While spending quality time with those you love is the most important part of Thanksgiving, the food you’ll enjoy together is a close second on the list. The best holiday meals are the ones where you can balance those two things: sharing a memorable meal that actually allows you to be with family and friends, not in the kitchen.
We’re here to share the good news that almost every recipe on your Thanksgiving menu can be made in advance and frozen until you are ready to serve. Preparing sides, appetizers, and desserts ahead of time and storing them in the freezer will allow you to spend less time in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day and more time with your family. Plus, you’ll be able to devote all of your attention to cooking the main course. From rolls to cornbread dressing to pumpkin pie, start making these freezer-friendly Thanksgiving recipes now and you’ll be more prepared than ever before to gather around the table this November.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Homemade cranberry sauce and relish taste just as bright and zingy even after they have been defrosted. (Can’t say the same thing about the jellied kind that comes in a can.)
Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Micah Morton, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner
Homemade rolls are completely worth the extra time they take to prepare. This recipe makes 32 rolls and after baking they can be stored in a zip-top bag in the freezer until Thanksgiving Day.
Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall
Our favorite kind of casserole is cheesy, comforting, and easy to freeze. Lucky for us, this dish checks each one of those boxes.
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Our Test Kitchen recommends making this classic Southern side a week or two in advance and freezing it in ziplock bags to save you time and space on the big day. Simply reheat in the slow cooker to free up valuable stovetop and oven space.
Molly Bolton
Bake and freeze the whole Bundt cake before Thanksgiving. Then you need only add the glaze and pecans the day of your holiday meal.
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Yes, it’s true! You can—and should—make the gravy in advance. Gravy freezes well, and takes this last-minute task off your to-do list.
Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Micah Morton, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner
If frozen, let the casserole thaw completely before adding the topping. Pop the dish in the oven just before the guests arrive so it’s fresh and warm.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
Sweet potatoes add fall flair to this traditional crowd-pleasing appetizer.
Greg Dupree; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Serving homemade pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving will be even easier when you can just pull it out of the freezer.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
To keep the topping crisp, reserve the fried onions that top this recipe until after the dish has been reheated and is ready to serve.
Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
This traditional cornbread dressing can be prepared up to one month ahead of time and stored in the freezer.
Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Micah Morton, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner
The collard greens just become more tender while this side dish is frozen. When defrosted and reheated, it’s extra silky and delicious.
Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Pecan pies freeze and reheat beautifully. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator before reheating for best results.
Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
Adding Cheddar and Parmesan cheese to creamy mashed potatoes will make this casserole an instant hit.
Photographer: Stacy K. Allen. Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
Mac and cheese doesn’t have to be store-bought to be frozen. Cook as directed, allow it to cool completely, and then store in the freezer until the big feast.
Alison Miksch; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
If you’ll have overnight guests, it’s never a bad idea to stash a breakfast casserole in the freezer.
Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
You’ll thank yourself later for stocking your freezer with a few homemade pie crusts in advance of the busy holiday season.
Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas
Sweet potato casserole is easy to freeze, as long as you follow one rule: leave off the toppings before the dish goes into the freezer.
Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
You can pop these cheesy appetizer bites straight into the oven from the freezer, just increase cook time by 10 minutes.
Vianney Rodriguez/Southern Living
Freeze this easy dressing recipe about a month in advance and simply reheat it in the slow cooker before the big meal. Because this is a set-it-and-forget-it recipe, it’s ideal for first-time Thanskgiving hosts to get this mainstay dish on the table.
Will Dickey
Recipe developer and cookbook author Brian Theis of The Infinite Feast recommends freezing this veggie side dish in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to a few months. Reviewers are raving over this recipe, so it just might be a new addition to your Thanksgiving sideboard this year.
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely
These little squares just might replace your go-to cheese straws recipe for the holiday season. Freeze the bites on your baking sheet until firm, 30 minutes to one hour. Then transfer to a heavy-duty ziplock plastic freezer bag, and freeze up to three months before Thanksgiving. Do not thaw before picking back up with the final step of the recipe to bake.
Molly Bolton
Make these decadent brownies a few weeks before Thanksgiving, then freeze the whole pan. The day before Thanksgiving, thaw them in the fridge. You can warm them slightly just before serving so they taste fresh.