Better Homes And Gardens Make Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes

Overnight Refrigerator Rolls

Credit: Jason Donnelly

A make-ahead Thanksgiving dinner will be your saving grace as friends and family fill your house. Designed to relieve last-minute kitchen chaos, each of these make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes can be prepped from a few hours to a few months in advance. Look for all your holiday favorites, including turkey, green bean casserole, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, and some great jump-start desserts. There's so much to be thankful for.

Dilled Onion Cheese Balls

Mini Cheese Balls

Credit: Andy Lyons

Cheese balls rank high on the list of favorite make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes, but this version can be made way ahead (we're talking three months). While you're mixing one up, make an extra batch. They make fun food gifts for friends and neighbors.

Peppered Herb Cheese Ball

Credit: Marty Baldwin

Add this cheese ball to your list of appetizers you can make ahead for Thanksgiving or anytime. Make it at least four hours and up to 24 hours in advance. Black pepper, tangy goat cheese, and loads of herbs keep it fresh-tasting. Learn how to preserve fresh herbs in case you have any left over.

Related: Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Appetizers

Roasted Acorn Squash and Beet Salad

Roasted Acorn Squash Beet Salad

Credit: Con Poulos

Make-ahead squash stars in this gorgeous Thanksgiving salad. Roast the squash and beets the night before. Mix a batch of tangy vinaigrette while the veggies roast, then refrigerate the veggies and vinaigrette separately. All you need do come holiday mealtime is toss everything with some salad greens.

Cranberry-Pear Gelatin Salads

Credit: Scott Little

Festive gelatin recipes also happen to be easy Thanksgiving side dishes to make ahead. A trifecta of festive cranberry flavor enhances our gelatin salad. Cranberry juice, dried cranberries, and sparkly sugared cranberries on top (if you desire) combine for a fruit-forward side dish you can make up to a day in advance.

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Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Credit: Lisa Hubbard

Your search for make-ahead mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving ends here. Make these up to 48 hours in advance, then reheat in a slow-cooker. They'll stay moist and creamy until the you get the roasted turkey and the rest of the trimmings on the table.

Make-Ahead Gravy for Thanksgiving

Credit: Andy Lyons

A pan gravy is a wonderful thing, but it's also a straight-up hassle to make at the last minute. So here's our best make-ahead gravy for Thanksgiving to ease the final flurry of getting everything to the table. The No-Drippings Gravy option in the recipe can be prepared up to three days in advance. While you're warming the gravy for the feast, you could add a few pan drippings from the turkey for a flavorful pan gravy fake-out.

Buy It: 11-Inch Wire Whisk, $10, OXO

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Gouda and Crispy Pancetta

Credit: Andy Lyons

Gouda and pancetta add lusciousness to an otherwise classic version of make-ahead mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. You'll be seriously ahead of the game when you get them done up to 24 hours before your feast. To serve, pop them in the oven right before Thanksgiving dinner so they're piping hot when they hit the table.

Related: Our Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Overnight Refrigerator Rolls

Credit: Jason Donnelly

Your make-ahead Thanksgiving dinner menu won't be complete until you have the dough for your homemade dinner rolls chilling in the fridge. This recipe lets you choose one of four variations: classic, cinnamon-sugar, Parmesan-herb, or salt and pepper.

Corn Pudding Casserole

Credit: Andy Lyons

For a make-ahead Thanksgiving side that goes beyond the basic corn, cream, and cheese, check out this easy bake. With sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini, ricotta, and Parmesan cheeses, this recipe brings Italian appeal to the classic American corn pudding recipe.

Smoky Green Bean Casserole

Credit: Andy Lyons

This make-ahead Thanksgiving green bean casserole is a lifesaver for a few reasons. First, you can prep it up to 24 hours ahead. Second, it cooks in your slow cooker, saving valuable oven space. Best of all, smoked Gouda, roasted red bell peppers, water chestnuts, and whole grain mustard amp up the flavor.

Make-Ahead Butternut Squash Gratin with Creamed Spinach

Credit: Kim Cornelison

Here's a make-ahead squash for Thanksgiving with a bonus. Underneath the squash is a colorful layer of creamed spinach. A luscious mix of crème fraiche and Parmesan cheese tops it all. It's a delightfully hearty casserole that can stand in as a main dish for the vegetarians.

Meringue-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole

Credit: Raymond Hom

A topping of meringue instead of marshmallows makes this make-ahead sweet potato dish for Thanksgiving an ultra-gourmet take on the usual. Bake the sweet potatoes up to 48 hours ahead, add the sweet meringue, and bake again until beautifully golden.

Old-Fashioned Bread Stuffing

Credit: Andy Lyons

This hearty Thanksgiving side-dish stuffing has all the flavors you love. Celery, onion, carrot, and parsley find their way into this make-ahead stuffing recipe. Start it the day before and either slow-cook it or bake it for the feast.

Related: Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes

Oysters Rockefeller Sourdough Stuffing

Credit: Jason Donnelly

Oyster stuffing is a time-honored holiday treat. Combine it with another classic recipe—oysters Rockefeller—and you have one of our best make-ahead Thanksgiving sides. This one can be made 24 hours in advance.

Sage and Bacon Slow Cooker Stuffing

Credit: Jason Donnelly

Let your slow cooker handle the stuffing. This make-ahead Thanksgiving dish updates the classic version with bacon and hazelnuts for a great mix of something new alongside the tried-and-true. P.S.: If you're hosting your first Thanksgiving, check out our stuffing basics.

Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Turkey

Credit: Reed Davis

For fantastically tender and moist turkey, get the bird soaking in a brine in the fridge a couple of days before the big meal. To bring things to the table more quickly on the holiday, braise the legs a day in advance. Doing so will give you plenty of braising liquid to prep a great make-ahead gravy for Thanksgiving. Then, just a couple hours of roasting time on the holiday is all that's left to completing the turkey.

Roast Turkey with Arugula-Pesto Rub

Credit: Jason Donnelly

Even if you plan to roast the turkey the day of your feast, you can still take advantage of this make-ahead Thanksgiving tip: Prep the rub the day before. Doing so cut precious minutes from your day-of duties. Refrigerate the mixture until you're ready to roast the bird.

Buy It: All-Clad Roasting Pan with Rack, $100, Sur la Table

Cranberry Tarts

Credit: Charles Schiller

Cranberries are practically expected on the holiday table. If not in a relish, in a dessert. These tarts can be stored at room temperature for 24 hours, in the refrigerator up to two days, and in the freezer up to 4 months.

Crumb-Topped Apple Slab Pie

Credit: Karla Conrad

While you're searching for make-ahead recipes for Thanksgiving, don't forget the pie. This sheet-pan version of crumb-topped apple pie takes only 45 minutes of prep and makes a whopping 25 servings. Chill the pie up to three days but serve at room temperature (maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top).

Related: Amazing Make-Ahead Desserts

Pecan Pie Slabs

Credit: Scott Little

Sure, pecan pie is a fabulous autumn dessert, but one pie only serves eight. When you're serving a houseful, you want make-ahead Thanksgiving desserts for a crowd. That's when this sheet-pan dessert—patterned after pecan pie—is an ideal choice. It serves 24 and can be made up to three days in advance.

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