Brad cooks

Simplify your holiday meal prep with creative, festive dishes that you can make ahead of time.

Story by Lynn Haley and Brad Smoliak - photography by John Ulan

Feeling pressure with the crowd coming for the annual sit-down holiday meal? Blow it off ? by doing nothing but the turkey on the big day. It may be hard to believe, but with the right techniques, you can prepare many of your holiday dishes well in advance without compromising on flavour or texture. At the same time, it gives you the perfect excuse to tune up your traditional menu and try something a little outside of the ordinary this year.

For instance, mashed potatoes and gravy are a familiar and comforting holiday pair that can both be prepared weeks ahead of time. If you want to able to freeze your mashed potatoes, it?s as simple as adding a container of cream cheese to the final product. Mash them as you normally would, then whip in your secret ingredient. Even after freezing, the cream cheese will keep the texture smooth and creamy. Take the potatoes out of the freezer the night before your meal and refrigerate. Then, all you have to do the day of your meal is take your potatoes out of the fridge and reheat by covering with foil in a 350?F (175?C) oven for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring if necessary.

Of course, it?s important to follow some potato basics to make sure they turn out great. Choose russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, since they are your best bets for mashing. A couple of other tips: Bring the potatoes to a full boil, then turn the temperature down. That way, potatoes won?t absorb too much water and fall apart. Also, heat up the butter and cream you mix in with the mashed potatoes to prevent them from losing too much heat. If you want to spice things up, add mixed sweet potatoes to your regular spuds for a festive flair. Or you can try adding roasted garlic, fresh herbs, grated sharp cheddar cheese, horseradish or chopped spinach for some additional flavour.

Similarly, you can get a head start on your gravy. Making gravy is often one of the last kitchen tasks of the day because you need the drippings after the turkey is cooked, so shortcuts can be a great stress reducer. The next time you roast poultry, make extra gravy and freeze it. On the day of your holiday celebration, thaw the gravy and add in the new drippings. If you need to add some substance, mix a tablespoon of flour with a tablespoon of butter, whisk it in and stir until thickened. Cook at least five to 10 minutes and increase proportions as needed. If your gravy needs a little colour, add a few drops of soy sauce.

If you?d like to make your stuffing ahead of time, put a new twist on it this season. Try a savoury mushroom bread pudding that you can bake in muffin tins. It?s simple and incredibly tasty plus you can make it well in advance. Simply bake your bread pudding, freeze it and then reheat it just before your meal. This same technique can be used with Yorkshire pudding.

Even veggies can be prepared a day in advance. Consider a roasted root veggie side dish that has a couple of make-ahead options. You can get all of your vegetables peeled and diced the day before. Then cover with water and store in the fridge overnight. Drain water and add seasonings, then roast the veggies for one hour in a 400F (205C) oven before you put in the turkey. Gently reheat for 15 to 30 minutes once the turkey comes out of the oven. Alternately, you can prepare the whole dish the day before, including the roasting, then refrigerate in a covered microwaveable container. Just prior to serving, microwave about three to five minutes. If you?re pressed for time, it?s also great served cold.

As for dessert, a meal of this stature calls for something warm, but not too heavy. Try a traditional gingerbread loaf that you can make in November. Pull it out of the freezer just after the veggies are reheated, turn the oven off and let the lingering warmth gently thaw your loaf to perfection while you?re eating the main course. Add a little whipped cream and you?re good to go.

Or try a light festive dish such as Pumpkin Pot au Cr譥, which can set in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Serve it with some gingersnap cookies. You can make these a month ahead of time with the rest of your holiday baking and simply pull them from the freezer the day of your meal.

It?s easy to get overwhelmed by a big meal thinking that you have to make three different types of potatoes, Aunt Edna?s favourite rice dish and six varieties of freshly baked pie for dessert. But simplify your preparation with a few make-ahead options, pare down your menu and you may have time for a little twist on traditional this year. More than likely, everyone will be too busy praising your culinary efforts to notice anything?s missing.

Oh, and one last thing ? enjoy your friends and family. After all, isn?t that what the season is really all about?

