12 Jamie Oliver Make-Ahead Christmas Recipes

The secret to enjoying Christmas Day is getting as much done as possible before it arrives. These twelve recipes, inspired by Jamie Oliver’s practical, get-ahead approach, can all be made, prepped or frozen days or even weeks in advance, covering the gravy, potatoes, red cabbage, stuffing, the main event, a starter, sides and two puddings.

Each recipe tells you exactly how far ahead you can go and what to do on the day. With these ticked off, Christmas morning becomes a simple matter of oven timings, leaving you free to enjoy the day with everyone else.

1. Make-Ahead Gravy

Roasted chicken wings and vegetables give this gravy a deep flavour without needing the turkey. Make it up to a month ahead and freeze, then add the tin juices on the day.

Servings: 10 (about 1 litre) · Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1kg chicken wings
• 2 onions, quartered
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 1.5 litres chicken stock
• 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan), gas mark 6. Roast the wings, vegetables and rosemary in the oil for 1 hour until dark golden.
2. Set the tin on the hob, stir in the flour, then gradually add the stock, scraping up the sticky bits. Simmer for 20 minutes, mashing everything.
3. Strain, stir in the cranberry sauce and season.
4. Cool and chill for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat until piping hot and whisk in the turkey juices.

2. Freezer Roast Potatoes

Par-boil, rough up and freeze the potatoes weeks ahead, then roast them straight from frozen on the day. They come out just as crisp as freshly made ones.

Servings: 8 · Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus freezing

Ingredients

• 2kg floury potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 tbsp semolina
• 8 tbsp olive oil or goose fat
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• Sea salt

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes, drain, steam dry, add the semolina and shake to rough up.
2. Cool on a tray, open-freeze until solid, then bag up and freeze for up to 1 month.
3. On the day, preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan), gas mark 7 and heat the fat in a large tin for 10 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes from frozen and roast for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, adding the rosemary for the last 15 minutes. Season with salt.

3. Make-Ahead Red Cabbage with Clementine

Red cabbage braised with clementine and cinnamon gets better the longer it sits. Make it up to three days ahead or freeze it for a month.

Servings: 8 · Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 red cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 eating apples, grated
• Zest and juice of 3 clementines
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 25g butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Put everything in a large casserole with a splash of water and season.
2. Cover and cook gently on the hob or in the oven at 160°C (140°C fan), gas mark 3 for 1 hour 30 minutes until soft and glossy.
3. Remove the cinnamon, cool and chill or freeze. Reheat until piping hot.

4. Chestnut and Sage Stuffing Log

Rolling the stuffing into a log means you can freeze it weeks ahead and simply slice and bake on the day. Chestnuts give it a lovely festive texture.

Servings: 8 · Total time: 1 hour, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 50g butter
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 200g fresh breadcrumbs
• 200g cooked peeled chestnuts, chopped
• Small bunch fresh sage, chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Soften the onions in the butter for 10 minutes and cool.
2. Mix with the breadcrumbs, chestnuts, sage, lemon zest and egg and season well.
3. Shape into a log, wrap tightly in buttered foil and chill for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
4. Bake in the foil at 200°C (180°C fan), gas mark 6 for 25 minutes, open the foil and bake for 10 minutes more until golden and piping hot. Slice to serve.

5. Prep-Ahead Turkey Crown with Herb Butter

Buttering and dressing the crown the day before means it goes straight into the oven on Christmas morning. The herb butter seasons the meat overnight too.

Servings: 6–8 · Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes, plus resting

Ingredients

• 1 x 2.5kg turkey crown
• 100g butter, softened
• Small bunch each fresh parsley and thyme, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 onions, sliced
• 200ml chicken stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. The day before, mix the butter with the herbs, garlic, lemon zest and seasoning. Spread under and over the skin, sit the crown on the onions in a tin, cover and chill.
2. On the day, remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan), gas mark 5.
3. Add the stock and roast, loosely covered with foil, for about 1 hour 30 minutes, uncovering for the last 30 minutes, until the breast reaches 75°C.
4. Rest for 30 minutes before carving.

6. Cranberry and Orange Sauce

Homemade cranberry sauce takes ten minutes and keeps for a week in the fridge or months in the freezer. Make a double batch for gifts.

