Here are my six very best tips to make Christmas cooking easier so you can avoid being stuck in the kitchen at festive gatherings! How many of these do you already know?
I could write quite a lengthy list of tips to make Christmas cooking stress free. But I decided to keep it short and to the point, giving you just my six very best tips that will make the biggest impact on easing your workload on the day-of.
So without further ado, here they are!
My very best tips to make Christmas cooking easier
Choose a smart menu that’s heavy on make-ahead / prepare-ahead foods.
Make glazed ham the day before. It reheats 100% perfectly.
Make-ahead mashed potato casserole rather than plain mash.(No you can’t just microwave mash!)
Show-off salads – how I prepare components ahead so I can put together statement salads in mere minutes.
Making whipped cream ahead of time without deflating or weeping
Freezing cheesecakes and cakes – what, you never knew you could freeze cheesecakes??
1. Choosing a smart menu
I have always enjoyed the challenge of coming up with the “perfect” menu for gatherings. It all started as a poverty-stricken uni student who loved good food but couldn’t afford to eat at nice restaurants.
Instead, I taught myself how to cook and hosted dinner parties. I secretly got such a thrill out of coming up with the “perfect” menu for gathering. And I still do.🤭 #NerdAlert!
In my world, the Perfect Menu for special occasions means:
Impressive – delicious (of course) and interesting. I’m not going to sugar-coat it, ego has everything to do with this.
Minimise time in the kitchen on the day-of
Maximum prepare-ahead elements and/or make-ahead then reheats perfectly
And if right now, you’re thinking stop chattering, and just tell me your best make-ahead Christmas menu – I will! But not in this post. My next post (coming this weekend) is going to contain a list of reader favourites and MY favourite make-ahead Christmas recipes. From starters to mains sides to dessert! I think there will be some new discoveries on that list for you. 😊
2. Make your glazed ham the day before
For years, I’ve been making my glazed ham the day before serving then just reheating it on the day of. It comes out 100% perfectly. The glaze is just as good as freshly made and the ham flesh doesn’t dry out at all, thanks to all that salt curing that locks in juices!
Writing out the steps to share all my tips got a bit long to have in this post, so I created a separate post about how to make Glazed Ham the day before. In summary:
Make glazed ham of choice. Suggestions: my favourite Maple Glazed Ham or classic Brown Sugar Glazed Ham.
Cool and refrigerate overnight in the roasting pan.
Reheat in a moderate oven. And voila! Shiny, glazed perfection, just like it’s freshly made!
3. Make-ahead mashed potato casserole
Every menu needs a starch. The easy fall-back is a basket of store bought bread. But creamy hot mash is so nostalgic and ideal for holiday spreads!
However, serving up a big bowl of creamy, piping hot mashed potato on demand is easier said than done. Can’t make it today and microwave it tomorrow. It turns horridly gluey! But who wants to make it fresh on the day, and handling enormous mounds of steaming hot potato when everybody else is sitting around sipping bubbly? NOBODY!
The solution? Mashed Potato Casserole. Creamy mashed potato topped with cheese and bacon, this is a practical and highly delicious way to prepare mash the day before. Just assemble today and bake tomorrow!
(Convenience aside, adding cheese and bacon to mash is a dream come true for cheese-loving-carb monsters like myself. 😂)
4. Day-before stabilised whipped cream
Imagine a world where you’re making a fresh cream-decorated dessert for 30 people and all you have to do is grab a piping bag filled with whipped cream that you prepared the day before? Dream no more. Welcome to the magical world of make-ahead whipped cream!
Mascarpone is the secret
Whipped cream that’s made so it won’t deflate or melt overnight is called stabilised whipped cream. There’s various ways to do it but I think the best, tastiest and easiest is using mascarpone. This is an Italian cream used in Tiramisu that fluffs up like whipping cream when you beat it but firms up like cream cheese in the fridge so it holds the whipped form.
How to make it – Cream to mascarpone ratio of 3:1, just beat it with the cream, sugar, vanilla and whatever other flavourings your recipe calls for and you’ll end up with stabilised whipped cream. Full recipe directions are in my Whipped Cream recipe!
How to use stabilised cream
See my Whipped Cream recipe for full directions for how to store and use stabilised whipped cream
It can be piped / spread onto cakes, cupcakes etc ahead of time and it will hold its whipped form.
It can also be stored in whipped form ready to pipe, spread or dollop onto cakes on the day of.
