Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes
Scroll Down for ALL my favorite make-ahead Thanksgiving Recipes
When it comes to the Holidays, make-ahead side dishes are a real time saver. And these delicious freezer friendly side dishes are just the ticket to leaving you more time to enjoy the holiday and eliminates the stress.
Yield: 6-8
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Make ahead mashed potatoes are ready and waiting for you in the freezer and are a perfect addition to a Make-Ahead Thanksgiving menu.
Prep time: 35 MinInactive time: 1 H & 40 MTotal time: 2 H & 15 M
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 3/4-inch chunks
- 5 large garlic cloves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 7 to 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1/2 cup half-and-half or milk
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place the potatoes, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender.
- Drain the potatoes and garlic, and then return to them to the pot immediately.
- While the potatoes are still hot, stir in the cream cheese, butter, sour cream, half-and-half, 4 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Using an electric mixer, beat the potatoes until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a baking dish, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top.
- Cover the pans tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil, place them in freezer-safe bags and freeze.
- The day before serving the potatoes, remove from the freezer and thaw the potatoes overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve hot.
Notes:
Alternatlively you can make the potatoes 3-4 days ahead store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator,
Heres a stuffing that is great made a few days head. Or make and freeze the one below:)
Yield: 10
Prep Ahead Stuffing
Prep ahead Thanksgiving stuffing! It’s full of fresh herb flavor and the best part is that it can be prepped ahead of time, freeing up your Thanksgiving Day schedule! A perfect addition to a Make-Ahead Thanksgiving menu.
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 1 MinTotal time: 1 H & 21 M
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter (divided)
- 3/4 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1-2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 1 1/2 cups
- 4 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 Tablespoon dried sage
- 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- One stale 1 1/2-pound loaf bread, sliced, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
- 2 cups homemade turkey stock or chicken stock
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Instructions
- • Melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into bite-sized pieces, until it is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
- • Melt 5 Tablespoons of the remaining butter in the skillet (you won't be using all of it until you bake the stuffing). Add the onions, celery, sage, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and celery are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the mixture to the bowl with the sausage. ; add the bread cubes and toss to coat. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat.
- • Let the bread-sausage mixture cool to room temperature. Transfer it to a resealable plastic bag, label and date, and freeze for up to 2 weeks. (Note: you will not be adding the eggs, stock or parsley before freezing)
- • To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Heat the stock and 4 Tablespoons of the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the butter melts. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and parsley. Remove the stuffing from the freezer, break the frozen stuffing with your hands into smaller chunks, add to the eggs and parsley bowl and toss. Finally, add the stock-butter mixture to the bowl, and toss to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, and dot ? with the 2 remaining tablespoons butter. Cover tightly with foil, and bake until the stuffing is hot, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Uncover and continue to bake until golden brown on top, about 20 minutes more. Serve warm.
Notes:
• If your stuffing is too moist, turn down the heat and bake it uncovered a bit longer. If the stuffing is too dry, drizzle more stock or water over the stuffing and bake covered for 10 more minutes.
• If you don't have stale bread, cut your bread into cubes and let it dry overnight, or put in 200-degree oven to dry out.
Yield: 6-8
Make Ahead Roast Turkey Breast
Timing your turkey can be the most nerve-racking part of your holiday dinner, so stress less and make it 100 percent ahead! Brining the breast makes it extra moist and flavorful. Roast and freeze it, then simply thaw, slice and reheat with an herbed butter. Keep the wishbone and use it to hope for something really fun (you've got the relaxed dinner thing covered).
Prep time: 30 MinInactive time: 16 HourTotal time: 16 H & 30 M
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 3 dried bay leaves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- One 7- to 9-pound bone-in, skin-on turkey breast
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup homemade turkey stock or low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Bring 1 quart water, 3/4 cup salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves and lemon zest to a boil in an extra-large pot (large enough to hold the turkey breast). Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and add 4 quarts water. Let cool to room temperature.
- Add the turkey breast to the pot (use a plate to help submerge it if needed), cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 1 day.
- Remove the turkey breast from the pot, and discard the brine. Blot the breast dry all over with paper towels.
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Pulse the butter, parsley, sage, thyme, paprika and cayenne in a food processor to combine. Rub half the herbed butter under and over the skin of the turkey breast; roll the rest into a log, and freeze. Place the breast on a rack set in a roasting pan, and roast, rotating as needed to ensure even browning, until the deepest part of the breast registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Let the turkey breast cool completely. Wrap it well with plastic wrap and foil, label and date, and freeze, deep in the freezer, for up to 2 weeks.
- Two days before you plan to serve it, put the turkey breast in a baking dish and transfer it to the refrigerator to thaw.
- To serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the breast from the bone, and slice. Shingle the slices onto a large baking dish, pour in the stock and dot the turkey with slices of the frozen herbed butter. Wrap the dish tightly with foil, and reheat in the oven until the turkey is hot and the butter is melted, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a platter, and drizzle with some of the pan liquid.
Notes:
You can eat the turkey breast right away instead of freezing it. After roasting, let it rest for at least 20 minutes, then remove the breast from the bone and slice. Melt the reserved frozen butter, and drizzle it over the turkey.
Recipe courtesy of The Food Network
Boozy Cranberries
These are the cranberries that everyone will be asking for, for years to come and are a perfect addition to a Make-Ahead Thanksgiving menu.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ cup water
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries, cleaned
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- ½ orange zest and juice
- ¼ cup orange liquor or bourbon
Instructions
- In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes
- Add cloves, cinnamon stick, cranberries, apple and orange zest and juice
- Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberries start popping
- -Remove from heat and stir in bourbon. Pour the sauce into a bowl, cover and chill overnight
- This sauce can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 5-7 days or freeze up to 2 months. If freezing, cover the top with cling wrap to avoid any freezer burn.
Notes:
Feel free to substutue orange juice for the liquor if desired.
Yield: 6-8
Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole
A crowd-pleaser. Make the green bean-and-mushroom favorite, then freeze. To serve, just reheat (from frozen) and top with crunchy fried onions. It's that easy! A perfect addition to a Make-Ahead Thanksgiving menu.
Prep time: 45 Mininactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 H & 45 M
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed, and halved
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Green Bean Topping
- 1 1/2 cups prepared fried onions
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water and 2 Tablespoons of salt to a boil. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, garlic, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Continue to cook, stirring until soft and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth, half-and-half, 3/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add the blanched green beans and stir to coat the green beans. Transfer the mixture to a 3-quart baking dish.
- If cooking later, let the casserole cool to room temperature. Wrap well with plastic wrap and foil, label with the date and cooking directions. Freeze for up to 4 weeks.
- You can serve right away instead of freezing. Just top the green bean mixture with fried onions and bake at 350 until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the onions have crisped slightly, 25 to 30 minutes.
- To serve from freezer, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Discard the plastic wrap from the frozen casserole. Cover with foil again, and bake until warmed through, about 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and top with the fried onions. Continue to bake until the casserole is hot and bubbly, and the onions have crisped slightly, about 20 minutes more. (all ovens are different, so test the middle of the casserole to be sure it's hot!)
Notes:
You can serve right away instead of freezing. Just top the green bean mixture with fried onions and bake until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the onions have crisped slightly, 25 to 30 minutes.
To save space you can store the green bean casserole flat in a large Ziploc bag. You will need to thaw the casserole overnight in the freezer before adding it to your 3-quart baking dish. Then top with onions and bake as directed
Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy: recipe here! Or buy it pre-made at the hot-section of your grocery store.
Freeze Pies: Fruit pies, click here. Pumpkin Pie, click here