28 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes

The calmest Thanksgivings are the ones where most of the cooking already happened. Cranberry sauce, rolls, and casserole assembly can all be done days ahead, so Thursday is mostly reheating plus the turkey.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Here is what actually holds well, split by how far ahead you can make it, plus a simple day-by-day plan.

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Go

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Yummy Bowl.

Freezes Well (Make A Few Weeks Before The Day)

Do these whenever you have a free hour in the two weeks before. They come out of the freezer like nothing happened.

Sourdough Dinner Rolls

These soft sourdough dinner rolls are fluffy, buttery, and beginner-friendly. Perfect for holiday dinners, cozy soups, meal prep, and family weeknight meals.

RECIPE

Soft Homemade Dinner Rolls (Bread Machine or By Hand)

These soft homemade dinner rolls turn out fluffy, buttery, and perfectly pull-apart every time. Includes both bread machine and hand-mixed methods for easy everyday baking, holiday dinners, and cozy family meals.

RECIPE

Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe

A gluten free cornbread that freezes well whole or sliced, just thaw and warm before serving.

RECIPE

Easy Gluten Free Stuffing (Dairy Free)

Assemble unbaked and freeze, then bake straight from frozen with a little extra time in the oven.

RECIPE

Roasted Butternut Squash Casserole With Cranberries And Apples

Squash, cranberries, and apples baked together, freezes in the same dish you will reheat it in.

RECIPE

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

Assemble the casserole and freeze it unbaked, add the crispy onions after it comes out of the freezer.

RECIPE

Butternut Squash Casserole

A sage butternut squash casserole that freezes well before its final bake.

RECIPE

Cranberry sauce also freezes well, up to three months.

Fridge, 2 to 4 Days Ahead

Make these Monday or Tuesday and they are ready to reheat or serve straight from the fridge.

Cranberry Orange Sauce (with Mandarin Oranges)

This homemade cranberry orange sauce is a 5 ingredient recipe made with fresh cranberries, oranges, juice, honey, and a hint of cinnamon. Tangy tart, but semi-sweet, we love to serve it with anything!

RECIPE

Gluten-Free Turkey Gravy (From Drippings)

This luxuriously rich and savory gluten-free turkey gravy has all the deep, meaty umami flavor you expect from a classic recipe. It tastes so good, that no one will detect it's gluten-free. It achieves a smooth, creamy texture and delicious taste without using any wheat flour.

RECIPE

No Cook Orange Cranberry Walnut Relish

A raw, no cook cranberry relish that only gets better after a day or two in the fridge.

RECIPE

Garlic Mashed Potatoes With Cream Cheese

Garlic mashed potatoes with cream cheese, reheats gently on the stove with a splash of milk.

RECIPE

Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes

Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes are ultra creamy and fluffy, made with high starch potatoes that are slow cooked in flavorful broth and then mashed with sour cream and butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

RECIPE

Duchess Potatoes (Piped Mashed Potatoes)

Piped mashed potatoes that hold their shape in the fridge, just bake until golden before serving.

RECIPE

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows

Assemble with the marshmallow topping and refrigerate, then bake fresh Thursday.

RECIPE

Baked Candied Yams (Candied Sweet Potatoes)

Baked candied yams that reheat well covered in a low oven.

RECIPE

Whipped Sweet Potatoes With Candied Bacon

Whipped until smooth, this one reheats gently on the stove or in the oven.

RECIPE

Twice Baked Sweet Potato With Bacon And Cheese

Stuff the potato shells ahead and refrigerate, then bake again just before serving.

RECIPE

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Feta

Roast the sprouts up to 3 hours ahead, then add the glaze, cranberries, and feta right before serving.

RECIPE

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

A simple roasted side that reheats well in a hot oven for a few minutes.

RECIPE

Cold Spinach Dip With Cream Cheese

A cold spinach dip that only needs a stir before serving, perfect made a day or two ahead.

RECIPE

Cranberry Pecan Cheese Ball

A make ahead classic, wrap tightly and refrigerate up to 3 days before rolling in pecans to serve.

RECIPE

Millionaire Cranberry Salad Recipe

A creamy cranberry salad that needs time in the fridge to set, so making it ahead is not optional, it is required.

RECIPE

Broccoli Cranberry Salad

A crunchy broccoli cranberry salad that holds well dressed in the fridge overnight.

RECIPE

Cold Pasta Salad With Smoked Sausage

A simple and savory cold pasta salad made with smoked sausage (or salami), veggies, and gluten free pasta. Can be served hot or cold to fit any season!

RECIPE

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

This quick Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad is an easy, family-friendly dinner you can make in 15 minutes with rotisserie chicken, pasta, kale, and a creamy Caesar dressing.

RECIPE

Roasted Pumpkin Hummus

A pumpkin hummus that keeps well chilled for days, great for grazing before the main meal.

RECIPE

Best Made the Day Of (But You Can Prep the Pieces)

These do not hold as well finished, but the prep work behind them absolutely can be done early.

Air Fryer Potato Skins With Cheese and Bacon

Prep and par-cook the potato shells ahead, then fill and crisp them in the air fryer right before serving.

RECIPE

Homemade Baked Sweet Potato Fries With Parmesan

Best fresh from the oven, but you can cut and season the fries the night before.

RECIPE

Cucumber, Tomato and Onion Salad (Just 5 Minutes)

Marinated cucumber tomato and onion salad is a fresh summer side dish, it only takes 5 minutes to throw together, super simple and delicious. No summer feasting and BBQ party is the same without this salad.

RECIPE

Chickpea Kale Salad Recipe (With Lemon Tahini Dressing)

This delicious kale salad with zesty lemon dressing is an easy salad that can be enjoyed as a side dish or a light meal for lunch and dinner when combined with these protein-packed Air Fryer Chickpeas!

RECIPE

Healthy Kale Caesar Salad

Lemon Kale Caesar Salad is a chicken salad-lover's delight! A zesty blend of citrus juices, healthy caesar dressing, juiciest chicken and some essential toppings are sure to please!

RECIPE

Chop all your vegetables Wednesday and store them in the fridge. Dry your stuffing bread cubes up to a week ahead. Make your turkey stock so gravy is just a whisk away.

Make-Ahead Thanksgiving FAQs

What Thanksgiving dishes can be made ahead?

Cranberry sauce, dinner rolls, casserole assemblies, mashed potatoes, and stock for gravy all hold well made a few days to a few weeks in advance.

Can you make stuffing the day before?

Dry the bread cubes up to a week ahead and you can fully assemble the stuffing the night before. Bake it fresh Thursday for the best texture.

Can you cook a turkey the day before Thanksgiving?

Yes. Roast, slice, and refrigerate it, then reheat gently in broth-moistened foil. Some people prefer this specifically so Thursday morning is calm.

Don't Forget

For the full side dish lineup see What to Serve with Turkey, and for the timing that matters most, How Long to Cook a Turkey.

More You'll Love

Join TYB
Insider

Get access to exclusive recipes,
weekly meal plans, printable
grocery lists, and AD-FREE
browsing designed to make
mealtime easier.

JOIN THE CLUB →