I’ve cooked and frozen Christmas dinner for my family a month in advance – it saves time on the big day and I’m convinced it tastes better
The mother, who was prepared for all eventualities, revealed that she had prepared the Christmas feast more than a month in advance, meaning she only had to prepare one dish on the big day.
Claire Gillies, 45, from Harpenden, has already cooked everything she needs, except the turkey, for Christmas so she can spend as much time as possible with her loved ones – and she believes some items taste better when they’re cooked to promote .
Claire said she has made and frozen gravy, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, homemade cranberry sauce, as well as pigs, blankets and even mince pies. And it’s a tradition she’s been following for some time now.
Claire explained: “It all started when my husband and I bought our first house, we had a very small kitchen and I didn’t have enough space to cook everything for Christmas – that’s when I realized how much easier it made my life.” ‘
Claire’s super-fast prep has another benefit: On December 25th, she’ll have significantly fewer dishes to wash.
Claire Gillies, 45, from Harpenden, said she prepared the Christmas feast more than a month in advance, meaning she had nothing to cook on the big day.
While people wondered how good her potatoes were when cooked from frozen, Claire found that, in her experience, it made absolutely no difference to their quality.
Claire said she was reaping the benefits of being ahead of everyone else at Christmas and said it meant she got to spend more time with her children when they were younger.
The mother, who helps others meal plan through her business Delicious and Real, said: “When the kids were little it meant I wasn’t tied down to the kitchen – I could be there opening presents with them and we could go out dinner. Walking the dog on Christmas morning.
“I record all the time too. I make a list that saves me time when it comes to defrosting everything I need.
“So the turkey just goes in the oven and cooks. Then I’ll take the turkey out and let it rest. While it’s resting, I’ll prepare everything else. So there’s really no preparation needed for Christmas. It’s just heating and cooking.
“I think some things like mince pies and cranberry sauce actually taste better if you make them ahead of time.
“For potatoes, it’s the same concept as triple-cooked chips. You stop the cooking process when you freeze them. I can’t tell the difference between the fries I made this way and the ones I made today.
She’s already got everything she needs except the turkey ready for Christmas so she can spend as much time as possible with her loved ones (Brussels sprouts are prepped for Christmas dinner).
Pigs in blankets are ready for the holidays as she freezes in the lead up to Christmas.
Claire even boiled the potatoes before freezing them and said she couldn’t tell the difference between regular fries and frozen ones.
Claire even made mincemeat for Christmas and put it in jars.
The baked goods are ready for Christmas, so all Claire has to do on the day is spoon the mince into the cups.
Claire even made the sauce before the big day and froze it in a silicone container.
“I’ve been making Christmas dinner this way ever since I started entertaining at Christmas.
“I’m very lucky that my mother-in-law makes the appetizer and my mom makes the dessert. I am only responsible for the main dinner.
“With the exception of the turkey, I literally just reheat everything else so I don’t have to clean, chop or cook, which means less dishes to wash at the end of Christmas.”