PREPARE YOUR CHRISTMAS DINNER

1 Gravy

You can make a Christmas gravy long before the main event. Simply freeze it in a container and defrost on the day. Add the juices from your turkey to it before serving.

2 Stuffing

Stuffing freezes well – you can even freeze it in an oven dish, so once it’s defrosted, you can pop it in the oven.

3 Red cabbage

Red cabbage is one of those foods that improves flavour over time, so it’s worth making in advance. It keeps for a few days in the fridge and reheats brilliantly. 4 Brussels sprouts Save time by using the chef technique ‘blanching and refreshing’ – boil the sprouts, drop them in cold water, then reheat them the next day ready to serve.

5 Potatoes

Peel the potatoes the day before. Keep them in a water-filled container overnight to stop them browning, then pop them in the oven the next day.

6 Turkey

Get the messy jobs like deboning out the way on Christmas Eve. Rinse the turkey and pat it dry, and prepare anything you’re planning to fill it with.

7 Bread sauce

Bread sauce keeps for a long time in the fridge – just make it a few days before and you won’t even need to defrost it.

8 Parsnips

You can boil your parsnips and keep them in the fridge for up to a day before to cut down on cooking on Christmas day. Alternatively, you can also freeze them.

9 Yorkshire puddings

You can either prepare the batter the day before, or you can completely cook and freeze them. After they’re defrosted, just pop them in the oven for 10 minutes.

10 Desserts

Christmas pudding can be made months ahead of time – simply steam it for a few hours on Christmas day. Make any other desserts simple – opt for cold desserts that can be made straight away and don’t need oven space.