Make-ahead Christmas recipes
Cut the stress this festive season with make-ahead recipes from classic Christmas cakes to Christmas lunch side dishes.
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Parsnip & celeriac bake
- Ready in 1 hr
If you're sick of the same old Christmas sides, perk up your parsnips with some celeriac
13
ratings
Easy
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Macadamia & cranberry American cookies
- Ready in 35 mins
These freezable biscuits are completely irresistible and make a great gift for kids to give to teachers or grandparents
1
rating
Easy
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Smoked salmon soufflés
- Ready in 1 hr
These non-scary, freezer-friendly soufflés can be baked ahead, then reheated in the oven before serving
2
ratings
Easy
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Make-ahead mince pies
- Ready in 40 mins
It wouldn't be Christmas without mince pies, and you just can't beat homemade - these can be cooked from frozen for extra ease
0
ratings
Easy
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Lamb with Christmas spices
- Ready in 1 hr 20 mins
Keep this in the freezer ready for dinner parties and serve it with rice and salad or crunchy potatoes and vegetables
2
ratings
Easy
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Granny Martin's Christmas puddings
- Ready in 6 hrs 45 mins
Get a head start on Christmas with James Martin's make-ahead pudding
2
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Fig & honey Christmas cake
- Ready in 4 hrs
This traditional Christmas cake is the perfect combination of fruit, nuts and spices
0
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Traditional mincemeat
- Ready in 20 mins
Try making your mincemeat well in advance of Christmas to give the flavours maximum time to mature
1
rating
Easy
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Brussels sprouts with chestnut bacon butter
- Ready in 50 mins
The perfect recipe to make Brussels sprouts irresistible (trust us)
3
ratings
Easy
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Braised red cabbage with cider & apples
- Ready in 1 hr 55 mins
A great accompaniment to cooked meats, cold or hot.
8
ratings
Easy
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Simple gingerbread house
- Ready in 1 hr 12 mins
Christmas doesn’t come better than the smell of gingerbread and a pinch of excitement in the air so get the kids in the kitchen and create some magical memories
18
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Yule slice
- Ready in 2 hrs
Perfect for health-conscious people who still like a Christmas treat, this is dairy-free and full of fruit and nuts
7
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Classic winter fruitcake
- Ready in 20 mins
This festive icing is easy to use, looks amazing and makes a lighter end to a meal. The perfect centrepiece for Christmas tea
3
ratings
Easy
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Golden roast potatoes
- Ready in 1 hr 20 mins
Don't spend Christmas morning peeling potatoes, make our freeze ahead roasties
6
ratings
Easy
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Fruit-filled clementine cake
By Good Food
- Ready in 2 hrs 40 mins
A beautiful, moist gluten-free cake packed with zingy citrus flavours, wonderful for Christmas
3
ratings
Easy
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Angela Nilsen's Christmas cake
- Ready in 3 hrs 30 mins
A long-life Christmas cake that's bursting with flavours of spices and vanilla
2
ratings
Easy
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Simmer-&-stir Christmas cake
- Ready in 3 hrs 45 mins
An easy-to-make alternative to traditional Christmas cakes which requires no beating
48
ratings
Moderately Easy
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Orlando Murrin's Deluxe Christmas Cake
- Ready in 3 hrs 15 mins
An 'intergalactically special' Christmas cake enriched with the honey-vanilla-whisky flavours of bourbon - it'll improve with keeping so bake it early
3
ratings
For The Keen Cook
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Gingery Christmas cake
- Ready in 2 hrs 50 mins
A good glug of ginger wine makes this cake a little different from the norm. It's also lighter than its predecessors, so you can have two pieces!
9
ratings
Easy
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Christmas cream liqueur
- Ready in 12 mins
Simply delectable over ice and the perfect end to your Christmas meal. Or, why not wrap a bottle up and give it to a friend
6
ratings
Easy
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Christmas spiced red cabbage
- Ready in 1 hr 25 mins
For maximum Christmas relaxation make this spiced side dish in advance
4
ratings
Easy
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Sherry & almond Christmas cake
- Ready in 3 hrs 30 mins
Packed with almonds, both ground and whole, and fed with raisiny PX sherry, this is intensely fruity - but not overly rich
7
ratings
Easy
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