If you forgo the salad, do you want to think about starting with a soup? So many are make ahead and freeze.

If it were me, I'd add 2 side veggie dishes that would be taking care of cooking themselves as my guests arrived: one braised and one roasted.

The roasted vegetable dish can be prepped well ahead of time and popped in the oven without any fuss. So many choices and combinations with this choice!

The braise can cook slowly in the oven or on the stovetop.

My suggestions, because I've made them so many times and they're delicious, are Molly Stevens braised savoy cabbage with St. Marcelin cheese, or her braised red cabbage with maple & ginger.

Actually, Molly Stevens books on braising and roasting are full of winning recipes and suggestions.

My mother makes a great parmesan creamed spinach casserole that can be done ahead, then baked. I think it would go great with beef burgundy. Let me know if you want the recipe!

I've made these beans ahead before and they were tasty. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/11/bacon-braised-green-bean-recipe.html

This looks really tasty to me and anything in a casserole I think can be made ahead pretty easily, then topped and baked on the day http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/11/swiss-chard-fennel-white-bean-gratin-recipe.html

I love shrimp amd grits and shrimp etouffee, etc but I don't think I would pair either with beef burgundy and mashed potatoes..... if you are thinking shrimp, I would probably go cold with shrimp cocktail on Christmas...

I think soup and spinach casserole are great ideas for a buffet table. peas and pearled onions or creamed pearl onions would be good...

kale and potato casserole is good if you want 2 types of potatoes/starches... or kale and quinoa saute

I have a great squash casserole recipe you can make it and put in the fridge, heat up to serve. Sweet potatoes casserole with the pecan praline topping I have some in the freezer right now. Smothered okra with onions and tomatoes, I have a great recipe if you want it, I keep containers of it in the freezer all the time. Green beans fresh whole sautéed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar they cook very quickly and can be reheated. We love roasted root veggies, big orange carrots, parsnips, and turnips, I only peel the turnips, I use a vegetable scrubber on the carrots and parsnips don't peel, put in an oven roaster add olive oil to coat well and put in the oven at about 350, stir occasionally, cook till fork tender. I cut them into big chunks not small pieces. They are so good taste like candy.

Spinach gratins are perfect for make ahead. I make Spinach Madeleine for the holidays. It's a kicked up version. Best made the day before and then baked prior to serving. I sub fresh celery and garlic for the flavored salts and use 1/2 & 1/2 instead of evaporated milk.

Spinach Madeleine

SPINACH MADELEINE

2 10 ounce pkgs. frozen chopped spinach

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped celery

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons flour

½ cup half and half

½ cup vegetable liquor from drained spinach

4 ounces Velveeta Jalapeno Cheese, cubed into small pieces

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

coarse salt to taste

breadcrumbs or Panko

Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain and reserve liquor.

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook until soft. Add garlic for 30 seconds then add flour, stirring until blended and smooth. Add liquid slowly, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. When thick, add cheese and seasonings. Stir until melted.

Combine with cooked spinach and place in a casserole dish. (I use a glass pie pan or a similar shallow dish.) Top with breadcrumbs or Panko; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until bubbling hot.

This one sounds good too.

Ina's Spinach Gratin

Butternut

My mother makes a great parmesan creamed spinach casserole that can be done ahead, then baked. I think it would go great with beef burgundy. Let me know if you want the recipe!

(*******

I'd love that!

If you are willing to leave off the mashed potatoes and are not too concerned about fat and calories, a hashbrown casserole is easy to do the night before and pop in the oven just before the meal. Yummy and fattening! I will have that for my Christmas meal with honey baked ham. Mine has one of those sinful cracker crumb and butter topping - I crush the crumbs the night before and put them on just before sticking in the oven. I have never frozen this...will have to try sometime.

A cold pasta salad is always good to make up at least 24 hours in advance - much more flavorful if made up the day before.

Sure here you go. I do this in great big batches so I have lots to freeze so I have it ready to go in a gumbo. This recipe can be done in the oven instead of the stove top. Which is what I do with the big batches. You don't have to worry with it as much just stir it occasionally. In the oven I just dump it all in my big roaster pot stir it up and cover cook for a few hours at 350 till nice and soft and perfect.

Okra smothered with tomatoes

2lbs
or so fresh young okra (*if you can not get fresh use pictsweet
frozen sliced okra)

2Tbs
to 1/4 cup olive oil or bacon drippings or lard (I use about ¼
c olive oil)

1large
onion chopped fine

1clove
garlic chopped (jar stuff is fine)

salt
and pepper and a little Tonys and some garlic salt plus a pinch of
sugar

1can
tomatoes canned (Hunts diced tomatoes with celery, onions and bell
pepper) or fresh

1can
Rotels (original or mild which ever you prefer)

Wash
whole okra and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Slice into
1/8 to 1/4 inch rounds. Saute in oil over med heat until
okra stops "stringing" stirring frequently for about 20-30
minutes do not let it brown or burn. (I add a little vinegar to it
and it helps stop the slime and stringing. I also add the sugar now)
Add onion and garlic and saute till softened and almost clear.
Add seasoning and tomatoes. Allow to simmer and cook it down for at
least 30 mins or longer on med heat stir often. You can also add
chopped green bell pepper to this if you want. You can eat this
as a side dish or a main dish and it freezes great. Just put in zip
lock bags and freeze. I use this in my gumbo when I make okra
gumbo. Total cooking time will be minimum of 1 hour usually
more like 1 ½-2. Remember to stir you do not want to let it stick
and burn!

