If you are hosting Christmas this year, I am going to make the food super simple for you. Here are 12 recipes that you can make ahead of time and freeze. You can even print the grocery list below!
Why Make-Ahead and Freeze?
- You can take care of the food now and cross it off your “to-do” list.
- You’ll be able to serve delicious food with minimal effort.
- You’ll be able to enjoy the holidays stress-free.
Bonus: None of these recipes require any cooking ahead of time, so they’re super easy to prep and won’t taste like leftovers at all. Yippee!
Here’s the Meal Plan:
- Breakfast – Ham and Veggie Strata
- Appetizers – Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese, Slow Cooker Cocktail Meatballs, and Slow Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Main Dishes – Honey Glazed Ham and Lasagna (I think it would be great to save the lasagna for the day-after Christmas)
- Side Dishes – Cheesy Corn Casserole, Cheesy Veggie Casserole with Cracker Topping, Roasted Green Beans, and Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
- Desserts – Frozen Peppermint Pie and Oreo Triple Layer Pie
Simple, right? You can even freeze them in disposable pans for easy clean-up.
Add a bag of rolls and dinner is done.
Here are the step-by-step directions for freezing and cooking each dish as well as a full grocery list: CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPES AND GROCERY LIST
Here’s how to cook your meals to make the day run seamlessly:
- Day before Christmas – Move all dishes to refrigerator to thaw (except pies). Make slow cooker cranberry sauce and store in fridge.
- Christmas morning – Bake breakfast strata and honey glazed ham.
- Three hours before guests arrive – Add cocktail meatballs and spinach artichoke dip to slow cookers.
- Thirty minutes before guests arrive – Bake bacon-wrapped dates and put out all appetizers.
- An hour before dinner – Bake cheesy corn casserole, cheesy vegetable casserole, green beans, and lasagna (if serving with dinner).
- Dinner time – Remove pies from freezer to thaw slightly and serve main dishes and sides.
Then, sit back and enjoy the day, Friends! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
Have quick question… I always serve Pineapple Stuffing casseroIe for our Christmas Eve Ham dinner… This year, I would like to prepare, freeze, thaw and bake Christmas Eve… Do you think it would work??? Thank You…
PS. The ingredients are butter or spread, Splenda, canned pineapple, egg, bread cubes and cinnamon…
This is great! Thank you! Quick questions do you thaw the strata before baking?
The spinach lasagna is delicious. I just made one for dinner and one for the freezer. Bravo! Thanks for sharing delicious make ahead meals. Another benefit is I am able to help out sick friends with handy frozen crock pot meals they can prepare when they are ready. Now I can cook when I have the time, and not feel pressured. You have changed the way I cook.
Ditto!
THANKS FOR THIS, IT’S VERY HELPFUL…I CAN’T FORGET ONE THING, LIKE I USUALLY DO AND HAVE TO MAKE 3-4 TRIPS TO THE STORE…HAHAHAHA LOL
THANK-YOU