December is often the busiest month of the year. Between holiday shopping, decorating, end-of-the-year work pressure, visiting family, and hosting gatherings, many of us are ready for a break by the time Christmas rolls around. Luckily, with a little prior planning, we can still pull off an impressive Christmas dinner without burning the candle at both ends.
To determine 17 Christmas dishes you can make ahead of time, 24/7 Tempo referred to cooking sites including Food52. Most desserts, including fruitcakes, Christmas cookies, and pies, are best to make ahead of time, as they won’t need to be served hot. Some can even be made months in advance and frozen.
Side dishes including casseroles are good candidates for cooking a day or two ahead and then reheating in the oven just before serving. Even the gravy can be made in advance with homemade stock, then enriched with fresh pan drippings as the roast rests before carving. (Brush up on these 50 basic cooking tips everyone should know about.)
Here are 17 Christmas dishes you can make ahead of time:
Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts can be cleaned and blanched in advance, then finished off the day of with a quick sauté. They can also be fully cooked a few days ahead and reheated in the oven just before serving.
Chestnut stuffing
To pre-make stuffing, prepare everything from the sautéed mirepoix to the broth, nuts, and herbs, and combine, letting the flavors soak into the bread overnight in a covered casserole dish in the fridge. Then, bake the prepared stuffing on the big day.
Cookies
Christmas cookies of many varieties can be baked up to six months in advance and frozen. Be sure to cool them completely, then package them carefully in airtight containers with wax paper between each layer. Frosted cookies should be frozen before decorating and frosted or iced once they are thawed.
Corn pudding
This creamy corn dish, a cross between cornbread and corn casserole, tastes best when made a day or two in advance. It can also be frozen for up to six weeks. Be sure to cover it with foil when reheating, to prevent the delicate crispy top from burning.
Cranberry orange relish
This zesty side dish is best made at least two days ahead. In addition to thickening while it chills, it will also develop a deeper citrus flavor. Cranberry relish can be frozen for up to three months before serving.
Deviled eggs
To prepare everyone’s favorite appetizer in advance, store the cooked egg whites in an airtight container and the finished filling in a disposable piping bag or zip-close bag. Just before serving, pipe the filling onto the eggs and sprinkle with paprika and chives.
Eggnog
Whether you opt for boozy or non-alcoholic eggnog, this creamy, old-fashioned holiday drink benefits from an overnight chill to let the flavors develop, and a generous grating of fresh nutmeg upon serving.
Fruitcake
The best, most flavorful fruitcakes are those baked 4-6 weeks in advance, stored tightly wrapped, and brushed with brandy once a week. The brandy helps keep the cakes moist and preserved, and when Christmas rolls around, these fruit-studded treasures can simply be unwrapped and enjoyed.
Glazed carrots
Holiday carrots can be glazed with any combination of honey, maple, brown sugar, ginger, orange peel, cinnamon, thyme, and butter. They will reheat perfectly in a covered dish in the oven or in a skillet with a little extra liquid.
Gravy
Whether you’re making prime rib, a goose, or a turkey, you can avoid that frantic, last-minute gravy scramble by making a flavorful stock and thickening it ahead of time. Drippings from the roast can always be whisked in as you reheat the gravy just before serving.
Mashed parsnips
Mashed potatoes may get gummy when reheated because of their high starch content. Parsnips, on the other hand, contain less starch, and so are a better option for pre-making and reheating.
Mince pie
These heavily spiced pies full of brandy-soaked fruit are an English Christmas tradition that has made it way to parts of the U.S. They freeze well if made months in advance, and can also be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.
Scalloped potatoes
Tender scalloped potatoes are a stellar side next to any main dish, be it ham, turkey, or beef. Cooked with plenty of milk, they will stay moist when reheated in a covered casserole dish.
Sticky toffee pudding
Another English dessert that has caught on in the States, sticky toffee pudding is a dense, date-filled cake covered in buttery caramel sauce. These cakes can be frozen for up to three months or made a few days in advance and served warm.
Stuffed butternut squash
To pre-make stuffed butternut squash, bake de-seeded squash halves until they’re fork-tender, and prepare the filling but keep it separate. Before serving, spoon the filling into the squash and gently reheat them in the oven.
Sweet potato casserole
Skip the canned variety and use fresh sweet potatoes for this sticky, sweet side dish. The potatoes can be prepared in advance and stored in the casserole dish, but nuts and marshmallows should be added just before re-heating.
Yule log
Covered in frosting or ganache, a yule log will stay moist if made a day or two in advance and refrigerated. If you’d prefer to bake ahead and assemble it the day of, be sure to roll the cake around parchment paper while it’s warm. It can then be unrolled, filled with cream, and decorated just before serving.