Easy Christmas dinner method saves time for ‘sipping champagne’

If you’re the one tasked with preparing the Christmas dinner, there are countless things to remember.

However, Clare, who shares her culinary tips on TikTok under the handle @deliciousandreal, suggests doing some prep work beforehand to make your life easier.

This way, she says, you’ll have more time for “sipping champagne and eating canapes” – instead of being the only family member slaving away in the kitchen.

“Why not get all the Christmas peeling and chopping out of the way now?” the savvy home cook suggested.

She revealed this can be done sooner rather than later to ease your workload and reduce stress on December 25.

She added: “It’s one of the most time-consuming parts of Christmas dinner and leads to multiple pans to wash up afterwards. For my carrots and parsnips, I’ve peeled, chopped, and parboiled them.

“I then arranged them on a tray and froze. Once frozen, I transferred them to freezer bags. On Christmas Day, you can cook them from frozen in hot oil.”

Clare also mentioned she likes to add some “honey and herbs” to her vegetables to give the festive meal an extra touch of flair – but you can use whatever you prefer.

In the caption of the video, she also highlighted: “A little prep now means that you can spread the cost of Christmas dinner and save yourself time and effort over the festive period.”

She explained you’ll need 600g carrots and 600g parsnips, 30g of butter, and three tablespoons of runny honey. She also gave a blow-by-blow account about what you’re supposed to do with the carrots and parsnips to ensure a hassle-free Christmas.

Clare wrote: “1. Put the carrots and parsnips into a large pan of cold salted water and bring to the boil. 2. Boil for 6 minutes and then drain in a colander and leave to steam-dry for a few minutes. 3. Lay out in a single layer on a baking tray to dry out and cool completely. 4. Place in the freezer for a couple of hours, then put in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.”

When it’s December 25, and you’re ready to cook the carrots and parsnips, Clare said: “1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. 2. Place the butter and honey on a large baking tray or in a roasting tin and heat in the oven for 5 minutes. 3. Tip the frozen veg into the tray and baste in the honey and butter. 4. Season with salt and pepper. 5. Roast for 30 minutes.”

It should make Christmas that little bit easier, and it’ll give you more time to focus on the turkey that’s cooking in the oven. Just sure you don’t burn it…