12 preparations to make in advance for your Christmas meal to save time and money

Preparing for Christmas is not easy. Between decorating the tree and the house and developing the festive menu, the period can be stressful and the desire to get ahead is often strong. Are you afraid of being overwhelmed by events? We have the solution: opt for Christmas batch cooking!

This cooking technique, which consists of preparing the elements of your meals in advance, saves time while making money… Because yes, no more waste when you anticipate! Aperitifs, starters, main courses, and even desserts, there is no shortage of ideas for preparing a party menu in advance and saving time in the kitchen. We give you our favorite tips and recipes!

And for even more ideas for your festive meal, take a look at our dedicated Christmas page!

As an aperitif, and particularly at Christmas, we like to offer sweet treats and delicate, gourmet and festive bites. Most can be prepared in advance and even frozen! They are perfect allies for a hassle-free party aperitif. We are thinking in particular of small puff pastries (classic, star-shaped or fir-shaped, etc.) or mini verrines…

Likewise, on the drinks side, you can anticipate purchases to still take advantage of the Black Friday offers in November, but also prepare your cocktails in advance to give them time to flavor. For example, you can infuse rosemary sprigs, citrus zest and cranberries in rum or gin to create a base for gourmet cocktails.

If you don’t necessarily have time to make your own smoked salmon at home, you might like to make a gourmet, ready-in-advance starter with this fish. For this, we recommend gravlax, a specialty from Scandinavian countries. These thin slices of salt-cooked salmon are prepared in advance to give it time to absorb the flavors. We reveal our recipe to you!

Are you team foie gras at Christmas? Do it yourself, it’s very simple, as long as you know the right tips. This recipe, presenting in video the best way to make homemade duck foie grasmust be made at least 48 hours before the meal. Practical !

And if you prefer soups and soups for your starter, know that they are totally suitable for exercise. You can prepare them in advance then freeze them in a suitable container until the big day. We particularly love those made from squash like this butternut recipe…

Finally, if you plan to serve scallops for your festive starter, don’t hesitate to buy them now because their price tends to soar as the holidays approach. Then all you have to do is freeze them and defrost them in milk the day before the big day!

Of course, it is possible to prepare certain preparations in advance which will save you precious time on Christmas Day. We think in particular of the sauces and other broths necessary for your dishes, but also elements like puff pastry, if you plan to serve a beef Wellington for example.

Likewise, tart shells and pies, even filled ones, freeze very well. Just remember to take them out the day before New Year’s Eve so that these preparations can slowly return to temperature in the refrigerator.

Of course, shortbread cookies and other chocolate truffles can be made throughout the month of December. It’s a delicious way to get the whole family into the holiday spirit. Our favorite? These vanilla Christmas cookies and these chocolate/coconut truffles.

Finally, if you want to start making a log, don’t neglect the importance of preparing the elements making it up in advance, particularly if it is glazed. For example, you can make the insert and the decorative elements a few days before, they freeze very well, quite the contrary.