Freeze Ahead Meals

The festive season is almost upon us and even those of us who have been carefully plotting our nice, orderly, relaxing holidays are sure to know that the chaos is bound to descend sometime around the middle of December anyway. Unexpected arrivals of friends and family and their gift-requiring offspring can force even the most organised amongst us back into the fray of Christmas-time shopping centres. Not to mention the exponential upsurge in housework that inevitably occurs as the inhabitants of each home begin to spend most of the day there instead of at school or work.

Well, fret not: we're here to help take one stress-inducing element out of the mix and free up a bit of time to make the most of your holidays. Our strategy: some part-time meal prepping!

When you have a few moments to spare, seize the opportunity to cook up some delectable dishes to serve to family and friends that will help you maximise the holiday cheer and minimise the stress.

Here are a few hits that can be prepped days beforehand and heated or served whenever needed:

These delicious breakfast bagel bomb will impress any early arrival or unexpected sleep-over guest.

Alternatively, scrambled egg muffins can be rustled up in no time.

For hearty snacks or lunches, try these delectable pizza pockets

If you’re going for a healthier option, these lentil, kale and sweet potato pockets are sure to hit that sweet spot.

You can always count on a luxurious lasagne to please a crowd, 

or try this baked ziti casserole as an alternative.

You heard it - pies can be baked and then frozen, making the possibilities endless! 

Check out this chicken pot pie 

or this beef and cheddar pot pie

As for dessert - there are a surprising number that can be made ahead and frozen until needed. 

Take a look at this apple pie,

these freeze-ahead cookies

or this delectable frozen chocolate velvet

Plan ahead and you can wave goodbye to the stress of having to figure out what on earth to make when the doorbell rings and you find yourself with a house full of people. Popping a lovingly prepared dish into the oven while you get your homemade lemonade ready to serve will not only impress your guests but give you a chance to spend quality time with them instead of being stuck in the kitchen. After all, bonding with our nearest and dearest is undoubtedly what holidays are really for.