How far in advance can I cook, beef stew, scotch eggs and baked potato soup?

[MsBees]

I really would like to get as much cooked and put into my fridge before my weekend event. The stew is being served Friday for dinner, the scotch eggs saturday for breakfast, and the I think baked potato soup will be served for saturdays dinner. Friday I'm baking scones and pull apart bread.

thanks

[LindaWhit]

Agree with Niki. Make the stew now, let it cool down on the stove a good bit, then put it in the stove to completely cool. (Perhaps move the stew to smaller containers so it cools down more quickly.) Then slowly reheat on Friday. OR make the stew in the crockpot. Start it Friday morning, and it'll be done on Friday evening for your guests.

I'd think you could make the baked potato soup beforehand as well. Or make it in a slow cooker the day you want to serve it, as based on recipes I've just looked at (have never made it before), there will be a bit of final prep to get it creamy with sour cream and milk.

As for the Scotch eggs - haven't a clue.

[MsBees]

Thanks Linda. Unfortunately I don't have a slow cooker. I think I'll baked the potatoes on Thursday, cut the vegetables on friday and cook the soup while everyone is out and about on saturday. To be honest if time allows I would really prefer to cook it on friday and then reheat on saturday, but I don's know how it holds up.

[LindaWhit]

Depending on your recipe, can you leave out the cream until you reheat it and THEN add it? If not, I would reheat it on low until it's hot. Don't boil the soup.

[MsBees]

Linda I was wondering about that. Great idea. Maybe I'll make the base, puree part of it and then add dairy, and chunked baked potatoes when I reheat it.

Thanks again Linda. I truly appreciate others input :). It's a big help when we put our heads together :)

[LindaWhit]

You're welcome - I hope the weekend event turns out great!

[Niki in Dayton]

Not sure about the soup or the eggs, but you can make the stew now and reheat it on Friday. I think it's actually better when cooked, cooled, and reheated. Just make sure to put it in the fridge as soon as possible after initially cooking it, and reheat it very slowly, stirring often.

[MsBees]

Thanks niki. Yup the eggs and potato soup are what I'm most unsure of. Although someone did say I could cook the eggs three days in advance. LOL...sometimes timing for this many days really throws me for a loop. Especially since I just found out some of my guests will be arriving at noon on Friday! YIKES...initially no one was going to be here till after 5.

[ldkelley]

That was me. I made them three days in advance and reheated them. I made 60 and we had no problems. The Egg board says eggs can be boiled and peeled up to a week in advance if the water they are covered in is changed daily, so I figured cooked and encased in cooked sausage wasn't any worse.

We also did a test run where I made some and waited 3 days and then we ate them before the party, just to be sure we were okay with it. :)