Christmas food ideas: how early can you prepare your Christmas dinner menu?

Many savvy shoppers are interested buying early for Christmas - not just bargain gifts but food deals, too. 

But if you spot a food bargain weeks before the big day, is it worth popping it in your basket or will it spoil before you've had the chance to say 'Father Christmas'?

With the help of experts, we tell you what Christmas foods are safe to buy early, and give tips on prepping and storing so they're ready to serve without compromising freshness and flavour.

And check our food and drink guides to find the results of all of our independent Christmas food taste tests including the best mince pies, the best Christmas puddings, the best champagne and the best champagne truffles.

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Christmas dishes you can make in advance

Let's be honest - there are more enjoyable Christmas traditions than hitting the kitchen at the crack of dawn to peel and prep, and you shouldn't feel you're 'cheating' if you've done some of it beforehand. 

Popular chef Tom Kerridge told us: 'It's not cheating at all - it's being prepared. Nobody wants to add to the stress on Christmas Day by having to do everything on the day, so make life easier for yourself with a bit of planning.'

Keeping an eye out for food bargains to pop in the freezer and doing the 'boring, time-consuming things' the day before where possible are just two hacks he advises.

Here's how far in advance you can prep, cook and store popular Christmas dinner dishes in the run-up to the big day.

Remember to follow storage and freezing guidance on ready-prepared dishes, such as shop-bought mince pies.

Looking for a fridge freezer that will meet your festive needs? Check out our expert reviews of fridge freezers.

Turkey

Make in advance? Yes

How to store: Keep in the fridge for up to two days (raw or cooked) and in the freezer for three to six months (raw or cooked)

A Food Standards Agency (FSA) spokesperson told Which?: 'It's possible to cook a whole turkey or turkey crown in advance, freeze and then defrost it for Christmas Day, although slicing the meat, then freezing it means it will take up less freezer space as well as defrosting more quickly.'

Thoroughly defrost in the fridge or on your microwave's defrost setting (never thaw at room temperature), then cook straight away.

When you reheat the turkey, make sure it's piping hot - not just warmed through.

BBC Good Food recommends carving it into thin slices and placing it in a roasting tin, then pouring over turkey stock to stop it from drying out and dotting it with butter, before covering with foil and roasting for 30 minutes in an oven at 180°C/ 160°C fan/ Gas mark 4.

You can also microwave the turkey in slices, in a dish. Cover it with stock or gravy and cook for two minutes on a medium-high setting, before checking it to see if it's piping hot. If not, continue cooking in 30-second bursts.

Don't part-cook a raw turkey before freezing as it could lead to food poisoning. It should be either fully cooked or raw beforehand, and wrapped well to prevent juices getting on to other foods (and to avoid freezer burn to the meat).

How to cook a turkey crown: follow our Which? cooking tips on preparing the perfect bird

Roast potatoes

Make in advance? Yes

How to store: Refrigerate for up to two days if either roasted or parboiled and ready to roast (both can be frozen for up to three months)

Parboil peeled, cut potatoes for five minutes, drain then bash them to rough up the sides before drizzling with oil and flash freeze. Also known as open freezing, this is when you freeze smaller food items separately before bagging them so you can take what you need and avoid waste in the process.

Some fridge freezers come with a freezing tray that you can use for this but, if you don't have one, a simple baking tray will do.

After this, you can transfer to an airtight container or sealed bag and cook straight from frozen when needed.

Fancy cooking air fryer roast potatoes? Find the best air fryers for 2024.

Yorkshire puddings

Make in advance? Yes

How to store: Keep in the fridge for up to two days if cooked from fresh, or up to three months in the freezer. The batter can be refrigerated for one day and frozen for one month.

After you've cooked your puds in advance, cool on a wire tray then flash freeze to avoid them sticking together. Then transfer to an airtight container to store in the freezer.

Reheat for 10 minutes from frozen and, if they need it, spritz them with water before reheating or wait for the Christmas gravy to work its magic.

How to make Yorkshire puddings - try our simple recipe with tips from James Martin and Jamie Oliver.

Parsnips, carrots and Brussels sprouts

Make in advance? Yes

How to store: Keep in the fridge for up to two days if cooked (longer if raw) or up to three months in the freezer (if blanched)

When you're prepping fresh veg such as Brussels sprouts, parsnips or red cabbage, first cut off any discoloured parts. Then blanch, flash freeze on a tray to stop the pieces sticking together and transfer to an airtight container.

