30 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes For The Perfectly Prepared Host

By Southern Living Editors
Photo: Alison Miksch

Oh, the Thanksgiving paradox: a house filled with loved ones who have traveled from near and far to see you, yet your quality time is spent with the stove. You try to seem a calm, cheery hostess, but in truth, you're frazzled. Your mind races with forgotten ingredients, you overmix the mashed potatoes, and the gravy burns. We're here to break the cycle. This year, we've designed every dish on our menu to be made ahead so all you have to do on the big day; is reheat and assemble. We have all the classic dishes like Old School Green Bean Casserole and Candied Sweet Potatoes on deck for easy to prepare beforehand dishes. Don’t worry we didn’t forget about the grand finale aka dessert—we’ve got an all-star lineup of seasonal treats. Revel in good company and delicious dishes this holiday season. A festive, fuss-free Thanksgiving? Now that's something to be thankful for.

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1 of 31

Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks

Photo: Linda Puglies; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks

Fried leeks give this classic green bean casserole the most elegant topping. Make the casserole the day before Thanksgiving then fry the leeks the day of.

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2 of 31

Classic Cornbread Dressing

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Classic Cornbread Dressing

For all the go-getters and holiday planners, this heavenly cornbread dressing can be prepared a month ahead of time and stored in the freezer until the holidays.

3 of 31

Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole

Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole

This elegant hasselback technique has completely transformed the traditional sweet potato casserole. Make this dish the day before turkey day.

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4 of 31

Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

Toasted pecans, cheese, and breadcrumbs gives this Sweet Potato Casserole some extra savory nodes.

5 of 31

Savory Corn Pudding

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Savory Corn Pudding

This fluffy and creamy corn pudding has won over our hearts and will win over yours too! This dish can chill up to two days then be reheated for the big feast.

6 of 31

Gingerbread Cheesecake with Lemon-Ginger Glaze

Southern Living

Recipe: Gingerbread Cheesecake with Lemon-Ginger Glaze

Impress your guests by serving this showstopping dessert. Create this cake two days in advance to allow enough time for its required chill time.

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7 of 31

Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Karin Olsen; Food Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Recipe: Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

Form these decadent treats the week of Thanksgiving and store them in your fridge until they’re ready to be served.

8 of 31

Corn Pudding Casserole

Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Corn Pudding Casserole

We cut some corners with this cheesy corn pudding by substituting frozen corn for fresh corn. Prepare this crowd-pleaser a day ahead of time.

9 of 31

Classic Cranberry Salad

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Classic Cranberry Salad

This fruity dish requires a 24-hour chill time, so you have an excuse to go ahead and get started. 

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10 of 31

Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

These buttermilk potatoes can be prepared ahead of time and reheat oh-so beautifully. We like to add a sliver of butter on top as the finishing touch.

11 of 31

Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

These sugary, rich treats are so heavenly and can be stored in an airtight tin for up to a week.

12 of 31

Old-School Green Bean Casserole

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Old-School Green Bean Casserole

You can mix up this classic casserole dish up to 3 days in advance—just slide it in the oven and add toppings the day of.

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13 of 31

Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole

Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Cheesy Potato Casserole

This delicate and rich casserole is so creamy that you wouldn’t believe us if we told you we prepared this ahead of time.

14 of 31

Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese

It's true what they say, macaroni and cheese tastes even better the next day. Store this best-ever dish in the refrigerator the day before the feast then let it sit out for 30 minutes before sliding it in the oven.

15 of 31

Apple Stack Cake

Photo: Victor Protasi; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Apple Stack Cake

This award-worthy apple delight requires two to three days of chill time to solidify.

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16 of 31

Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Create this cookie dough in advance. You can stick it in the fridge for up to two days before baking.

17 of 31

Fruitcake Bark

Greg DuPree

Recipe: Fruitcake Bark

Holiday bark is the perfect make-ahead treat to set out on the dessert table.

18 of 31

Classic Candied Yams

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Classic Candied Yams

You can assemble this holiday classic three days in advance.

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19 of 31

Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Make your way through the first half of this recipe a day in advance. Just cover and refrigerate. Once you're ready to complete, just bring it to room temperature and keep on cooking.

20 of 31

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

Let this tangy and sweet cheesecake chill overnight then add the final brûlée touch when dessert time comes around.

21 of 31

Simple Chicken Stock & Make-Ahead Gravy

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Simple Chicken Stock

This easy homemade chicken stock adds loads of fresh flavor to our Make-Ahead Gravy.

Recipe: Make-Ahead Gravy

This Make-Ahead Gravy can be stored flat in the freezer. Make sure to transfer it to the fridge to thaw three to four days before reheating it.

 

 

 

 

 

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22 of 31

Easy Butter Rolls

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Easy Butter Rolls

Dinner rolls have never been so easy to make! Freeze the dough and transfer it to the fridge a day before baking.

23 of 31

Parsnip-Potato Soup

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Parsnip-Potato Soup

 This creamy soup is so easy to freeze and reheats beautifully. Make sure to lay the soup down flat in the freezer and thaw it in the refrigerator three to four days before using.

 

 

24 of 31

Holiday Spice Cake & Grandmother Carter's Cornbread Dressing

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Holiday Spice Cake

 

This Holiday Spice Cake is a breeze to freeze, just stack them into the freezer. These cake layers can be used to create Cherry-Spice Cake Trifle.

Recipe: Grandmother Carter's Cornbread Dressing

Nothing is tastier than Grandmother's homemade cornbread dressing. What's the secret? Freezing the mixture then transferring it to the fridge five days beforehand so that it can thaw in time for the Thanksgiving feast.

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25 of 31

Mashed Potatoes with Greens

Alison Miksch

Recipe: Mashed Potatoes with Greens

Mashed potatoes sure require a little bit of elbow grease to assemble, but with this make-ahead recipe, guests won't even know you broke a sweat to create this fluffy dish.

 

 

26 of 31

Cherry-Spice Cake Trifle

Photo: Helen Norman

Recipe: Cherry-Spice Cake Trifle

Take out the Holiday Spice Cake layers to thaw then use it to create this one-of-a-kind holiday trifle.

 

 

27 of 31

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Roasted Vegetable Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Oven space can be limited on Thanksgiving day, so roast these vegetables beforehand and serve them in the fridge until they're ready to serve.

   
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28 of 31

Pumpkin-Espresso Tiramisù

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Pumpkin-Espresso Tiramisù

Forget the pies this Thanksgiving, make-ahead Tiramisu is the smarter way to go.

 

 

29 of 31

Dry-Brined-and-Marinated Smoked Turkey

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Dry-Brined-and-Marinated Smoked Turkey

It's possible to prepare the main dish ahead of time with this smoked turkey recipe.

 

 

30 of 31

Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

Wake up on Thanksgiving morning and put this sweet potato mixture into your slow cooker. It'll be ready to serve by dinnertime.

 

 

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