It is a universal truth that preparing a Christmas lunch or dinner can bring untold stress to the home cook. Stay sane with these make-ahead Christmas recipes – their components can be prepared days in advance and, for the most part, refrigerated or frozen until you’re ready to serve.
From simple make-ahead Christmas dinner ideas such as cured seafood, vibrant salads, and terrines to easy make-ahead Christmas desserts in the form of trifles in a glass dish, tarts and a semifreddo cake dessert – these are the make-ahead dishes for Christmas that you can make ahead of time and simply assemble or pop in the oven. And they’re guaranteed to keep your guests well-fed while allowing you to escape the kitchen unscathed.
These are our best make-ahead Christmas recipes.
Scallop crudo by Leonardo’s Pizza Palace
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Prawn and avocado salad with spiced tomato dressing
Rockmelon, lime and poppy-seed prawn cocktails
Turkey and pistachio terrine with pickled nectarines
Crab crostini by Leonardo’s Pizza Palace
White fish crudo with avocado, herbs and cucumber-lime dressing
Citrus-cured salmon with horseradish cream and bagels
Fleet’s cured mackerel with tomatoes and sourdough bread
Asian-style cured trout with rice paper crackers
Smoked ocean trout with beans, peas and mint
Mike McEnearney’s fig salad with roast onions, walnuts and radicchio
Roast ocean trout with cucumber and preserved lemon salad
Green beans with tarragon, preserved lemon and fried almonds
Simple tomato and onion salad with vincotto dressing
White Christmas with sour cherries, almonds and Grand Marnier
Mango macadamia merveilleux with Dulcey cream
Jaclyn Koludrovic’s gluten-free lemon verbena, white chocolate and fig tart
AP Bakery’s buckwheat ginger biscuits for Christmas
Sparkling shiraz jelly with almond granita
Mango, macadamia and spiced white chocolate pavlova wreath
Pistachio and rose roulade with lychees and raspberries
David Moyle’s sparkling shiraz and vanilla ice-cream spider
White chocolate and raspberry ice-cream choux stack
Flour and Stone’s trifle with madeleines, lemon curd and peaches
Lauren Eldridge’s apricot, honey, coffee and macadamia trifle
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