PRO TIP: Whether piping into swirls using a piping tip, spreading or dolloping, I highly recommend using a piping bag. It’s just so much faster to disperse than using spoons!
5. Prepare ahead salad components
Get all the ingredients that can be done ahead cut, measured, grated, peeled, shaved and prepared then ready to toss together salads on demand!
Preparing components of a salad ahead is a direction I suggest in all my “show-off” salads to make things easier on the day of serving. This practice actually has a proper name in the culinary world – mise en place. It’s a French phrase that translates to “put in place” and is a technique chefs use to assemble meals so quickly and effortlessly.
I felt sooooo pro when Chef JB explained this to me. Who knew, all this time I’ve been practicing mise en place! Mind you, I still can’t pronounce it. But is seems I practice it! 😂
Things you can do ahead
Shake dressing in a jar and keep in the fridge
Measure, prepare and store in containers – salad toppings like grated parmesan, nuts (raw, roasted, candied), croutons, crushed wasabi peas (rainbow quinoa salad!), crispy fried shallots – to name a few of my favourite toppings!
Pick herbs kept whole – like coriander/cilantro leaves, parsley, dill sprigs. Store in containers lined with paper towel in the fridge. (Chopped herbs are best day on the day – see next section.)
Wash, dry and chop your leafy greens then store in freezer bags in the fridge. Fill the bags with air then tie up to keep them extra perky – it acts like a vegetable crisper!
Pomegranate seeds – bash them out then store in a container.
Crumble feta (regulars know I love my feta on salads!) – crumble ahead and store in a container.
Make pickles like my favourite easy pickled red onion. Store in the vinegar – it will keep for weeks!
Measure out and weigh vegetables and other ingredients that need to be cut fresh on the day-of. Store in containers in the fridge.
Cook starches that will hold overnight, like quinoa, pearl couscous, rice, cauliflower rice, couscous. Do not dress as it will absorb the dressing and bloat.
Salad components I don’t do ahead
Any juicy vegetables that should be cut fresh, like tomatoes, cucumbers.
Fresh mozzarella (which features in special salads like Prosciutto Peach Salad)
Chopping herbs – for best fresh flavour. With the exception of parsley which I almost always do ahead!
NEVER dress your salad until just before serving unless a recipe very specifically says to do so ahead – which is pretty much only Coleslaw and Potato Salad!
5. Freeze cheesecakes and cakes
Undecorated plain sponge cakes freeze perfectly for up to 3 months, and cheesecakes too! Imagine being able to pull out a like-freshly-made cake and decorate on demand with whipped cream you made the night before – how easy it that??!!
Freezing cakes
I freeze undecorated cakes obsessively. Partly because I make so many in the course of day-to-day recipe testing (it’s my job!) and partly because I like to have a stash on standby. Super handy for busy festive season!
Works best for – plain sponge cakes like the reader favourite Vanilla Cake, super-easy chocolate cake, Black Forest Cake. Decorate with that whipped cream you made yesterday – see tip #1!! 😇
How to freeze – Wrap in parchment/baking paper (insurance purposes, so you don’t lose the skin if it gets tacky when thawing). Cling wrap, then put it in a ziplock bag or container. NEVER just cling wrap because it loses its ability to stick to itself. The cling wrap will loosen, the cake will absorb freezer smells and exposed parts will get freezer burn.
How to thaw – Thaw frozen cakes in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 1 hour. Then decorate per recipe.
Freezing not recommended for cakes with fruit pieces in them (like blueberry cake, strawberry cake) and gluten free cakes (like Flourless Chocolate Cake, Orange Cake, Hazelnut Cake). Just concerned they are a little too moist and dense for freezing.
Freezing cheesecakes
A handy discovery when I was testing the now infamous Lemon Cheesecake in my cookbook – you can freeze cheesecakes!
Freezing will not work for all cheesecakes. It will work for classic cheesecakes made with just cream cheese and sour cream, no add-ins like ricotta or fruit. Here are some examples:
Lemon Cheesecake (sorry folks, this is a cookbook exclusive!)
How to freeze – As with the cakes, place parchment/baking paper on the top and bottom, wrap in cling wrap then store in a ziplock bag or container in the freezer for up to 3 months. For mini cheesecakes, I freeze in a single layer until firm then stack in containers with paper in between.
Thaw – Unwrap and place on paper towels (to absorb excess moisture from the biscuit base so it doesn’t go soggy). Cover with fresh paper and cling wrap then thaw overnight in the fridge. I use fresh cling wrap and paper as the used ones from the freezer can be a bit wet from freezer icicles. If the surface of the cheesecake is a bit wet, just place a sheet of paper towel or a clean tea towel on top to absorb excess moisture.
