Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 23 hours ago
In this video, I’ll share my best tips for preparing an stress-free Christmas dinner well in advance. Imagine being able to enjoy the holiday with family instead of slaving away in the kitchen! I’ll walk you through prepping everything but the turkey so that you can simply pop your dishes in the oven on Christmas Day.
You’ll learn how to prep your potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, stuffing, and even make a rich gravy, all in November. I’ll also provide you with a handy timeline for Christmas Day so everything’s perfectly timed to hit the table together. If you find these tips helpful, please give me a thumbs up and share with your friends. Happy holidays!
PREP & TIMINGS:
🥔 ROAST POTATOES
Ingredients:
• 2–3kg Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes
• Goose fat or vegetable oil
• Salt, rosemary, pepper
Prep & Freeze:
1. Peel & chop into large chunks.
2. Parboil 7–10 mins → drain.
3. Shake in the pan to rough up edges.
4. Coat in hot goose fat/oil & part-roast at 200°C for 25–30 mins until lightly golden.
5. Cool completely → freeze flat.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Oven 220°C for 30–40 mins until crispy.
⸻
🌿 RED CABBAGE
Ingredients:
• 1 red cabbage
• 1 apples
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Spices: cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, bay leaf, orange zest
Prep & Freeze:
1. Add all ingredients to a pan.
2. Cook on low heat 45–60 mins until soft.
3. Cool and freeze.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Defrost, then heat on hob 10–15 mins.
⸻
🧀 PARSNIPS (Parmesan)
Ingredients:
• Parsnips (peeled & halved)
• Olive oil, salt & pepper
• Parmesan (for finishing)
Prep & Freeze:
1. Blanch 4–5 mins → drain.
2. Toss in oil, salt, pepper.
3. Cool → freeze flat.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Oven 200°C for 20–25 mins → sprinkle parmesan before cooking.
⸻
🥕 CARROTS (Honey)
Ingredients:
• Carrots (peeled, sliced or batons)
• Olive oil, salt & pepper
• Honey (for finishing)
Prep & Freeze:
1. Toss carrots in oil, salt, pepper.
2. Cool → freeze flat.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Oven 200°C for 15–20 mins → drizzle honey before cooking.
⸻
🥬 BRUSSELS SPROUTS (Cream)
Ingredients:
• Brussels sprouts (halved)
• lardons, cranberries
• Butter, salt & pepper
• Cream and 100ml veg stock (for finishing)
Prep & Freeze:
1. Pan-fry lightly in butter for colour.
2. Cool → freeze.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Hob or oven 10–15 mins → add cream & veg stock and parmesan - oven bake for 25 mins
⸻
🧆 STUFFING BALLS
Ingredients:
• Stuffing mix
• Pork sausage meat
• 1 onion (optional)
• Sage (optional)
Prep & Freeze:
1. Prepare stuffing mix.
2. Mix in sausage meat + onion/sage.
3. Roll into balls.
4. Oven bake in 200C for 25 minutes
5. Freeze raw on a tray → bag after solid.
Cook Christmas Day:
• Oven 190°C for 25–30 mins.
⸻
🥣 MAKE-AHEAD GRAVY
Ingredients:
• Chicken wings or bones
• 1 onion, carrot, celery
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1L stock (or broth)
• Thyme/bay leaf
• mushrooms, celery & garlic
Prep & Freeze:
1. Roast bones 220°C for 30 mins.
2. Fry veg until golden.
3. Stir in purée → flour.
4. Add bones + stock + herbs.
5. Simmer 45–60 mins → strain → cool → freeze.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Hob 10–15 mins. Add splash of water if thick.
⸻
📦 DEFROSTING
• Move everything from freezer → fridge on Christmas Eve.
• Always cook from chilled, not frozen.
⸻
⏲️ SERVING ORDER (Christmas Day)
1. Potatoes (longest to crisp)
2. Parsnips & stuffing
3. Pigs in blankets
4. Carrots & sprouts
5. Heat red cabbage & gravy on hob
6. Finish with honey / parmesan / cream
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/2Q4Oj9A
Contact me on:
WHELPDALEK@GMAIL.COM
S O C I A L M E D I A
❤ Instagram: instagram.com/kerrywhelpdale
❤ TikTok: tiktok.com/@kerrywhelpdale
❤ Facebook: facebook.com/kerrywhelpdale
❤ Pinterest: uk.pinterest.com/kerrywhelpdale
In this video, I’ll share my best tips for preparing an stress-free Christmas dinner well in advance. Imagine being able to enjoy the holiday with family instead of slaving away in the kitchen! I’ll walk you through prepping everything but the turkey so that you can simply pop your dishes in the oven on Christmas Day.
