Christmas dinner make-ahead plan and Christmas Eve prep
Almost all of Christmas dinner can be made before the day, so Christmas morning is just the turkey and the roasting. Here’s what to make when, how to store it, and a Christmas Eve checklist.
What you can make ahead
| Dish | How far ahead | Keep it | On the day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravy | Up to 1 month | Frozen, made with roasted chicken wings or giblets | Thaw overnight, reheat and add the turkey juices |
| Stuffing balls | Up to 1 month | Frozen raw on a tray, then bagged | Roast from frozen at 200°C (180°C fan) for 30–35 min |
| Pigs in blankets | Up to 1 month | Frozen raw | Roast from frozen at 200°C (180°C fan) for 35–40 min |
| Roast potatoes | Up to 1 month | Parboiled, roughed up and frozen on a tray | Roast from frozen in hot fat at 220°C (200°C fan) for 50–60 min |
| Red cabbage | Up to 1 month, or 3 days | Cooked; frozen or in the fridge | Reheat on the hob or in the microwave |
| Bread sauce | Up to 1 month, or 2 days | Frozen or in the fridge | Reheat gently with a splash of milk |
| Cranberry sauce | Up to 1 week | In the fridge | Serve cold or at room temperature |
| Brandy butter | Up to 2 weeks | In the fridge | Take out 30 min before serving |
| Parsnips and carrots | Christmas Eve | Peeled and cut, in a bag in the fridge | Roast or boil |
| Sprouts | Christmas Eve | Trimmed, in a bag in the fridge | Boil, steam or pan-fry |
Christmas Eve checklist
- The turkey: take off the wrapping, take out the giblets (for the gravy), pat it dry, then back in the fridge on a tray, uncovered on the bottom shelf. If it was frozen, check it has thawed: the legs move freely and there’s no ice inside.
- Potatoes: peel and cut them and keep them in cold water in the fridge, or parboil, rough up and cool them, ready to roast.
- Veg: peel and cut the carrots and parsnips; trim the sprouts. Bag them up in the fridge.
- Pigs in blankets and stuffing: wrap and roll them, if they’re not already in the freezer, and keep them covered on a tray in the fridge.
- Thaw: move anything you froze (gravy, bread sauce, red cabbage) to the fridge.
- Butter: mix soft butter with herbs, garlic or lemon zest to go under the turkey skin.
- Kit: check the turkey fits the tin and the tin fits the oven, the shelves are where you need them, and the thermometer works.
- The table: lay it tonight, with serving dishes and spoons.
- The timeline: write down what goes in when, or use the Christmas dinner timings planner, and stick it on the fridge.
Christmas morning
Take the turkey out of the fridge an hour before it goes in, heat the oven, and put the turkey in at the time on your plan. Everything else waits until the turkey comes out to rest, when the oven goes up to 220°C (200°C fan) for the potatoes, parsnips, pigs in blankets and stuffing.
Questions
Can you make roast potatoes the day before?
Yes: parboil them, rough them up, cool them and keep them in the fridge, then roast them in hot fat on the day, adding 10 minutes. Or freeze them and roast from frozen.
Can I cook the turkey the day before?
You can, but it’s never as good reheated. Better to cook it on the day and use its resting time to cook everything else.
Can I prepare sprouts the day before?
Yes: trim them on Christmas Eve and keep them in a bag in the fridge. Don’t cook them until just before dinner.
Can you freeze gravy?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Make it with roasted chicken wings, onions and stock, freeze it, then add the turkey juices on the day.
Times are a guide: ovens and joints vary. Always check meat with a thermometer before serving. FeastFlow’s times come from British Turkey, AHDB and USDA guidance, last checked 11 November 2026.