Potatoes – peeled, par boiled, tossed in oil or dripping, seasoned , back in the fridge.

“Sprouts – peeled, scored and steamed in the steamer above the boiling potatoes ready to finish the next day. Fridge.

“Red cabbage – sweated with grated apple, mulling spices and a little water ready for a quick steam the next day. Fridge.

“Green beans – topped and tailed. Packed into the top of the steamer. Left on side overnight.

“Broccoli- chopped. Packed into the centre of the steamer. Left on side overnight.

“Carrots – peeled, chopped, packed into the bottom of the steamer, covered with water, left on the side overnight.

“Stock/gravy – all the odds and ends of the veg and giblets are boiled up for the stock which is then drained and fridge overnight for gravy next day.

“Cranberry sauce made and put into sauce boat.

“Yorkshire Pudding batter – made, covered, fridge.

“All puddings and cakes baked, ready to go. Make the brandy butter. Whip the cream.”

Moving on to Christmas, she continued: “On the day – Turkey out of fridge, salt sprinkle, in oven, Ham joins it a bit later. When done, take them out to rest, Yorkie puddings, pigs and potatoes go in. Last fifteen minutes, Turn on the steamer, Sizzle the sprouts. Thicken the gravy and add roast juices.”

And lastly, came one final simple instruction: “Serve.”

Of course, it’s clear this mum goes all out for the occasion, and allocating one day for so much work would be enough to tire anyone out. But it sure sounds nicer than being stuck behind a hot stove on Christmas Day if you’re planning to serve up your festive dinner with all the bells and whistles.

We say best of luck to the chef and thanks for the recommendations, which went down a treat with fellow Mumsnet users. As they say, work smarter not harder and when better to take this advice than at Christmas.

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