I've never had much luck with freezing roasted potatoes. When I defrost them are they often watery /soggy. What am I doing wrong? A tip for anyone who has limp celery and you're not planning to cook it, just stand or soak it in water and it will crisp right up! Everyone has their own way of doing things. My mother-in-law used to swear that if there was too much water in the pot, the boiled veg and potato would loose all their flavour. Not sure if that's true, but I do keep it in mind. I have used stock when making rice, but never thought of it with potatoes. Looks lovely. Yesterday I made my stuffing, cranberry sauce and one dessert. More desserts to do. I usually do my turkey the day before, carve it and put it into the fridge in the crock liner with a bit of the drippings, while I make the gravy from the rest of the drippings, and boil the rack to freeze the stock. Next day, I just plug in in the crockpot a couple of hours before dinner, and heat up the gravy while I do the veg. I love mince pie, but in my family I am the only one, and I have never made the rum and brandy filling from scratch. Thanks for showing me how it's done. It was always my mom's tradition, but this year I'm doing something completely different and making a black forest cake, which the kids will love instead. I always marvel at the amount of work that can go into a meal that's eaten in minutes :) xo
Brilliant video. I didn’t realise it was possible to prepare and freeze the potatoes, carrots & parsnips. A couple of weeks ago I made some mincemeat without peel (I can’t stand it), the recipe I found used vegetable suet and wasn’t cooked but I bet the butter will be tasty. I will try your way next time. Thank you Mandy.🇬🇧
Wish I thought about prepping when my girls were children back in the 90's, the only thing I don't prep weeks in advance is the potatoes and meat. Now we have our Christmas Dinner Christmas eve, I make loads so we got a choice of another roast dinner or bubble and squeak with cold meat, that way I have a chilled day and not stress about the Christmas day dinner
I should do this. I peel the veggies etc but do everything on the big day. This is so much more sensible. Trouble is finding room in the freezer lol. xx
Hi Mandy, Wow never realised how easy it was to make your own Mince Pies, I'm trying that one thanks for sharing your recipe, I have my elderly parents over for Christmas Day, So your Prepping ahead is a fantastic Idea, But what I am going to do is have a go at your gravy, That looks amazing. x
I’ve been doing this for years, it’s just so time saving. I also blanch my sprouts and freeze in ziplock bag, cook and mash swede and make stuffing, pigs in blankets. It’s a game changer.
Hi there. I get what you are doing. Very smart. Unfortunately for me i have excellent cooks in my family and i am cooking non stop the day before and the day of. It just has to be this way. However at some point i will try this way at least a couple of dishes.
Try harrowing the spuds with a fork then salting before coating with the duck fat. I’d add a dusting of starch (corn, potato, rice; ideally real corn starch/flour) to the moister varieties of spuds..
watching again from New Zealand where Christmas is quite different because it is summer not like the old days in the UK where I lived until I was 73. I celebrated my 90th birthday two weeks ago having said that I watched and enjoyed your preparation ready for the big day and I look forward to the next stage
You guys are so well organized, I just watched Helen Mary Jo do the same thing. I remember my mom making mincemeat, she put all the fruit, and suet through the grinder,and didn’t cook it till it was in the pies, and I really loved it.😊
Delicious video Thankyou Do you boil up the turkey giblets with your gravy ingredients it gives a really good turkey flavour & then remove as you did with the strainer . Also , some mincemeats have a little suet in have you ever done that . Again a fab video take care xx
Yummy, yummy... Mands! I've never given it a thought to cook up everything 3 weeks or so beforehand. It'll make Christmas Dinner so much easier to serve on the big day. Is there anything that can't be frozen, or anything that you wouldn't recommend freezing? x
I always squash everything when serving including the chicken wings you get lots of juices if you do that you probably would have got half again doing it that way 👍
Hello, I absolutely love mincemeat and our local grocery ( I live in the US)actually had a brand from England and I purchased it. However, it tasted just like vinegar...it should not right? Anyway I returned it, so disappointed because I thought what a Christmas treat.
brilliant i cany wait for xmas, i coming off keto on the 22nd, so i can get used to the shock o carbs, because on xmas day, i having all the things, xxx
TBH I always use boiling water when doing roast potatoes, never thought of adding a stock cube to the water tho, I'll have to add chicken stock pot to the shopping list and try it.
