Can you make bubble and squeak ahead?

Yes. The cakes are shaped and frozen before their last bake, then baked until crisp on Boxing Day.

Do I need Christmas leftovers for bubble and squeak?

Not for these. They’re made from scratch with potato, leeks and cabbage, so they’re ready whatever is left from Christmas Day.

We make them on the weekend of Sat 12 and Sun 13 Dec, and the red onion marmalade at the end of November.

The rest of Christmas fits around these. Christmas, a weekend at a time has every weekend, or cook it all on one day.

Fri 25 Dec, for Boxing Day

Before bed: move tomorrow’s bubble and squeak cakes and marmalade to the fridge

The reminder Nomstash shows each evening, for the meals you’ve planned.

These come from the Food Standards Agency.

Defrost in the fridge overnight. If you can’t, use the microwave’s defrost setting directly before cooking.

the safest way to defrost food is in the fridge overnight use a microwave on the defrost setting directly before cooking Food Standards Agency
Once it’s fully defrosted, eat it within 24 hours.

use food within 24 hours after it’s been fully defrosted Food Standards Agency

Last checked Sun 18 Oct 2026 against the Food Standards Agency page linked here.

Heat the oven and bake the bubble and squeak cakes as the recipe’s last steps say.
Put out the red onion marmalade and warm the last bag of gravy.
Fry an egg each to go on top, if you like.

Can you make bubble and squeak ahead?: Yes. The cakes are shaped and frozen before their last bake, then baked until crisp on Boxing Day.
Do I need Christmas leftovers for bubble and squeak?: Not for these. They’re made from scratch with potato, leeks and cabbage, so they’re ready whatever is left from Christmas Day.
When should I make them?: We make them on the weekend of Sat 12 and Sun 13 Dec, and the red onion marmalade at the end of November.

Last checked Sun 18 Oct 2026. Each quotation on this page was read against the page it links to.