You’ll learn how to prep your potatoes, carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, stuffing, and even make a rich gravy, all in November. I’ll also provide you with a handy timeline for Christmas Day so everything’s perfectly timed to hit the table together. If you find these tips helpful, please give me a thumbs up and share with your friends. Happy holidays!
PREP & TIMINGS:
🥔 ROAST POTATOES
Ingredients:
• 2–3kg Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes
• Goose fat or vegetable oil
• Salt, rosemary, pepper
Prep & Freeze:
1. Peel & chop into large chunks.
2. Parboil 7–10 mins → drain.
3. Shake in the pan to rough up edges.
4. Coat in hot goose fat/oil & part-roast at 200°C for 25–30 mins until lightly golden.
5. Cool completely → freeze flat.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Oven 220°C for 30–40 mins until crispy.
⸻
🌿 RED CABBAGE
Ingredients:
• 1 red cabbage
• 1 apples
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Spices: cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, bay leaf, orange zest
Prep & Freeze:
1. Add all ingredients to a pan.
2. Cook on low heat 45–60 mins until soft.
3. Cool and freeze.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Defrost, then heat on hob 10–15 mins.
⸻
🧀 PARSNIPS (Parmesan)
Ingredients:
• Parsnips (peeled & halved)
• Olive oil, salt & pepper
• Parmesan (for finishing)
Prep & Freeze:
1. Blanch 4–5 mins → drain.
2. Toss in oil, salt, pepper.
3. Cool → freeze flat.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Oven 200°C for 20–25 mins → sprinkle parmesan before cooking.
⸻
🥕 CARROTS (Honey)
Ingredients:
• Carrots (peeled, sliced or batons)
• Olive oil, salt & pepper
• Honey (for finishing)
Prep & Freeze:
1. Toss carrots in oil, salt, pepper.
2. Cool → freeze flat.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Oven 200°C for 15–20 mins → drizzle honey before cooking.
⸻
🥬 BRUSSELS SPROUTS (Cream)
Ingredients:
• Brussels sprouts (halved)
• lardons, cranberries
• Butter, salt & pepper
• Cream and 100ml veg stock (for finishing)
Prep & Freeze:
1. Pan-fry lightly in butter for colour.
2. Cool → freeze.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Hob or oven 10–15 mins → add cream & veg stock and parmesan - oven bake for 25 mins
⸻
🧆 STUFFING BALLS
Ingredients:
• Stuffing mix
• Pork sausage meat
• 1 onion (optional)
• Sage (optional)
Prep & Freeze:
1. Prepare stuffing mix.
2. Mix in sausage meat + onion/sage.
3. Roll into balls.
4. Oven bake in 200C for 25 minutes
5. Freeze raw on a tray → bag after solid.
Cook Christmas Day:
• Oven 190°C for 25–30 mins.
⸻
🥣 MAKE-AHEAD GRAVY
Ingredients:
• Chicken wings or bones
• 1 onion, carrot, celery
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1L stock (or broth)
• Thyme/bay leaf
• mushrooms, celery & garlic
Prep & Freeze:
1. Roast bones 220°C for 30 mins.
2. Fry veg until golden.
3. Stir in purée → flour.
4. Add bones + stock + herbs.
5. Simmer 45–60 mins → strain → cool → freeze.
Reheat Christmas Day:
• Hob 10–15 mins. Add splash of water if thick.
⸻
📦 DEFROSTING
• Move everything from freezer → fridge on Christmas Eve.
• Always cook from chilled, not frozen.
⸻
⏲️ SERVING ORDER (Christmas Day)
1. Potatoes (longest to crisp)
2. Parsnips & stuffing
3. Pigs in blankets
4. Carrots & sprouts
5. Heat red cabbage & gravy on hob
6. Finish with honey / parmesan / cream
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE: bit.ly/2Q4Oj9A
Contact me on:
WHELPDALEK@GMAIL.COM
S O C I A L M E D I A
❤ Instagram: instagram.com/kerrywhelpdale
❤ TikTok: tiktok.com/@kerrywhelpdale
❤ Facebook: facebook.com/kerrywhelpdale
❤ Pinterest: uk.pinterest.com/kerrywhelpdale