Thank you so very much Amanda. You are amazing. Definitely great way of taking care of Christmas dinner 🎉🎉. ❤ and don’t ever apologize for your washing machine as we all have to do it and not all of us have the luxury of a utility room. Those roast potatoes look amazing
What a good idea save time on Christmas day
Really useful tips for saving time on the day ❤
What a great video, many thanks for that.
Thank you so much for sharing your tips for Christmas prep 🙏🤶 it will save a lot of faff on the big day x
Sprouts for me yum 😊
Really helpful and will really help me on the day. Thank you x
Carrotts are already sweet !
I've never had much luck with freezing roasted potatoes. When I defrost them are they often watery /soggy. What am I doing wrong?
A tip for anyone who has limp celery and you're not planning to cook it, just stand or soak it in water and it will crisp right up!
Everyone has their own way of doing things. My mother-in-law used to swear that if there was too much water in the pot, the boiled veg and potato would loose all their flavour. Not sure if that's true, but I do keep it in mind.
I have used stock when making rice, but never thought of it with potatoes. Looks lovely.
Yesterday I made my stuffing, cranberry sauce and one dessert. More desserts to do.
I usually do my turkey the day before, carve it and put it into the fridge in the crock liner with a bit of the drippings, while I make the gravy from the rest of the drippings, and boil the rack to freeze the stock. Next day, I just plug in in the crockpot a couple of hours before dinner, and heat up the gravy while I do the veg.
I love mince pie, but in my family I am the only one, and I have never made the rum and brandy filling from scratch. Thanks for showing me how it's done. It was always my mom's tradition, but this year I'm doing something completely different and making a black forest cake, which the kids will love instead.
I always marvel at the amount of work that can go into a meal that's eaten in minutes :)
xo
Enjoyed that, thank you 😊
Masterclass! I'm dribbling into my beard! 😊😊
This is fantastic mandy...so much information.....ive learnt so much from you...your a gem 💎 xx
Love your gravy base Mand - in fact, I’ve loved every thing you shown. Never done my own mincemeat, so I’ll be giving that a go ❤️
Great idea Mand, looks like a lovely Christmas spread love 😊❤
P.s., I hate my washing machine song lol it gets stuck in my head arghhhh!! 😅
Brilliant video. I didn’t realise it was possible to prepare and freeze the potatoes, carrots & parsnips. A couple of weeks ago I made some mincemeat without peel (I can’t stand it), the recipe I found used vegetable suet and wasn’t cooked but I bet the butter will be tasty. I will try your way next time. Thank you Mandy.🇬🇧
Our Turkey was having its breakfast with us last year on Christmas Day!
Well prepared there Mand not like me everything a rush on Christmas morning parsnips with honey best part of Christmas 🎁⛄
Thank you for the video, very good tips there never thought of prepping the carrots and parsnips like that before. ❤❤
Wish I thought about prepping when my girls were children back in the 90's, the only thing I don't prep weeks in advance is the potatoes and meat. Now we have our Christmas Dinner Christmas eve, I make loads so we got a choice of another roast dinner or bubble and squeak with cold meat, that way I have a chilled day and not stress about the Christmas day dinner
I start my Christmas preparations in late October, when I put the sprouts on to boil. 😉
I should do this. I peel the veggies etc but do everything on the big day. This is so much more sensible. Trouble is finding room in the freezer lol. xx
Thank you great video ❤
Thoroughly enjoyed this video, Mand. Thank you so much. x
Hi Mandy, Wow never realised how easy it was to make your own Mince Pies, I'm trying that one thanks for sharing your recipe, I have my elderly parents over for Christmas Day, So your Prepping ahead is a fantastic Idea, But what I am going to do is have a go at your gravy, That looks amazing. x
Loved this - when you were making the mincemeat my mouth was watering I could almost smell it. Thank you so much x
Lovely job Mandy,your a great cook 😊
You certainly are an amazing cook I will be using your tips that’s for sure excellent work and thank you
Omg. Absolutely amazing. I’ll not be buying the bisto this year Amanda ❤. Thanks so very much. X
I’ve been doing this for years, it’s just so time saving. I also blanch my sprouts and freeze in ziplock bag, cook and mash swede and make stuffing, pigs in blankets. It’s a game changer.
