Returning from WDW evening of Christmas Eve--no stores open for food

[Belle5]

I need help with pre-cooking and freezing an entire Christmas breakfast and festive lunch. We will have NO fresh foods available. I am thinking we may be able to stop at a 7-11 type place on the way home from the airport for a high priced gallon of milk. We will be gone 10 days to WDW so everything must come out of the freezer or pantry when we come back. I need to be able to pop everything out of the freezer and into the oven. Think about returning with laundry for eight people and just trying to get the whole gift thing situated (my six kids want to purchase all their gifts at WDW so they will be busy wrapping! We won't get to the house until about 10 pm or so...HELP!!!!! BTW--we don't eat ham. I am actually thinking of pre-setting my dining room table with stemware, Christmas china, etc. and wrapping in over with plastic drop cloths to be removed when we return. I, of course, will already have all my wrapping done before the trip. Any ideas for food would be so appreciated!! Thanks!

 

[MazdaUK]

WOW! 6 kids and coming back from Disney is surely enough!

Pancakes, sausage links, scones (biscuits to you ) and bacon all freeze - you can get them out right when you get in and they'll be ready to eat in the morning. I'm not sure about scrambled egg freezing, but you could probably have everything else - hash browns and so on - straight from the freezer. Or buy in some croissant dough and have that - you could turn them into cinnamon buns if you don't want croissants.

You can roast a turkey, slice it and freeze covered with gravy in foil dishes. For potatoes, both mash and dauphinoise freeze and reheat easily (the mash may need extra butter to serve, use a little extra liquid for the dauphinoise, and use creme fraiche instead of cream so it doesn't separate). Mince pies freeze, and tehre must be plenty of desserts in the freezer cabinet. Milk also freezes (if homogonised), but does take a long time to defrost. Given the size of your family you may want to find room for some of that for when the 7-11 stuff runs out

Finally, is there a neighbour who you would trust to put stuff in your fridge, or who you could collect things from on the way home? (Just in case of delays)

 

[OKWMom]

Baked macaroni and cheese (a staple at holiday meals in our family) freezes really well. I have also frozen pumpkin rolls (dessert), rice, gravy, squash casserole, butter beans/field peas.

 

[dani0622]

Lasagna freezes well too.

 

[vanyel]

There's also the Jennie O turkey breast or whole turkey that you bake frozen. I've had it and it's fantastic! No worrying about thawing the turkey, you just pop it in the oven.

 

[weregoingtodw]

Organic milk typically has a longer shelf life, as long as it's unopened. You could safely buy some prior to leaving and leave it in the refrigerator until your return.

As for breakfast, I'd keep on hand some frozen fruit which could be easily mixed for a fruit salad, and maybe make up ahead of time and freeze some yeast bread dough, something simple. If you wanted to scramble eggs, I'm relatively sure that the Egg Beaters and the like also have extended expiration dates.

For lunch, I'd be sure I had the ingredients on hand for some fresh bread to make in the breadmaker. Maybe the makings for a good stew, then some festive desserts.

I agree on the neighbor idea. I'd definitely do that if possible. In fact, if it's available for you, I'd make arrangements ahead of time for my grocery store to gather my order and pre-pay for it (many grocers have online shopping), then just have your trusted friend/neighbor go pick it up.

Sounds fun. Enjoy!

 

[Swimnoid]

For breakfast I have gotten casseroles like baked french toast, or strata etc from Dream Dinners and they have turned out fine. They have you assemble the bread and /or potatoes, meat, veggies etc in a foil pan and then have the liquid ingredients frozen in a seperate ziploc. They use the egg substitute and milk. You could get that thawing pretty quickly and would be great and easy for your breakfast.

