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50+ Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes For The Perfectly Prepared Host

50+ Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes For The Perfectly Prepared Host

By Southern Living Editors

Updated October 08, 2020

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

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—a gorgeous 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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Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks

Credit: 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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Classic Cornbread Dressing

Credit: 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.

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Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole

Credit: 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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Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

Credit: 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.

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Savory Corn Pudding

Credit: 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.

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Gingerbread Cheesecake with Lemon-Ginger Glaze

Credit: 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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Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

Credit: 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.

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Corn Pudding Casserole

Credit: 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.

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Classic Cranberry Salad

Credit: 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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Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Credit: 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.

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Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

Credit: 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.

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Old-School Green Bean Casserole

Credit: 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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Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole

Credit: 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.

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Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: 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.

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Apple Stack Cake

Credit: 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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Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Credit: 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.

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Fruitcake Bark

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

Recipe: Fruitcake Bark

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

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Classic Candied Yams

Credit: 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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Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Credit: 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.

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Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

Credit: 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.

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Cherry-Spice Cake Trifle

Credit: 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.

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Pumpkin-Espresso Tiramisù

Credit: Photo: Alison Miksch

Recipe: Pumpkin-Espresso Tiramisù

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

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Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

Credit: 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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Turkey Cheese Ball

Credit: Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Turkey Cheese Ball

Bring back your retro cheese ball recipe with a cheeky Thanksgiving spin. You can prep this cute turkey the night before and pop it out of the fridge before your family arrives.

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Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

It’s all in the name here—this classic turkey gravy recipe can be made up to three days in advance. Don’t forget to serve it from a gorgeous gravy boat!

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Herby-Pecan Cornbread Dressing

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Herby-Pecan Cornbread Dressing

This earthy version of classic cornbread dressing included toasted pecans for a bit of fall brunch. You can prepare the cornbread up to three days in advance, and store it, covered at room temperature.

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Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Puddings

Credit: Jim Franco

Recipe: Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Puddings

Swap out your usual parade of pies for a seasonal bread pudding recipe. This decadent dessert can be made in a 13x9 dish or individual ramekins and can be prepped up to a day in advance.

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Wild Rice-and-Greens Casserole

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Recipe: Wild Rice-and-Greens Casserole

Add this greens casserole to your repertoire of Thanksgiving side dishes this year. We chose kale, but you can use whatever greens are your favorite. To make this new addition ahead of time, cover and chill up to three days before baking.

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Cheddar Cheese Straws

Credit: Photo: Lee Harrelson

Recipe: Cheddar Cheese Straws

It wouldn’t be a holiday in the South without a snack bowl full of homemade cheese straws. This old-school recipe can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week before Thanksgiving.

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Overnight Yeast Rolls

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Overnight Yeast Rolls

Trust us when we say these rolls are just as easy as buying the frozen ones. With just about 20 minutes of hands-on time and seven ingredients, you should definitely give homemade rolls a shot this Thanksgiving. Prepare the dough a day ahead of Thanksgiving and let it chill overnight.

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Roasted Herb Turkey and Gravy

Credit: Greg Dupree

Recipe: Roasted Herb Turkey and Gravy

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More

50+ Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes For The Perfectly Prepared Host

1 of 57

Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks

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Classic Cornbread Dressing

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Hasselback Sweet Potato Casserole

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Savory Sweet Potato Casserole

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Savory Corn Pudding

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Gingerbread Cheesecake with Lemon-Ginger Glaze

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Fudgy Pecan Bourbon Balls

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Corn Pudding Casserole

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Classic Cranberry Salad

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Classic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

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Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

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Old-School Green Bean Casserole

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Cheesy Mashed Potato Casserole

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Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese

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Apple Stack Cake

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Salted Butter-Pecan Shortbread Cookies

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Fruitcake Bark

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Classic Candied Yams

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Roasted Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

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Crème Brûlée Cheesecake

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Cherry-Spice Cake Trifle

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Pumpkin-Espresso Tiramisù

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Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

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Turkey Cheese Ball

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Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

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Herby-Pecan Cornbread Dressing