Quality – Cheesecake is at its best in the first 24 hours after making it because the biscuit base is still a little crisp. After 24 hours, the base (and sides, if your cheesecake has biscuit walls) gets a little softer due to moisture absorption. And this is what thawed cheesecake is like – the cheesecake filling is perfect, the base is softer. Flavour retention is 100%!
Do not freeze – Ricotta cheesecakes, gelatine-based cheesecakes (like Nutella Cheesecake, Mango cheesecake), cheesecakes with fruit inside or on top (just not sure how the fruit will thaw) and no-bake cheesecakes (untested).
Tell me how many you already knew!
And there you have it. My 5 best get-ahead “secret” tips to let you swan through Christmas feasting like the poised domestic goddess you are!
Tell me, how many of the above do you regularly use? Anything new you learned? I hope you found them useful! – Nagi x
PS Note the use of the word “you” and “poised”. That word is never used to describe me, no matter how much I prep ahead. See? This is me in prep-ahead state. It’s always the darn icing sugar!!!
Next post to be published this weekend: My favourite prepare-ahead recipes I use for Christmas!
Life of Dozer
Dozer pressing the The Button to select the winners of the cookbook and Japanese knife giveaway! (If you missed out, follow along on Instagram and/or Facebook for some more fun giveaways coming up!).
Dozer, you were supposed to choose my name 😞
Thats okay, my cookbook is on the way.
I usually roast a turkey on Christmas day. I usually start on the sides ahead of time.
Cranberry sauce 2 days ahead. Root veg (carrots🥕, parsnips, turnips)medly 1 day before.
Stuffing 1 day before.
Parboil Brussel sprouts 1 day before.
I love your salad idea. I 💚 salad but do not usually make for Christmas. I think I’ll try!!
I once had “gluey” potatoes.. yuck!! ..cuz dinner was delayed.
I like your potato casserole idea!!
I made your vanilla cupcakes with ice cream last Xmas…very popular 🧁🤓
Lesley, Vancouver, Canada🇨🇦
My tip is to serve brunch instead of a whole dinner! I’m American so we have Thanksgiving only a few weeks before Christmas. I eventually reached a point where I just wasn’t interested in hosting two large meals that were so similar within such a short time frame. Brunch feels more relaxed & allows everyone to experiment more with dishes & recipes (there are also so many more opportunities for seasonal ingredients & *pretty* dishes like holiday fruits, pastries, etc.!). I feel like there’s definitely more ability to prep ahead & it just feels more festive, somehow (after all, a dinner is rather common while a big brunch at home is more special). Finally, it feels less “off” to host a holiday brunch on a day other than Christmas if people’s schedules necessitate moving the family celebration to a different day. I’ve been hosting Christmas brunch for about five years now & it’s such a hit; no one even misses the traditional dinner!
How do you actually reheat the ham on Christmas day?
Wow – who would of thought all these years I have been doing the mise en place (thanks to my Greek mum for that tip). You mentioned you don’t freeze your flourless orange cake – I always do and it comes out perfect. My recipe uses boiled oranges (which I always have ready in the freezer to just throw this cake together) mise en place😂. I just love ALL your recipes – don’t use any other site – your maple glaze ham been a Xmas staple for many xmases. Thanks. Merry Xmas and I will be doing many of your recipes for a dinner party we are having for 30 people.xx
A great list – thanks so much Nagi! From my experience no-bake cheesecakes freeze perfectly! My mum has always done hers ahead and so do I… both large and individual sizes. Usually transferring to the fridge the morning of using is long enough as they thaw pretty quickly.
i dont cook anything on your list for xmas day but they are all fantastic tips that i will try in the future. We do traditional.
Roast pork has been swapped for pork belly this year, but we do Turkey, roast veges, yorkshire puddings, garlic bread, gravy, followed by home made xmas pudding with brandy sauce for me and nutella xmas tree for everyone else. i love the stabilised whipped cream tip and the mashed potato casserole will definitely try them and i need to step up my salads. Im not good at them so i will be smashing your salads this summer. Thanks for everything you create for us home cooks to try.
Beginning December 1st I start making and freezing my meatballs, cheesecakes, pound cake and cheeseballs.
