3 freezable recipes for easy entertaining – including lamb shanks, chicken pie, and pork sliders – Glamicks

These hearty dishes are perfect for feeding a hungry crowd, and can easily be scaled up if you’re expecting extra guests.

Each recipe is designed to freeze beautifully and reheat with no fuss. Our fruity braised lamb shanks deliver all the warming spice you need for cosy nights in. For something a little more playful, the pulled pork sliders are the perfect make-ahead option for relaxed entertaining.

And the creamy chicken and tarragon pie, finished with a crumbly cheese-straw topping, is the kind of crowd-pleasing comfort dish you’ll always wish you’d made more of. Make at least one of these dishes now, and your future self will be very grateful to find something delicious ready to go

Creamy chicken and tarragon pie

(Image credit: Unknown)

The crowning glory is a pie crust made from cheese straws – utterly addictive! Let the chicken cool completely before shredding so it stays tender, and don’t overcook the veggies, they should be soft but still have a little bite. These small touches make this simple and delicious recipe sing.

TIP: Don’t throw away the remaining poaching liquid. Freeze it in containers and use as base for soups and sauces.

For an easy twist, you can top the filling with mashed potato instead, or make individual pies in oven-save ramekins instead. If you don’t have space in the freezer for the full pie, freeze the filling, then defrost overnight in the fridge, and assemble the pie on the day of serving.

Serves 6
Prep 30 mins, plus cooling
Cook 1 hr 30 mins
Per serving: 843 cals, 44g fat, 29g sat fat, 48g carbs

Ingredients

1.5kg whole chicken, brought to room temperature
2 onions, 1 halved, 1 chopped
2 sticks celery, 1 halved, 1 chopped
2 carrots, 1 halved, 1 chopped
500ml chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
90g butter
70g plain flour
2tbsp double cream
2tbsp Dijon mustard
15g fresh tarragon, finely chopped
2 x 320g sheets ready-rolled puff
pastry, defrosted if frozen
1 medium free-range egg, beaten
200g Cheddar and Gruyère, grated
Blanched green beans, to serve (optional)
You will need:
20x25cm ceramic oven dish

Method

1 Put the chicken in a large saucepan with the halved onion, celery, carrot, stock, bay and thyme. Add a large pinch of salt and enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a simmer, then cover and poach over low heat for 1 hr or until the chicken is cooked through.
2 Melt 20g of butter in a sauté pan. Add the chopped onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt and cook over medium heat for 10 mins, until softened. Remove from the heat.
3 Once cooked, set the chicken aside to cool, then shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Reserve 600ml of the poaching liquid, discarding the chunks of veg.
4 Melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 mins. Gradually add the reserved poaching liquid, stirring until smooth, then simmer until thickened to the consistency of double cream.
5 Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, 1tbsp mustard and the tarragon. Stir in the chicken and veg, and season. Cool, then freeze for up to 3 months, in a freezer-safe bag or container.
6 Defrost the chicken mixture in the fridge overnight. Stir well, then transfer to a pie dish. Heat the oven to 200C Fan.
7 Unroll both pastry sheets. Brush one sheet with 1tbsp mustard and a little egg, then sprinkle with the cheese. Put the other sheet of pastry on top and press gently to seal. Cut into 8 strips, lengthways, then brush with egg and twist several times.
8 Arrange the cheese straws on top of the pie filling, trimming the ends to fit the dish. Bake for 30 mins until golden and bubbling, then serve with blanched green beans (or other green veg).

Pulled pork sliders

WHM316.food_2.20250814_FUTURE_WHM316_FreezeAheadChristmas_PulledPorkBuns_HighResTIF — (Image credit: Unknown)

Gingerbeer and orange spice up the flavour in this easy, yet irresistible, dive-in dish. Pork shoulder is a really cost-effective cut, and benefits from low and slow cooking, becoming meltingly tender and super flavoursome. It makes a great party dish, served in buns with a crispy, fresh slaw, but is equally delicious as a taco filling, or with rice and salsa.

TIP: ‘Boston Butt’ is the best cut to use (from the upper part of the shoulder), but a well-trimmed boneless shoulder is also a good option. It will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, or you can freeze the cooked meat for longer.

It’s best to keep the pork as a single piece until you are ready to reheat and serve, as this will keep it lovely and juicy, but if you’re short on oven space, shred and toss the meat with the sauce before freezing/chilling, then simply reheat in the microwave or a pot over low heat, with an extra splash of water.

Serves 8-10
Prep 20 mins, plus overnight marinating
Cook 4-4½ hrs
Per serving (based on 10): 621 cals, 30g fat, 10g sat fat, 34g carbs

Ingredients

2kg skinless, boneless pork shoulder (see tip)
1 onion, sliced
1 orange, halved
1 bay leaf
750ml ginger beer
150ml good-quality barbecue sauce
Small slider/bread rolls, to serve
For the spice rub:
1tbsp each soft dark brown sugar, sweet smoked paprika, ground cumin
2tsp each fine salt, onion powder, dried oregano, garlic granules, ground black pepper
For the slaw:
1 banana shallot, finely chopped
3tbsp apple cider vinegar
2tbsp wholegrain mustard
1tbsp maple syrup or large pinch brown sugar
1 large carrot, peeled with a julienne peeler
1 green apple, cut into thin batons
1 fennel bulb, finely shredded, fronds reserved
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
½ white cabbage, finely shredded

Method

1 Put the pork in a glass/plastic container. Combine the rub ingredients then rub all over the pork. Cover and chill overnight.
2 The next day, heat the oven to 130C Fan. Put the onion, orange and bay in a large lidded casserole. Add the ginger beer and barbecue sauce, and put the pork on top. Cover and cook in the oven for 3½ hrs, until the pork pulls apart easily.
3 Remove the pork from the pot and set aside to cool, then simmer the sauce over a medium heat for 15 mins, until reduced and thickened. Set aside to cool.
4 Once cooled, transfer the pork and sauce to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
5 Defrost the pork in the fridge overnight. When ready to cook, heat the oven to 150C Fan. Put the pork and sauce in a large roasting tin. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30-40 mins.
6 To serve, toss together all the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Use 2 forks to shred the pork, and mix well with the sauce and juices in the pan. Serve in small rolls, with the slaw.

Fruity braised lamb shanks with tabbouleh

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Lamb shanks are slow-cooked until meltingly tender in a richly spiced sauce that improves on reheating. Don’t skip the fresh tabbouleh – it adds a vibrant lift for both flavor and your presentation of the final dish.

TIP: If you can’t get hold of lamb shanks, then lamb neck will work well too. You might need to adjust the cooking time to account for smaller pieces.