Although some people suggest veg can keep for 12 months frozen, three months is optimal for maintaining flavour, texture, colour and nutrient content. This applies whether you're freezing fresh veg or pre-cooked versions such as braised red cabbage, roast parsnips or Brussels with pancetta and chestnuts.

How to cook red cabbage - recipes with a twist from Delia Smith and Jamie Oliver.

Stuffing 

Make in advance? Yes 

How to store: Keep in the fridge for up to two days (cooked or prepared) or up to three months in the freezer

Joanna Linley, of Love Food Hate Waste, said: 'Open-freeze stuffing balls so they don't all stick together and store in sensible portion sizes in airtight containers.'

It's best to freeze them before baking, so they retain their moisture when you cook them from frozen on the day.

How to make stuffing - find tips and recipes from Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and Mary Berry.

Gravy, cranberry sauce and bread sauce

Make in advance? Yes

How to store: Refrigerate for up to two weeks (homemade cranberry sauce) or two days (gravy and bread sauce) when cooked from fresh, or in the freezer for up to three months

Gravy freezes and defrosts well. But unlike fresh gravy, which can be kept in the fridge for two days, defrosted gravy should be used within 24 hours.

A high sugar content is one of the reasons that made-from-scratch cranberry sauce can be kept in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Frozen bread sauce works best if you add the cream once you've defrosted it.

Surprising foods you can't freeze and a reminder of what you can - tips to help you cut down on food waste.

Smoked salmon and blinis

Make in advance? No, best prepared on the day they're eaten and can't be frozen once assembled

How to store:  Separate ingredients can be refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for six months (blinis) or three months (smoked salmon)

Although you can refrigerate or freeze the separate ingredients, don't prep until you're just about to serve them to give you time to toast the blinis and avoid the crème fraiche making them soggy.

Pigs in blankets

Make in advance? Yes

How to store: Keep refrigerated for three to four days in advance (fresh or cooked) or in the freezer for up to three months

You can freeze raw pigs in blankets you've made from uncooked sausages and bacon for up to three months - just flash freeze them first so they don't stick together, and store in an airtight container.

If you want to cook them first, they can be frozen for the same amount of time. However, when you get them out of the freezer to reheat and serve up on Christmas Day, you may find they're at risk of overcooking and drying out.

Shop ahead for the individual ingredients, too, if you spot a bargain. Tom Kerridge says: 'If there is an offer on bacon, get it and freeze it then you can make your own pigs in blankets when the time comes. Little things like that can really help save money.'

Christmas pudding 

Make in advance? Yes 

How to store: Three to six months in a cool, dry place or freeze for up to a year

Some say it's actually better if you cook and store your Christmas pud in advance - especially if you regularly 'feed' it with brandy or sherry.

In her recipe for Christmas pudding, Mary Berry says you can store your cooked pudding in a cool place for up to three months if it's covered with greaseproof paper and foil, while Nigella Lawson says her pud can be made up to six weeks ahead of Christmas.

Once made, keep it somewhere cool - Delia Smith says under the bed in an unheated bedroom is 'an ideal place' for it.

How to make Christmas pudding - advice on perfecting yours, plus a failsafe recipe.

Mince pies 

Make in advance? Yes

How to store: Up to one week in an airtight container (cooked) or freeze for up to three months (cooked or raw pastry)

If you're cooking your own, they won't keep for as long as shop-bought ones, which contain preservatives.

Mince pies made with traditional shortcrust pastry can be frozen either cooked or raw, according to award-winning baker and Which? expert Dan Lepard. If you're using puff pastry, freeze them uncooked and bake on the day for best results.

How to make mince pies - follow our basic recipe and get tips from the best, including Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood.

Christmas freezer and food storage tips

• Free up freezer space now. In the run-up to Christmas, try eating from the freezer a few times a week.
• Label food you're freezing. Use a freezer-proof marker pen to write the date and contents on containers or freezer bags.
• Get the air out. Air getting to food can cause it to spoil in the freezer, so use tightly sealed containers. Once you've put food in a freezer bag, lower it into a bowl of warm water so the air is forced out before you seal it.
• Defrost thoroughly. It generally takes longer than you think. For example, thoroughly defrosting most turkeys can take three to five days (that's four days for a 6-7kg bird, or 10-12 hours per kg).

Are air fryers the best and cheapest ways to cook vegetables? Find great tips on prepping your side dishes.