Your make-ahead festive menu

Christmas cooking doesn’t have to mean chaos in the kitchen. In her latest book, The Batch Lady Saves Christmas, Suzanne Mulholland shows how to prep, freeze and glide through the holidays stress-free

Follow our easy plan to get your feast on the table in record time, with just one oven! 1-4 WEEKS BEFORE… Make/prep and freeze: Vol-au-vent casesCheesy leek and butternutsquash pieCranberry sauceHasse

Ingredients (Serves 6) ◆ 600ml milk ◆ 1 small onion, peeled and halved ◆ 3-4 cloves ◆ 1 bay leaf ◆ 1 star anise (optional) ◆ Approx. 150g fresh breadcrumbs ◆ Knob of butter ◆ Pinch of ground allspice

Hosting on Christmas Day may seem like a daunting task, but our stress-busting step-by-step guide will see you through

This is one of my favourite festive breakfasts – and great for hungry teenagers! ■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 15 mins ■ Cook 35 mins 6 sausages6 eggs½ tsp dried sage6 breakfast muffins, cut in half6 tsp cranberr

It’s time to shine in the kitchen with our delicious, make-ahead recipes