I make the sauce for the meatballs one or two days ahead. I cook the bacon that the cheeseball will be rolled in on Christmas Eve. They come out Christmas Eve to thaw in the 2nd refrigerator. On Christmas Eve I make my corn pudding, sweet potato casserole and mashed potatoes. The corn pudding reheats great in the microwave and the potatoes will reheat in the oven at the same time. I chop the onions for my dressing/stuffing and store in baggies the day before. Most of the vegetables for the veggie tray are prepared the day before and stored in baggies. Vegetables that will be cooked on Christmas Day need little prep and are prepared that day. My son-in-law cooks/smokes the turkey the day before. I also brew several gallons of Iced Tea the day before and place in the frig. If it is going to be really cold on Christmas Day I put plenty of bottled water out on the deck in the big standing cooler with some ice the day before. I also do some soft drinks for a treat. I make a big batch of Church Windows and freeze the rolls. On Christmas Eve they are also removed from the freezer to thaw and then can be sliced on Christmas Day. I have a “semi-famous” coconut cake that I make the day before and store in the fridge overnight. It comes out an hour or two before dessert is served. A lot of the family prefers turkey to ham so I buy slices of a good prepared ham at my local market. We usually have 15-17 people for Christmas Dinner and it is almost a day-long affair. Getting excited just thinking about it. That is how I try to prepare ahead. Hope you and Dozier and the rest of your family have a wonderful Christmas!
Many thanks! I too bake and freeze cakes (and pies/pie crusts) ahead of time. I have to make a prime rib for Christmas, but I bake a ham for Christmas Eve, so will definitely try doing that a day ahead. I have no problem with my cream deflating – not sure what is added to heavy cream in the U.S. – but I may try adding mascarpone anyway for a change in taste. I make my mashed a day or two using Yukon Gold potatoes, adding a stick of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese (no cream or milk) and they are never gluey. Russets I imagine would turn gluey. Chopping up salad components early and assembling vegetable casseroles before the big days is a trick I have been doing for years. I love Julia’s recipe for glazed carrots and typically serve them with the ham. Hosting two large family gatherings two nights in a row is exhausting, even with all the tips and pre-prep ideas! It is a satisfying kind of exhaustion though 🙂
I’ve been doing all of your tips for years but I never knew about the mascarpone trick. Thanks Nagi, I always learn something from your recipes! Happy holidays to you and Dozer!
Layer cakes and frosted cupcakes taste better if they are assembled the day before. Also, with young kids we switched to having the big meal on Christmas Eve, with plenty of leftovers. Then everyone can relax and enjoy Christmas morning and the rest of the day opening, assembling and trying out all the gifts without the stress of getting a big meal on the table.
Love the great ideas. Dozer looks really engrossed in his job. Pick ME!
This is really a helpful article. I am planning to have a mashed potato casserole and I can prepare it ahead of time. The tips here are useful and give me the confidence to cook.
When will you ship cookbook orders to the UK?
You are the most reliable, all of your recipes are consistently great!
I LOVE Dozer – he always makes me smile 🙂
I love your recipes, I love your thought process, but mostly I love how you keep it real. The comment about it’s all about ego, I copied and sent to my husband (” just make that pasta salad thingy for the potluck, it’s easy”). Thank you for validating what a potluck is really all about! And a huge thank you for all the great recipes. You always knock it out of the park!
Dozer, you are so lucky. My pool and my favourite lake are frozen and us Goldens love to swim, So now I wait. But soon I’ll get Christmas treats. The ham and mash look awesome, can’t wait to try them.
Maia
Ham the day before! Why didn’t I think of that years ago. Preparing salad vegies, dressings, marinades and toppings is something I’ve been doing for a while but I’m keen to try your other ideas. By the way, your carrot cake freezes beautifully and so does cream cheese frosting.
I’ve done the other things, but did not know about using mascarpone to stabilize whipped cream – very useful information, thanks!
Me either! Game changer!
It’s really amazing! I’ve used that trick so much this year 🙂 Eventually I will get around to linking every recipe on my website that uses whipped cream back to that recipe! N x
You look lovely in that gray sparkly top! By the way, it’s pronounced “meez ahn plahss.” It’s one of the most important culinary practices.
It saves time and prevents errors. Sometimes I do my mise en place early in the day to avoid a last minute rush.
I definitely get my mise en place done a day ahead for any of the dishes I am serving. It alleviates so much of the work and stress on the day of the gathering. Also, and this tip might be a little controversial … I cook the holiday turkey the day before, carve it and drizzle it with turkey broth. It rewarms beautifully the next day. Beef shortribs are also excellent made a day ahead!
Good idea Laurie
Much less stress ⭐