 

[disneydeb]

i think since its christmas eve your husband should cook. lol . the stores have precooked bacon thats very good and is only 30 seconds in microwave, eggs have a long shelf life in fridge, oj is good for a month if you dont open it before hand, pancakes, sausage can all be frozen, since your stopping at a 7-11 , get some high priced bread too and there you have toast. for fancy lunch i would have lasagne, you can throw together a salad,and pies that are frozen some you bake right in oven while your eating your lasagne some you just defrost. and make a big picture of ice tea. if all else fails, order pizza, isnt there a super walmart or stop and shop,or albertsons that are open at least for a while? salad foods will stay a week in the fridge, or you can order chinese they usually dont close for christmas or christmas eve. or make and freeze spaghetti sauce before you go, then when you get home heat it up slowly and make spaghetti with it. personally if it was me , i would cook a turkey , slice it , layer it in gravy, in an aluminum foil pan, and freeze that before i left, i would also do the same with mashed potatoes, squash, stuffing, :and pies, then just pop them all in the oven, open uo some canned vegetables, and cranberry sauce and call it a party!!

 

[disneydeb]

do you have anyone checking your house while your away? or a family member who can come in the day before you get in or the day you get in and buy milk and bread and fresh fruits and vegetables and eggs and put them in your fridge so you have them when you get home?

 

[Ms. Heimlich]

Fresh milk can be frozen & rethawed!

Frozen orange juice! (or apple or cran-grape or whatever you like)

Frozen fruit & melons in the grocer freezer. Can be retrieved upon your arrival home... and makes a great fruit salad.

Ready made bacon, refridgerated or frozen bisquits, eggs stay fresh for >10 days.

Chili freezes GREAT so does cornbread -- my family loves this at Christmas time!! Also freeze some butter & some cheese to top the chili. Onions will keep in the fridge for way longer than 2 weeks. Also, most Mexican food dishes freeze very well... think enchiladas!!! sour cream can be frozen, too!!!(take it out of it's original package!)


Have a great trip!

 

[englishteacha]

If I were making a Christmas dinner ahead of time, I would make a lasagna and freeze it, buy or make garlic bread (and freeze it), and maybe have a friend or neighbor drop off a couple bags of salad (I don't know how long they keep). For breakfast, I'd do either pancakes and bacon or Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. (cinnamon rolls are a Christmas tradition from my hubby's family, so we have them every year. I've tried to introduce other things, but I lose every time!) Mix up some juice from concentrate. For desserts, I would (and often do!) buy a Sara Lee frozen pie. I like the pumpkin and the apple ones.

I suppose you could also cook a roasting chicken or two, depending on the size of your family. If you buy 2 smaller ones before you leave for WDW and freeze them, they should thaw pretty well overnight when you get home to go in the oven the next day. Salt and pepper them and toss them in the oven for 2 hours or so. Baked potatoes (or buy some of the premade mashed if they'll keep in the fridge while you're gone), some canned or frozen veggies and some brown and serve rolls, and you've got a fairly easy dinner.

 

[bigsis1970]

My thoughts
Breakfast - Muffins (made before you leave and frozen) Juice, Eggs , and doesn't milk have like a 2 week shelf life if not opened if you just get a quart you can make scrambled eggs if not then how about egg sandwichs - fried eggs, cheese and frozen sausage patties on a bagel or english muffin - the breads can be frozen and taken out when you get home xmas eve.
Dinner - cook a pork roast or tenderloin in your slow cooker before leaving on your vacation - have some rice or pasta on hand, frozen corn, a can of crescent rolls will be fine for a week or so in your fridge and for dessert - Symphony Brownies - YUM
(1 box Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Chunk brownie mix or
any other brand or your own homemade brownie recipe
3 (8 ounce) Symphony Candy Bars (any variety)

Mix brownie mix as directed except use 3 eggs. Put half of the mix in a sprayed 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

Lay the candy bars on top of the mix and cover the candy bars with the remaining brownie mix. Bake as directed, about 25 to 30 minutes.)

 

[flipflop]

Another vote for lasagna! Quiche freezes well - as do pancakes. Bacon has a long shelf life and so do eggs. You can even bake cookies ahead of time for dessert and freeze them in a zip loc container.