Southern Living
Holidays & Occasions
Thanksgiving
5 Smart Thanksgiving Day Shortcuts

5 Smart Thanksgiving Day Shortcuts

Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Take your favorite grocery store products and spruce them up on Thanksgiving to save time.

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Here's How to Spruce up 5 Grocery Store Items on Thanksgiving

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Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Victor Protasio

You can easily make the canned stuff look, and taste, homemade with the addition of walnuts, orange zest, and orange and lemon juices. To make a tangy relish:

Whisk 1 can cranberry sauce with ½ cup toasted chopped walnuts, ½ tsp. fresh orange zest, and 2 tsp. each fresh orange and lemon juices in a medium bowl until combined.

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Herb-Seasoning Stuffing Mix

Victor Protasio

In the South it’s called dressing, but you still can buy a bag of herb-seasoned stuffing mix for a Southern purpose: topping your casserole. To add a crunchy layer to your casserole:

Process 2 cups dry stuffing mix in a food processor until coarsely ground. Combine with ¼ cup melted unsalted butter in a bowl. Use as a topping for green bean casserole or scalloped potatoes; bake as directed.

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Frozen Dinner Rolls

Victor Protasio

Sister Schubert’s Dinner Rolls are good all on their own, but we’re not against throwing on a little seasoning to make them extra special for the holidays. To update your bread basket:

Stir together 2 tsp. seeds (such as sesame, fennel, or caraway) and a pinch of garlic powder in a bowl. In a second bowl, whisk 1 egg white until foamy. Brush tops of frozen rolls with beaten egg white, and sprinkle with seed mixture. Bake as directed.

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Refrigerated Pie Dough

Victor Protasio

If you're not making your own pie crust, you can still enhance the flavor with a simple addition. To make a nutty piecrust:

Dust work surface with powdered sugar. Unroll refrigerated pie dough; place on top of sugar. Sprinkle evenly with 1/3 cup toasted, finely chopped pecans. Gently roll over dough with a rolling pin. Place in a pie plate; bake as directed.

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Flour Tortillas

Basilios1/Getty Images

If you’re looking for something to do with the leftover turkey besides making a sandwich, we love a good bowl of turkey and dumplings. Simplify things even more with store bought flour tortillas. To make quick-and-easy turkey and dumplings:

Cut 6-inch flour tortillas into 1-inch wide strips. Drop them into simmering broth and add shredded turkey.

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