A Twist on Traditional

Roasted Root Veggies
Mushroom Bread Pudding
Marvelous Mashed Potatoes
Pumpkin Pot au Cr譥
with *Gingersnap Cookies or Gingerbread Loaf 
*click on the link for these Online Only recipes

Mushroom Bread Pudding

1 loaf                   crusty bread, about 6 cups (1.5 L) diced
6                           eggs, beaten
1 cup (250 mL)  cream or milk (homogenized or 2%)
1 cup (250 mL)  chicken stock
2 tsp (10 mL)      thyme
2 tsp (30 mL)      butter
cup (125 mL)      diced onions
2 cups (500 mL) sliced mushrooms (any variety including shitake, oyster, brown cremini, white, but do not use portabello)
Dash of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300?F (150?C). Mix together the eggs, cream, chicken stock, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour over diced bread and allow the bread to absorb the liquid for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile melt the butter in a medium frying pan and saut頴he onion for five minutes or until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until all of the moisture has been cooked out of the mushrooms, then cool to room temperature. Add to the bread mixture. If making ahead, refrigerate in an airtight container.

Place in lightly sprayed or non-stick muffin pans, or a lightly greased baking pan, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and finish baking for 15 minutes until stuffing is set. Let set 15 minutes, and then serve.

Roasted Root Veggies

1 lb (500 g)        diced turnips
1 lb (500 g)        diced yams
1 lb (500 g)        diced onions
1 lb (500 g)        diced carrots
1 lb (500 g)        diced parsnips
2 tsp (30 mL)     canola oil
1/4 cup (50 mL) honey
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp (30 mL)      fresh chopped herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano are herbs that will work well; use a combination or one type)

Place all vegetables in a large bowl. Toss with the oil and honey, then season with salt and pepper. Pour onto a baking sheet and roast in a 400?F (205?C) oven for 1 hour, checking once to stir the vegetables. Once the veggies are done, sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve.

Two make-ahead options:
1. Get veggies peeled and diced the day before. Cover with water and store in the fridge overnight. Drain water and add seasonings then roast before you put in the turkey. Reheat gently for 15-30 minutes prior to serving.

2. Do everything the day before (including roasting). Refrigerate in a covered microwaveable dish. Reheat in the microwave just prior to serving, about 3-5 minutes.

Marvelous Mashed Potatoes

3 lb (1.4 kg)            potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup (125 mL)  sour cream
1/2 cup (125 mL)  whipping cream, heated
1/2 cup (125 mL)  melted butter
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cover potatoes with cold water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook until tender, about 25-30 minutes. Drain the potatoes well, and then put them back in the pot, with no lid. Let them sit for 5 minutes. Place the potatoes in the bowl of your mixer, and with your paddle attachment begin to break them up for about 2 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients. Turn to the lowest speed and continue to mix for 2 minutes. (A hand-held masher or mixer without a paddle attachment will also do the trick nicely.) Serve immediately, or place in airtight serving container and refrigerate.

For make-ahead mashed potatoes, beat in 1 cup (250 mL) cream cheese. Place in an airtight container and freeze up to 6 weeks.

Give them a kick by:
Adding 2 tbsp (30 mL) of roasted garlic, fresh herbs or horseradish
Adding 1⁄4 cup (65 mL) of grated sharp cheddar, goat cheese, fresh corn, chopped spinach, or caramelized onions

Pumpkin Pot au Creme

4 cups (1 L)            whipping cream
6                               egg yolks
2                               whole eggs
3/4 cup (175 mL)   granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL)       vanilla
1 tsp (5 mL)            cinnamon
Pinch of salt
3 cups (750 mL)    pure pumpkin

In a medium saucepan, scald the whipping cream (heat until bubbles form around the edge), then remove from heat. Add the pumpkin into the hot cream and whisk until combined. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and whole eggs together with the sugar and salt. Slowly temper the eggs, by mixing in a little of the hot liquid at a time (about a cup total). Finally, add all of the hot cream mixture and mix until well combined. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to ensure a smooth consistency.