50+ Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes

Want to live like royalty this Thanksgiving? These make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes ensure a stress-free holiday. With a solid game plan and some expert-level prep work, you’ll be sipping and smiling with guests rather than stressing in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day!

A collage of six images showing various Holiday dishes including a turkey, dressing, dinner rolls, and a pie. Text across the center of the image says "Rosie's Holiday Recipes"

Hello, my Cousins! Today, we’re digging into the sweet subject of make-ahead Thanksgiving dishes. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has nothing on a well-planned Thanksgiving meal that takes all the stress out of the big day. Want to put together a feast that’s fit for all the kings and queens in your crazy family? I gotchu!

How to Plan the Perfect Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Menu

If the thought of beginning your Thanksgiving prep days ahead of time stresses you out, I encourage you to take a breath and chill out. I’ve got some insights, tricks, and some might say clever Cousin Rosie tips that will take the stress out of planning the perfect Thanksgiving meal.

Fam, it’s all about the planning, prepping, and careful execution of a fool-proof recipe rotation. Ain’t nobody got time for a lot of stress, chaos in the kitchen, and an overflowing oven. With this make-ahead Thanksgiving plan, Great Aunt so-and-so won’t be popping into the kitchen constantly asking, “Can I help with something?!” No ma’am! This plan will easily make Thanksgiving your favorite holiday – and then you can take all these lessons learned and roll them on over for every holiday you host.

First things first, what equipment do you have to free up oven space? I’m talking about slow cookers, air fryers, and microwaves. Next, focus on side dishes and desserts – these are the easiest Thanksgiving dishes to make ahead of time. Finally, it all comes down to cooking time and priority. Start early on Thanksgiving morning, getting those easily reheatable dishes cooked right away so the main event can have its time in the oven without rushing.

Now, without any more yabbering from the Cousins Rosie gallery, let’s dive into the world of make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes that will turn your Turkey Day into a smooth operation!

7 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Sides

Let’s start with side dishes. A casserole dish is a powerful vessel that’s easily stored in the fridge or freezer and can be popped in the oven while the turkey rests. Prepare these make-ahead recipes a day or two in advance to get off to a great start!

1. Roasted Vegetables

Roasted vegetables never go out of style, especially on a holiday menu. Bust out the roasting pan a day ahead of time and get cooking with some herbs and olive oil. Anything from sweet potatoes to Brussels sprouts, carrots, and parsnips can be roasted the day before, stored in a casserole dish or airtight container, and reheated quickly in the oven on Thanksgiving Day. Here are some roasted vegetable recipes to make ahead of time:

2. Candied Yams

A close up image of sliced candied yams in a dish.

Here’s where we’re putting our alternative cooking methods to work! Candied yams can be prepped up to 2-3 days ahead of time. Follow the recipe directions up until cooking, then pop the prepared dishes into the freezer. The night before, put the dishes in the fridge to thaw and get them cooking in the morning or early afternoon so they’re ready right on time for dinner. Here are the sweet Southern candied yams I recommend making ahead of time:

3. Cranberry Sauce

A bowl of homemade cranberry sauce, with whole crushed cranberries, served in a glass bowl.

Sweet and tangy cranberry sauce really is THAT GIRL on Thanksgiving day. Nothing hits quite like a homemade cranberry sauce… especially that canned nonsense. Now, I know it’s tempting to take one item off your list and just grab a few cans of jellied cranberry sauce. But once you try this homemade recipe, you’ll think twice. Fresh cranberries are mixed with sugar and citrus… it’s giving FLAVOR! Let it bubble until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens up. Let it cool completely, and then store it in the fridge until the big day. It can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, and there she is, waiting in the wings for her time to shine! You can find my deliciously zingy, sweet, homemade cranberry sauce recipe here.

4. Dressing Casserole

A close-up image of a savory cornbread dressing, with a metal spoon scooping up a serving.

Dressing is definitely a make-ahead dish you can play around with. You can make it with bread or cornbread, sausage, or turkey. It’s all up to you! Prep it ahead, combine the ingredients in a baking dish, and freeze that beauty until it’s ready to bake. On Turkey Day, it can be one of the first things in the oven. It’ll be fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and perfectly warm and comforting – a favorite holiday dish! Browse these dressing recipes and pick your fave to make ahead:

5. Green Beans

A close up image of green beans with tomatoes, smoked turkey, and onions served in a glass casserole dish.

