How Many Days Ahead........

Thrive · ‎08-03-2011

How many days ahead do you make your Thanksgiving side dishes? I don't want to freeze anything.

Thanks!

Sweetbay magnolia · ‎04-14-2013

I think this year I may go one day out, but it's a small crowd and simple fare so I could if necessary do it on Thanksgiving.

Have a good one!

Cogito ergo sum

Gemspirit · ‎01-23-2015

Hi Fuury~It's an unusual year for our family and I'm actually not cooking. But...I have done Thanksgiving for most of the 36 years I've been married.

With the sides...to be honest, it depend on what they are. For example, I don't make my stuffing until that day. Same with the corn casserole. The stuffing because there's sausage, a couple eggs and a bit of milk in my recipe and, tmy corn casserolor two as well.e has eggs and cream. But then there are things you can make a day or two ahead depending on your ingredients. We make the typical broccoli casserole. Totally unhealthy but..it's Thanksgiving. I also do fresh cranberry sauce the day before. Mashed potatoes depend on the recipe. What you could do to save time is cut them up, boil them, add salt and a bit of olive oil and put in an airtight container. Then take them out and proceed with your recipe.

On freezing....I wouldn't do it. Just because I feel the consistency changes. But, that's me. I'll freeze things after the big day but not before!?

Of course breads, rolls, and pies can be made ahead by a day as well..

i hope my examples help....if you have questions on a particular dish...just post and someone will answer! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

vermint · ‎04-05-2010

I'll do mine the day before, as much as I can, then pop them in the oven on Thursday...but I'm only doing dressing (a LOT of dressing, lol!) and green bean casserole. Guests are bringing the rest. We'll cook our turkeys on Tuesday & Wednesday...we eat around 1:00 and there's just no way to cook two turkeys and everything else on the day!

We'll have 21 people this year!

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

I will make the dressing tomorrow and bake the pie on Wednesday. All I have to do Thursday is bake the turkey breast, bake the dressing, heat the cranberry sauce, make the gravy, and then we can eat. I am only cooking the exact foods my family asked for, as all that extra stuff is never eaten, and I am not wasting food, nor my time.

mousiegirl · ‎03-09-2010

The day before, I make the cranberry sauce, and sometimes dice the celery and onion for the dressing, otherwise, I just do it the next morning while the turkley is coming to room temp. I buy a pumpkin pie, this year I bought the Junior's pumpkin cheesecake, and sometimes I make an apple desert. If one makes mashed potatoes, they could be done a day or two before, and the entire dressing could also be done before. I would say everything but the green vegetable and salad could be done the day before or so.

ECBG · ‎01-08-2011

I do my pumpkin pies the day before so they'll "set up" but I do everything else while the turkey cooks. I like to mix up the dressing and stuff the turkey before I bake it since cold dressing would add to the time. I do cut up the celery and onions, and DH strings the green beans. I buy Sister Schubert yeast rolls which are heavelnly. I've taught how to make yeast bread but I don't take the time working.

PamelaSue72 · ‎09-22-2011

I came home from work at noon (took some vacation time) so that I could get a head start on my food prep. By 10 last night, I had the pumpkin pies in the fridge, the peanut butter pie in the fridge, the cookies decorated (sugar cookie maple leaves), the mashed potatoes done, all the onions, peppers, and celery chopped and in their respective containers for stuffing and for the corn putting. I had made my corn bread, cooled it down, cubed the bread and stuck it in the microwave to use in the dressing today. The gravy was prepared and cooled, then it went into the fridge. Finished the sugared pecans. Cranberry relish was prepared Monday night. The turkey went into its brining bucket in the basement around 11 last night.

I don't deal with yeast breads or anything like that because we have the dressing.

We are eating around 2:00. By 10 this morning, the turkey will be in the Nesco roaster, and the stuffing in the crock pot. At that point, it's just a matter of timing for the dishes to go into and out of the oven. I have a double oven, so the vegetables that must be roasted at 425 degrees will go into the bottom oven and the mashed potatoes and the corn pudding that go in at 350 degrees will go into the main oven. A quick reheat of the gravy will be all that's needed.

I had my menu list, a list of all the groceries that needed to be purchased, a list of everything that I wanted to prepare yesterday, and, for today, a timeline of what goes into the oven, when it goes into the oven, at what temperature, and for how long.

I'm ready.