This is the squash casserole recipe my friend sent me, it is very good. You can find many versions of it online.

SQUASH CASSEROLE

1 1/2 LBS SQUASH(or 2 cans
squash)yellow

1

CAN CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP

8 OZ SOUR CREAM

2 MED ONIONS CHOPPED

2 STALKS OF CELERY CHOPPED

1 CARROT GRATED

1 1/2 STICKS OF BUTTER OR MARGARINE

1 8OZ PCK OF HERB STUFFING MIX

SALT N PEPPER TO TASTE

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350%

SPRAY 13X 9 BAKING DISH

COOK SQUASH(drain) AND MASH ( ABOUT 30
MINS,)

COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS IN BAKING DISH
EXCEPT 1/2

STICK OF BUTTER AND HALF OF STUFFING
MIX.(If you are using the stuffing mix that has separate seasoning
pack use half now use the rest next step)

MELT 1/2 STICK OF BUTTER AND MIX WITH
REST OF STUFFING

MIX. POUR ON TOP OF CASSEROLE FOR
TOPPING

BAKE AT 350% FOR 40to50MINS

LET STAND 15 MINS THEN SERVE.

YOU CAN USE THE FROZEN SQUASH ALSO.

I found it easier to mix all the
ingredients in a large mixing bowl before putting in to the casserole
dish.

Thank you! Wow, that sounds great, I love okra.

I've posted this recipe a few times, but it always comes to mind for a delicious make ahead. I take it to our Christmas celebration where Prime Rib is served and also at Thanksgiving with turkey. I do everything ahead, keep all the ingredients separate from each other and just toss together about 5-10 min before dinner. You can do all a day or two beforehand, just don't bloom the onion until the morning of, so it doesn't get too soft. It is always a BIG hit.

Michael Chiarello's Winter Panzanella Salad

Ingredients

For the croutons:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
6 cups day-old bread, crust removed, cubed
6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:
1 small red onion, sliced thinly lengthwise
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Gray salt
4 cups peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash (1/2-inch dice)
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, then quartered
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt
the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until it
foams. Add the garlic and thyme, and immediately add the bread cubes.
Toss to coat well. Add most of the grated cheese and stir. Transfer
bread to a baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and salt
and pepper and gently toss again while still warm to melt the cheese.
Bake stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly
colored on the outside but still soft within, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Set aside and let cool.

Soak the sliced onion in the sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Toss
the squash with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sage, salt, and
pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the
squash is tender and lightly caramelized, about 15 to minutes. Let cool.

Bring
a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the quartered Brussels
sprouts and cook until tender but retain a touch of crispness, about 1
1/2 minutes, and drain.

Into the reserved red onions and vinegar, whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with pepper.

In
a large bowl combine the roasted squash, croutons, and Brussels
sprouts. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Add the parsley leaves and toss
again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with grated Parmesan and
serve immediately.

Chef note: "Soaking the onion briefly in sherry vinegar--sometimes called blooming the onion--mellows the raw onion taste."

Olychick note: I use artisan white bread..I prefer ciabatta; it's a lot of crust to trim, but love the texture for this salad. I poke a couple of holes in the butternut and microwave for 3 or 4 min, let cool then peel and chop. Makes it so much easier to cut and to peel.

Mimi here it is -

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese


Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Butternut, that's Ina's Spinach Gratin (same as linked above).

I don't have a suggestion for make ahead, but wanted to endorse the buffet style serving. I do that now every year and it's so much easier to have everyone get their own whatever they want rather than have everyone sitting around waiting for the dishes to be passed, always getting bottled up by Aunt Sue and no place to put anything down, and then someone always saying, "How come I didn't get any gravy?" And it makes more space at the table as well as easier clean up. And it's still available if anyone wants seconds.

Thanks to all of you! I am so excited with so many choices. Usually, I will troll the internet for hours looking - but I am definitely going to choose from the above. I love all of the choices!!

Oly - You posted that recipe a while back and I printed it out. I just forgot about it! I definitely think that is one of my choices.

All of the other recipes sound just as wonderful. I can do this on Wednesday or Thursday and not have to be crazy on Christmas Day. Annie, I am definitely doing a buffet. In the past, I have done the formal, sit-down. It will still be formal, but they can fill their own plates. That is going to save me a lot of time and work. It will all be wonderful. Of course, Christmas could be wonderful with PB&J sandwiches --- it's all about being surrounded by those you love!!

Thanks again.

Cindy - haha! That's it! She downloads recipes onto her ipad and I think loses the source. She's been making this one for years and it's delicious. I can definitely see her copying this one and forgetting where it came from!

Does it necessarily need to.be a vegetable dish? How about another potato? Cheesy potatoes are so easy, and you could make them on Christmas Day, no freezing necessary. There are avariations on the original Oreida recipe, and the only thing I change is the soup from cream of chicken to.cream of mushroom, and the cereal topping is unnecessary cabs.

Here's the original:

https://www.oreida.com/Recipes/C/Cheesy-Potato-Casserole#.VmdvhMxMHMI