40 make-ahead Christmas recipes to save you the festive stress (2024)
A merry Christmas is a stress-free Christmas with these make-ahead recipes.
Dec 19, 2023 2:00am
It is a universal truth that preparing a Christmas lunch or dinner can bring untold stress to the home cook. Stay sane with these make-ahead Christmas recipes – their components can be prepared days in advance and, for the most part, refrigerated or frozen until you're ready to serve.
From simple make-ahead Christmas dinner ideas such as cured seafood, vibrant salads, and terrines to easy make-ahead Christmas desserts in the form of trifles in a glass dish, tarts and a semifreddo cake dessert – these are the make-ahead dishes for Christmas that you can make ahead of time and simply assemble or pop in the oven. And they're guaranteed to keep your guests well-fed while allowing you to escape the kitchen unscathed.
These are our best make-ahead Christmas recipes.
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How to make salmon gravlax
Photo: Alicia Taylor
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Scallop crudo by Leonardo's Pizza Palace
Photo: Mikkel Vang
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Prawn and avocado salad with spiced tomato dressing
Photo: William Meppem
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Prawn and avocado with lime
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Rockmelon, lime and poppy-seed prawn co*cktails
Photo: William Meppem
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Turkey and pistachio terrine with pickled nectarines
Photo: William Meppem
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Crab crostini by Leonardo's Pizza Palace
Photo: Mikkel Vang
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White fish crudo with avocado, herbs and cucumber-lime dressing
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Citrus-cured salmon with horseradish cream and bagels
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Fleet's cured mackerel with tomatoes and sourdough bread
Ease Christmas stress by drawing up a budget, shopping early and taking steps to avoid overspending.
Set your expectations realistically. ...
Discuss your Christmas plans as a family, and appreciate that doing things a little differently this year could help everyone deal with challenging life changes.
You likely will want to choose a main first, like a turkey, Christmas ham, casserole or other show-stopping dishes. Then, you can compliment your main with Christmas side dishes and holiday appetizers. And of course, you can't forget about sweet Christmas desserts and festive co*cktails to sip on throughout the night!
1. Turkey. Let's admit it, a whole turkey is the best and most traditional meat for Christmas dinners. Originally gracing our plates in the 16th century, popular history tells of King Henry VIII being the first English monarch to have turkey for Christmas.
Q: Can I boil my gammon on Christmas Eve and finish it in the oven on Christmas Day? A: Yes, but you'll need to make sure it gets heated through when you recook it.
Tips: The sausages, bacon and glaze can all be prepared separately up to a day ahead. Keep the pigs in blankets covered in their baking dish in the fridge. The glaze can be kept in a sealed container at room temperature, just give it a good stir before use.
Introduction: My name is Dan Stracke, I am a homely, gleaming, glamorous, inquisitive, homely, gorgeous, light person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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