Making the most of your Get-ahead gravy

You’re gonna love our Get-ahead gravy tips and tricks, from flavour boosters and easy swaps to loving those leftovers.

Now you’re on board the gravy train, here are some tips and tricks to ensure you make the most of it.

MAKING DAY: SUPER SWAPS

When you make your gravy, you might not have all of the ingredients to hand. Don’t worry, you can easily use these swaps:

Onion chutney instead of cranberry sauce

Sweet wine, red wine (whatever you’ve got) instead of sherry/port

Leeks instead of onions

You can use carrots and celery or double of one

Star anise instead of nutmeg, or leave it out completely

If you have a chicken carcass in the fridge, you can use this instead of the chicken wings

STORE IT SAFELY

You’ll probably make more gravy than you need for Christmas Day, but that’s no biggie. Justdivide your gravy into usable portions (ie, enough for the amount of people in your household) to freeze. Once cold, pour it into reusable freezer bags and freeze flat – this means you can stack them up, making it easy for you to pull out however much you need and defrost.

Your gravy will keep frozen for around six months – just defrost your gravy thoroughly in the fridge and then reheat it until it’s piping hot – so you can have epic roasts for months!

ON THE DAY: PIMP UP YOUR GRAVY

Only defrost what you need on Christmas Day, because you won't be able to reheat it again.

Just a few little additions can take your Get-ahead gravy to the next level. Try adding a little of these when you reheat it on the day…

Blackberry jam

Marmite

Veggie Worcestershire sauce

LOVE YOUR LEFTOVERS

What to do with the leftovers in the freezer? Defrost as much as you need, then heat it until piping hot and enjoy it with these delicious recipes.

Pour generously over a Christmas leftover pie

Enjoy a French dip sandwich, Jamie-style – take your Christmas leftover sarnie and dip it in hot Get-ahead gravy

Not forgetting the classic – poutine, with chips. Check out DJ BBQ’s video for his take on it