Servings: 8 · Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 300g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 125g light brown sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. Simmer everything with a splash of water for 8–10 minutes until most berries burst.
2. Remove the cinnamon stick and cool.
3. Keep in a jar in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.

7. Make-Ahead Beef Wellington

Assembling the Wellington the day before actually helps, as chilling keeps the pastry crisp. On the day it just needs glazing and baking.

Servings: 6 · Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 1kg centre-cut beef fillet
• Olive oil
• 1 tbsp English mustard
• 500g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 6 slices turkey bacon
• 500g block puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Sear the seasoned beef in a little oil until browned all over. Brush with mustard and cool.
2. Fry the mushrooms, garlic and thyme until dry, season and cool.
3. Lay the turkey bacon on cling film, spread with the mushrooms, add the beef and roll tightly. Chill, then wrap in the pastry, seal with egg and chill for up to 24 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan), gas mark 7. Brush with egg, score and bake for 40–45 minutes until golden and the centre reaches at least 63°C. Rest for 10 minutes.

8. Smoked Mackerel Pâté

A punchy pâté of smoked mackerel, crème fraîche, lemon and horseradish is ready in minutes and keeps for two days. It makes an easy starter or party nibble.

Servings: 6 · Total time: 10 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 250g smoked mackerel fillets, skinned
• 200g crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp hot horseradish sauce
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Small bunch fresh dill or chives, chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Flake the mackerel into a bowl, checking for bones.
2. Mash with the crème fraîche, horseradish, lemon zest and juice until fairly smooth.
3. Stir in the herbs, season with pepper and chill for up to 2 days. Serve with toast.

9. Make-Ahead Cauliflower Cheese

Assemble this bubbling cauliflower cheese up to two days ahead and bake it alongside the roast. Including the leaves gives extra crispy bits.

Servings: 8 · Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, in florets, leaves kept
• 50g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 600ml whole milk
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 150g mature Cheddar, grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the cauliflower and leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain well and place in a dish.
2. Make a sauce with the butter, flour and milk, add the mustard and most of the cheese and season.
3. Pour over, top with the remaining cheese, cool, cover and chill for up to 2 days.
4. Bake at 200°C (180°C fan), gas mark 6 for 35–40 minutes until golden and piping hot.

10. Make-Ahead Raspberry Trifle

A trifle actually benefits from being made the day before, as the layers settle and the flavours meld. Raspberries and custard make a classic combination.

Servings: 10 · Total time: 30 minutes, plus chilling

Ingredients

• 250g plain sponge cake, sliced
• 4 tbsp raspberry jam
• 150ml fresh orange juice
• 400g raspberries (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
• 500ml ready-made fresh custard
• 400ml double cream
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 25g flaked almonds, toasted

Instructions

1. Spread the sponge with jam, arrange in a glass bowl and spoon over the orange juice.
2. Add most of the raspberries, then pour over the custard. Chill for 2 hours.
3. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and spread on top. Chill for up to 24 hours.
4. Decorate with the remaining raspberries and the almonds just before serving.

11. Chocolate Torte

This rich, fudgy chocolate torte is made with ground almonds and keeps for three days, so it is perfect to bake ahead. A small slice goes a long way.

Servings: 12 · Total time: 1 hour, plus cooling

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 150g butter
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 150g caster sugar
• 100g ground almonds
• Zest of 1 orange
• Cocoa powder, to dust
• Crème fraîche, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan), gas mark 4. Grease and line a 23cm springform tin.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together and cool slightly. Whisk the yolks with the sugar until pale, then stir in the chocolate, almonds and orange zest.
3. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold in gently.
4. Bake for 35–40 minutes until set with a slight wobble. Cool in the tin, dust with cocoa and serve with crème fraîche. Keep covered for up to 3 days.

12. Classic Bread Sauce

Creamy bread sauce infused with clove and bay keeps well in the fridge for two days. Loosen with a splash of milk when you reheat it.

Servings: 8 · Total time: 30 minutes, plus infusing

Ingredients

• 1 onion, halved and studded with 6 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 600ml whole milk
• 100g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 25g butter
• Pinch of grated nutmeg
• Salt and white pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the onion, bay and milk until just boiling, then cover and infuse for 1 hour.
2. Remove the onion and bay, stir in the breadcrumbs and simmer for 5 minutes until thick.
3. Add the butter and nutmeg and season. Cool and chill for up to 2 days, then reheat until piping hot.