A ‘super prepper mum’ has already made her Christmas dinner ahead of the big day, freezing everything and heating it up on the day.
Claire Gillies, 45, has admitted that for years she has made her Christmas dinner over a month in advance, leaving her very little to do on December 25.
Claire says she does this so that she can spend more time with her loved ones on Christmas morning, instead of endlessly peeling and chopping.
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Some would say it’s genius, but what difference does this make to the actual taste?
Well, she says everything tastes the exact same, if not better!
Talking about her potatoes, she said: “With potatoes, it's the same kind of concept as when you have triple-cooked chips.
“You stop the cooking process when you freeze them.
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“I can't tell the difference between the roast potatoes that I have made this way and those I've made on the day.
“I think with some things like mince pies and cranberry sauce, they actually taste better when they are prepared so far in advance.”
We have a sneaky suspicion that Claire might actually be onto something here!
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She continued: “It started when my husband and I got our first house, we had a very small kitchen, and I didn't have enough space to cook everything on Christmas Day - then I just realised how much easier it made my life.
“When the children were little, it meant that I wasn't tied to the kitchen - I could be there opening presents with them and we could go for a dog walk on Christmas morning.”
This all just sounds too good to be true!
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Talking about the process, she says: "I write down all the timings too.
“I make a list, which saves me time when it comes to defrosting everything I need. So the turkey just goes in the oven and it cooks. Then I'll take the turkey out and let it rest.
“While it's resting, I will cook everything else. So there is actually no prep to do on Christmas Day.
“It is just a case of heating up and cooking things.”
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Sharing her life hack, she created three top tips for anyone wanting to hop on board the prep-a-month-in-advance-train…
- Free up space in your freezer so you have room for your feast - use up everything in the lead-up to the big day
- Label everything because some things might end up looking different once they've been frozen
- Invest in good quality-containers and bags
Will you be adopting this method this year?
Topics: Christmas, Food and Drink, Hacks, Parenting, Life
Mia Williams