Get a head start on your holiday meal to avoid day-of stress

Being on kitchen duty over the holidays can be overwhelming, with multiple courses to time and more people than usual around your table. But a lot of the prep for your big feast can be done in advance!

The truth is, there are a lot of dishes that are even better the next day and improve with some time in the fridge.

Often during the holidays, restaurants and caterers offer complete turkey dinners to go, with each dish prepared in advance all you do is bring it home and reheat.

But if cutting back on day-of prep time is your motivation, this is something you can do yourself and chip away at your to-cook list between now and the big day.

In the weeks and months leading up to Christmas week, I tend to squirrel away sauces and baked goods so that it's all ready to go or to bake or reheat.

Typically, dishes with a higher moisture content tend to freeze well like soups, stews and braised dishes that have already broken downand their texture won't be affected by freezing and thawing.

Soup is perfect for making ahead and storing in the fridge for a few days (or in the freezer longer) as well as smaller saucy things like salad dressings and cranberry sauce.

As for sides, cooked potatoes tend to go watery after being frozen, but saucy scalloped potatoes or mashed potatoes reheat well. You could make the scalloped potatoes and reheat them with extra cheese on top to brown (scalloped potatoes are generally baked covered, then uncovered at the end anyway), and moist mashed potatoes can be warmed on the stovetop, with a bit of extra cream to help revitalize it.

Bookmarkcbc.ca/juliesrecipesto keep up with all of Julie Van Rosendaal's dishes

Roasted vegetables are great made in advance, as is baked squash, vegetable gratins, braised red squash or glazed carrots. All of this can be made and stored in the fridge for up to a few daysand then reheated when you need them.

When they're covered, they'll warm through in the oven with their own moisture helping conduct the heat; if you'd like them crispier (as with roasted veg or a crispy-topped gratin), keep them uncovered.

Stuffing, too, can be made ahead (outside the bird) and baked (or stuffed into the bird) when you need it.

Turkey could be roasted, sliced and stashed away in a gravy bath to help keep it from drying out, and to warm through when you're ready for it. But there are other main dishes that are even better the next day.

Brisket is often made one day and reheated to serve the next, and other braised dishes like short ribs and beef bourguignon also improve with a little time, and their liquid and texture help when it's time to reheat.

Most hams are already curedand require little prep, so they can be picked up well in advance and simply slid into the oven to warm through perhaps with a simple glaze brushed over the surface.

To make things even easier, go full caterer-style and use those recyclable aluminum baking trays from the dollar store. With lids, they can be stacked in the oven to reheat a bunch of dishes at once.

When it comes to dessert, there are plenty that are best made in advance: cheesecake, panna cotta, plum pudding, even pie can be baked a day ahead.

All the elements of an Eton mess (meringues, stewed or macerated fruit and cream) can be ready to assemble in a few minutes after dinner.

Mince tarts can be made and frozen unbaked in their pan, and go straight from the freezer to the oven. Whileyou're all sitting down for dinner, this desertcan bake while you eat.

Everything Bagel (or Rosemary) Focaccia

It is nice to have the smell of something baking as friends arrive. This focaccia dough is simple to put together, and the dough can hang out in the fridge overnight to bake the next day.

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

2 tspactive dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 tsp salt

chopped fresh rosemary or everything bagel seasoning blend

flaky salt

Preparation:

Put the water into a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle over the yeast and sugar and let stand for 5-10 minutesuntil it gets foamy. (If it doesn't, you may need fresh yeast.)

Add the flour, olive oil and salt and stir until the dough comes together. Knead by hand or use the dough hook of your stand mixer until the dough is relatively smoothbut still tacky.

Shape it into a rough ball, drizzle with oil and let sit in the bowl, covered with a tea towel, for an hour or two. (If you like, put it in the fridge overnight after it rises for awhile at room temperature the cold will slow the rise.)

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 F. Drizzle some oil into a 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet or other ovenproof pan or dish and press the dough out about an inch thick in the pan.

Poke deeply all over the surface of the dough with your fingers. This will create a nubbly surface for the oil and seasonings to settle into.

Sprinkle with finely chopped fresh rosemary (about a teaspoon) or everything bagel seasoning (a couple teaspoons), or anything else you like on your focaccia.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt. (Don't use much if you've already added everything bagel seasoning, which should contain salt.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until deep golden. Serve in wedges.

Serves 8-12.