Hi there. I get what you are doing. Very smart. Unfortunately for me i have excellent cooks in my family and i am cooking non stop the day before and the day of. It just has to be this way. However at some point i will try this way at least a couple of dishes.
Ya washer plays music .. Quality
Love it Amanda. Thank you x
I miss my Samsung washing machine!
Great tips for getting prepared for the big day. Thank you x
Try harrowing the spuds with a fork then salting before coating with the duck fat. I’d add a dusting of starch (corn, potato, rice; ideally real corn starch/flour) to the moister varieties of spuds..
watching again from New Zealand where Christmas is quite different because it is summer not like the old days in the UK where I lived until I was 73. I celebrated my 90th birthday two weeks ago having said that I watched and enjoyed your preparation ready for the big day and I look forward to the next stage
You guys are so well organized, I just watched Helen Mary Jo do the same thing. I remember my mom making mincemeat, she put all the fruit, and suet through the grinder,and didn’t cook it till it was in the pies, and I really loved it.😊
Lovely video again. Keep them coming sweetheart. Xx
Delicious video Thankyou
Do you boil up the turkey giblets with your gravy ingredients it gives a really good turkey flavour & then remove as you did with the strainer . Also , some mincemeats have a little suet in have you ever done that . Again a fab video take care xx
Thank you xx
Really enjoyed your flog tonight lots of useful hints Well done Mandy xxx
great video
Yummy, yummy... Mands!
I've never given it a thought to cook up everything 3 weeks or so beforehand. It'll make Christmas Dinner so much easier to serve on the big day.
Is there anything that can't be frozen, or anything that you wouldn't recommend freezing? x
I always squash everything when serving including the chicken wings you get lots of juices if you do that you probably would have got half again doing it that way 👍
i was just wondering about the potatoes discolouring because of the lack of liquid? Tho i am very tempted to try it !!
Thank you Mandy this is so helpful ❤😊
Thanks Amanda. Really enjoyed the video 🎉. Amazing.
Hello, I absolutely love mincemeat and our local grocery ( I live in the US)actually had a brand from England and I purchased it. However, it tasted just like vinegar...it should not right? Anyway I returned it, so disappointed because I thought what a Christmas treat.
Your videos are so lovely. I love that your washer is going into orbit just like mine does. X
Did you par boil the parsnips before you put them in the foil pan?
interesting
brilliant i cany wait for xmas, i coming off keto on the 22nd, so i can get used to the shock o carbs, because on xmas day, i having all the things, xxx
TBH I always use boiling water when doing roast potatoes, never thought of adding a stock cube to the water tho, I'll have to add chicken stock pot to the shopping list and try it.
Get the sprouts on to boil.
How many you do dinner for
How do you find Ian's channel please x
A whole dinner can be spoilt with poor gravy but no chance here .That gravy will be delicious.
Thank you so very much Amanda. You are amazing. Definitely great way of taking care of Christmas dinner 🎉🎉. ❤ and don’t ever apologize for your washing machine as we all have to do it and not all of us have the luxury of a utility room. Those roast potatoes look amazing
I've done that gravy base Mand. I usually leave the seive drain over the bowl then squeeze any juices out when it's cooled