20 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes for an Easy Holiday

1Cranberry Brie BitesWill Dickey

Tangy cranberry sauce and melty brie cheese are the perfect pairing for a holiday starter. Even better is the fact that you can prep these bites ahead and stash them in the freeze for up to a week!

Get the Cranberry Brie Bites recipe.

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2Spatchcock Turkey make ahead thanksgiving spatchcock turkey Danielle Daly

A spatchcock turkey might seem tricky, but it’s actually a great way to save time in the kitchen. You can do most of the prep work the night before as long as you have room in the refrigerator. Then, cooking the bird on Thanksgiving Day will take even less time!

Get the Spatchcock Turkey recipe.

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3Green Bean Casserole make ahead thanksgiving green bean casserole Will Dickey

Don’t sacrifice on flavor just because you’re looking for a shortcut. This green bean casserole is entirely homemade (no canned soup required) but it’s easy when you make it ahead.

Get Ree’s Green Bean Casserole recipe.

4Pumpkin Cream Pie make ahead thanksgiving pumpkin cream pie Caitlin Bensel

A cream pie like this one needs time to set up and chill, so it’s perfect for making a night in advance. Plus, you’ll be rewarded with the lightest, fluffiest version of pumpkin pie around!

Get Ree’s Pumpkin Cream Pie recipe.

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5Sausage Stuffing make ahead thanksgiving sausage stuffing Danielle Daly

Stuffing is practically required on Thanksgiving! Luckily, you can dry out the bread in advance and make the whole dish entirely ahead of time. Just store it in the refrigerator before baking.

Get the Sausage Stuffing recipe.

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6Sweet Potato Pie make ahead thanksgiving sweet potato pie Danielle Daly

There are so many ways to prep this sweet potato pie ahead. For one, the crust can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to two days. Then, the whole pie can be baked ahead since it needs time to cool before you slice it anyway.

Get the Sweet Potato Pie recipe.

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7Herb Focaccia make ahead thanksgiving herb focaccia Will Dickey

Don’t forget about your Thanksgiving bread basket! Making homemade focaccia bread with lots of fresh herbs is easy with this recipe that allows the dough to rise in the refrigerator for 12 hours or up to 3 days!

Get the Herb Focaccia recipe.

8Apple Cranberry Sauce make ahead thanksgiving apple cranberry sauce Danielle Daly

It doesn’t take long to prepare this classic turkey side dish, but checking it off your list up to 2 weeks in advance is one less thing you need to worry about! You can even freeze it for up to three months if you really want to think ahead.

Get the Apple Cranberry Sauce recipe.

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9Butternut Squash Lasagna make ahead thanksgiving butternut squash lasagna Caitlin Bensel

Any lasagna is great for making in advance, but this one just feels perfect for fall! Make it up to two days ahead and chill before baking, then let it come to room temperature as the oven preheats and add 10 minutes to the bake time before uncovering.

Get the Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe.

10Slow Cooker Green Beans make ahead thanksgiving slow cooker green beans Caitlin Bensel

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11Pecan Pie Bars make ahead thanksgiving pecan pie bars Will Dickey

Not only are these pecan pie bars great for making ahead, but they’re also great for feeding a crowd. Consider them the ultimate Thanksgiving potluck food.

Get the Pecan Pie Bars recipe.

12Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes make ahead thanksgiving twice baked sweet potatoes Caitlin Bensel

These taters are topped with a nutty pecan crumble so they taste like mini sweet potato casseroles. To make them ahead of Thanksgiving, simple bake the potatoes ahead and finish with the crumble just before serving.

Get the Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes recipe.

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13Crock-Pot Scalloped Potatoes make ahead thanksgiving crock pot scalloped potatoes Caitlin Bensel

These potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and utterly irresistible! Prep them in the morning then let them cook low and slow. The best part is that they won’t take up any precious oven space.

Get the Crock-Pot Scalloped Potatoes recipe.

14Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Ball make ahead thanksgiving cranberry pecan cheese ball Caitlin Bensel

This easy appetizer can be made the night before. In fact, it tastes even better when it sits for about eight hours. Just be sure to take it out of the refrigerator up to 30 minutes before serving.

Get Ree’s Cranberry-Pecan Cheese Ball recipe.

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15Delicious, Creamy Mashed Potatoes make ahead thanksgiving creamy mashed potatoes Hector Manuel Sanchez16Crock-Pot Mac and Cheese make ahead thanksgiving crock pot mac and cheese Caitlin Bensel

This creamy mac and cheese doesn’t take long to cook but you can set the slow cooker to warm for up to two hours if you want to prep it earlier in the day. That’s one less thing to worry about!

Get the Crock-Pot Mac and Cheese recipe.

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17Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Will Dickey18Make-Ahead Gravy make ahead thanksgiving gravy Ralph Smith