A lot of the best Christmas cooking tips can actually be accomplished in the days and weeks leading up to Christmas Day. From lists to making the most of your freezer, here are some of my favourites:

Love your lists – they will be your best friend in the run up to Christmas, as well as on the day itself when it comes to cooking your family’s feast.

Decide what you are cooking (and what you’re not!) and then stick to it. Don’t be swayed by ‘tradition’ to cook something your family doesn’t enjoy, change it up for something that you know will be eaten.

There can be pressure to over-buy for Christmas when, in reality, the shops are only closed for a short time. Too much food in your fridge will leave you in a panic over what to cook and when, as well as most likely contributing to wastage.

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Remember to have a look through your equipment (pots, pans, ovenproof dishes, crockery, serving dishes, etc) to make sure you can accommodate everything you plan to cook and the number of guests you are expecting.

A fresh soup like Pea & Mint or pre-cooked fish (smoked salmon/crab) always work well, especially when served with a simple dressed salad and not much more.

Alternatively, don’t do any starter and just have a simple grazing board with a couple of dips, cured meats, olives, crackers, etc that people can munch on during gift-giving or while they enjoy a pre-dinner drink.

One of my favourite things about Christmas is that dessert can be show-stopping, classic or as simple as you like!

I serve a Gingerbread & Orange Tiramisu, but the kids would be just as happy to have ice-cream and toffee sauce (as would my other half!).

Cheat when you have to and when you want to – ditch any rituals that don’t serve you and don’t feel a single bit guilty about it.

I buy shop-bought custard every year…and it rocks!

Christmas Eve is the ideal day to get as much prep done as possible. Make it a family affair and rope in some junior potato peelers so that all the jobs get done as quickly and as early as possible.

Peel your potatoes, carrots and prep your sprouts or other veggies the day before and leave them in a pot of cold salted water until you’re ready to cook them the following day.

If you have kids get them involved too. Christmas is all about teamwork, so make it tradition that everyone does their bit!

Choose to cook one or, at most, two types of potato! Really, is there any need to serve mashed potatoes and roast potatoes and potato gratin? No! Be kind to yourself.

Your stuffing can be made the day or two before, or further in advance and frozen if you can.

One of my top Christmas cooking tips is to cook the ham the day before. Who doesn’t love a ham sambo on Christmas Eve, plus it tastes way nicer just heated through on Christmas Day.

Side benefit is that if frees up a pot and hob space on Christmas Day.

On Christmas Eve, sit down with a cuppa and write out all your timings for Christmas Day cooking. What time does the turkey need to go on at? When do the potatoes need to go in?

Work backwards from when you plan to sit down to eat, and then make a note of how long everything takes and what time to heat the oven, change the temperature or put a pot of water on to boil. Stick your timings on the fridge and follow it from start to finish – planning is key!

Yes, the bulk of the cooking will be done on the day itself, but following your timings will help to keep you on track and make sure nothing gets forgotten along the way.

A sharp knife will make light work of carving, meaning that you can get everyone’s dinner dished up as easily and quickly as possible.

Remember to rest your turkey for at least an hour – it’s a big bird and it won’t go cold! Plus, it frees up your oven for everything else.

Christmas is not all about the food – spend time with your kids, family and friends. Whether you stay in your PJs, snuggle up and watch movies, or pull on the boots and head out for a festive hike, be sure to laugh loads, make memories and get some much-needed down-time!