Green beans are another one of those Thanksgiving sides that often gets downgraded to canned ingredients because it’s quick and convenient when you’re overwhelmed with cooking. No more of that in this house, Cousins! Fresh green beans can be prepped the day before Thanksgiving. Blanch them, chop them up, and store them in the fridge with other prepped ingredients. The next day, toss everything together. Most green bean recipes are quick in the oven, so they’re the perfect dish to bake while the turkey rests right before show time.

Another easy make-ahead Thanksgiving side is green bean casserole. This one can be made up to a week ahead of time and stored in the freezer until Thanksgiving Day. Take your pick from these recipes for flavorful green beans:

6. Collard Greens

A round casserole dish filled with collard greens with smoked turkey - and easy make-ahead Thanksgiving recipe!

Sticking with the greens theme – you may not think collard greens are the best make-ahead Thanksgiving recipe, but I am here to prove you wrong! Cabbage and collard greens are both Southern holiday staples. The best part is they cook up quick in most cases, so a little prep ahead of time will save stress on the big day. These collard greens recipes can be prepped a day or two in advance, then sauteed up day-of to refresh all that flavor. They store beautifully, so even if you fully make them the day before, they will still be a flavorful, comforting Thanksgiving side dish you can’t pass up.

7. Dinner Rolls

A close up image of homemade buttery dinner rolls, baked to golden brown, in an aluminum pan.

Dare I say that dinner rolls are the unsung heroes of holiday meals? No matter what kind of rolls you serve, they’re perfect for making a little everything sandwich, scooping up extra gravy, and picking apart to keep your mouth full when that holiday dinner discourse gets a little too heated for your liking. They’re also the perfect make-ahead Thanksgiving recipe. Homemade dinner rolls can be prepped days ahead of time, frozen, and then baked on Thanksgiving Day. Choose from classic dinner rolls to something with a little more flavor with these go-to recipes:

3 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Desserts

Okay, fam. Now that we’ve exhausted the make-ahead Thanksgiving side dishes list, it’s time to move on to the other make-ahead moment: desserts. Most of these dishes can be fully prepped days ahead of time, made the day before, first-thing on Thanksgiving morning, or baked in the oven while you’re at the table enjoying your stress-free Thanksgiving dinner.

1. Holiday Pies & Cheesecakes

An overhead image of a homemade peach pie, topped with a lattice crust, served in a white pie pan.

No holiday dinner is complete without pie. Whether it’s pumpkin or peach, apple or sweet potato, pies and cheesecakes can always be made ahead of time and frozen. Reheat or bake on the day of, and dessert is served. You can even make and freeze homemade pie crusts or graham cracker crusts up to a week ahead of time, so you have everything you need ready to go. Here are my best make-ahead Thanksgiving pies:

2. No-Bake Desserts

This might be a no-brainer, but any no-bake dessert is the perfect make-ahead Thanksgiving dish. It requires no oven time or reheating – you can simply make these sweet treats a day ahead and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. If your crew isn’t full of pie people, these dessert options are smart to have on hand:

3. Bars, Cookies, & Holiday Fudge

A closeup image of stacked squares of homemade sweet potato pie fudge served as a Thanksgiving dessert.

An assortment of desserts is always a good idea for a Thanksgiving feast. If you’re hosting a big crowd, providing a little bit of everything means everyone will find a sweet treat they love. These recipes can all be made a few days ahead of time and stored perfectly fine at room temperature, in airtight containers, in resealable plastic bags, or in a covered baking dish. Better yet? Assign these desserts to the fam! If anyone wants to contribute to and take some stress off your shoulders, a dessert is the perfect way to help.

So, there you have it, Cousins! Ten easy make-ahead Thanksgiving dishes and 50 recipes to choose from that will have you hosting like a superstar. With a little bit of planning and some dedicated prep time, you can actually have a great Thanksgiving with your guests rather than stressing out in a hot kitchen all day long.

Thanksgiving is about so much more than the food. It’s the love, laughter, and memories you share with family and friends. Don’t get bogged down in the mess and stress of non-stop timers and an overworked oven. Now go on and get planning, and have a happy Thanksgiving!

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