Make your Thanksgiving stress-free with our list of easy, make-ahead recipes! Impress your guests with delicious dishes prepared in advance, ensuring a memorable holiday filled with fantastic flavors.
Make Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes
Be ready to wow your family and friends this Thanksgiving with some incredible recipes you can prepare in advance! Imagine walking into Thanksgiving Day, feeling relaxed because you've got delicious dishes all ready to go. From mouth-watering turkey that's been marinating overnight to sweet pies that just need a quick reheat to be dessert-ready, we've put together a list of recipes that are not only easy to make but are guaranteed to impress everyone at the table.
Whether you're a seasoned chef or trying your hand at cooking for the first time, these make-ahead recipes are perfect for ensuring your holiday is stress-free and full of fantastic food.
Cranberry Feta Pinwheels With Cream Cheese
The Cranberry Feta Pinwheels with Cream Cheese recipe is a delightful harmony of sweet and savory flavors, perfect for enchanting your guests at any festive occasion. With its simple, no-cook preparation and a vibrant blend of dried cranberries and crumbled feta, each pinwheel is a bite-sized testament to the joy of easy, delicious appetizers.
Ingredients
- Spinach or flour tortillas: 4 eight-inch tortillas
- Cranberries: Sweet-tart dried cranberries
- Feta cheese: Crumbled
- Cream cheese: Ensure it is softened for easy spreading
- Green onions: Alternatively, chives can be used
- White sugar: Optional for extra sweetness, omit for a more savory flavor
Classic Cheese Ball
The Classic Cheese Ball recipe is a triumph of flavors and textures, expertly blending cheddar and cream cheese with a hint of spice and coated in crunchy pecans for the perfect bite. It's both a delightful centerpiece for any gathering and a testament to how simplicity and high-quality ingredients can create an unforgettable appetizer.
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese (regular or low fat)
- Cheddar Cheese (sharp cheddar recommended, freshly grated)
- Green Onion (finely chopped)
Seasonings:
- Dried Parsley
- Garlic Powder
- Dried Oregano
- Ground Black Pepper
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Hot Sauce
Chopped Pecans (very finely chopped, or substitute with almonds, bacon bits, chopped green onion, or Craisins)
Cranberry Brie Bites
The Cranberry Brie Bites are a delightful dance of tangy cranberry and creamy brie cheese, all encased in buttery, flaky puff pastry. Each bite is a mini celebration, making these bites the ultimate crowd-pleaser at holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
- Cranberries: These tart berries add a burst of holiday flavor and are packed with fiber and vitamins.
- Orange Juice: Used to sweeten the cranberries and complement their flavor.
- Honey: This natural sweetener enhances the taste of the brie and balances the tartness of the cranberries.
- Cinnamon: Adds a touch of warmth to the cranberry sauce.
- Puff Pastry: Buttery and flaky, this serves as the outer crust of the bites.
- Egg: Used for an egg wash to help seal the puff pastry edges and give a golden brown finish.
- Brie Cheese: Creamy and rich, providing a delightful contrast to the tart cranberry sauce.
These ingredients come together to create delightful bites perfect for holiday gatherings or as a festive snack.
Deviled Eggs
This Deviled Eggs recipe is a masterpiece of simplicity and tradition, elevating the classic combination of pickle relish, mayonnaise, mustard, and spices to an art form. It's a nostalgic favorite that's been meticulously crafted to capture the essence of family gatherings, making each bite a delightful journey back in time.
Ingredients
- Eggs
- Pickle Relish
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Salt
- Pepper
More Items
- Avocado (for Avocado Deviled Eggs)
- Bacon (cooked and diced)
- Chives (finely diced)
- Herbs (fresh or dried dill or basil)
- Spicy Seasoning (cayenne, cajun spices, or hot sauce)
Cranberry Bacon Jam Crostini
The Cranberry Bacon Jam Crostini is a symphony of flavors and textures that perfectly captures the essence of festive indulgence. With its harmonious blend of sweet cranberries, smoky bacon, and the rich, gooey melt of smoked cheddar, atop a crusty baguette and finished with a crunch of walnuts, this dish is an exquisite balance of sweet, salty, and smoky.
Ingredients
- Cranberries
- Bacon
- Cheese (specifically Smoked Cheddar)
- Baguette (for the crostini base)
- Walnuts (for topping)
Pumpkin Dip
This Pumpkin Dip is the epitome of fall flavors in one delightful bowl! With just five simple ingredients creating a perfectly creamy texture and a balance of sweetness and spice, it's no wonder this easy-to-make treat vanishes quickly at any gathering.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree
- Powdered sugar
- Cream cheese
- Ground cinnamon
- Cool Whip (or whipped topping)
Cheesy Mini Potato Gratin Stacks
These Cheesy Mini Potato Gratin Stacks are a dazzling reinvention of the classic gratin, presenting layers of potato bliss in a perfectly portioned package. With a harmonious mix of garlic-infused cream, fresh thyme, and luscious melted cheese, every bite is a delectable symphony of flavors that charmingly crisp at the edges.
Ingredients
- Potatoes (starchy or all-rounder, like Sebago, Russet, Dutch creams, King Edwards, or Red Delight)
- Cheese (Gruyere or Swiss cheese preferred, but any melting cheese like cheddar, Colby, or tasty cheese works; both shredded and sliced)
- Thickened/heavy cream
- Garlic
- Thyme
The Best Spinach Artichoke Dip
This creamy and savory Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe is a sheer delight for the taste buds! With its perfect blend of cheeses and the heartiness of spinach and artichokes, it's guaranteed to be the star of any gathering.
Ingredients
- Frozen spinach, chopped and thawed
- Artichoke hearts, drained
- Cream cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
Easy Antipasto Skewers
This Spinach Artichoke Dip recipe takes the beloved classic to new heights of delight! With its creamy, rich blend of cheeses, artichokes, and spinach, each bite is a heavenly experience. Perfectly suited for any gathering, it's the go-to dip that promises to steal the show with its mouth-watering flavors and luscious texture.
Ingredients
- 10 oz. package frozen spinach thawed and drained, chopped
- 14 oz. jar artichoke hearts drained, chopped
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
How To Make Ahead And Reheat Turkey
Learn How To Make Ahead And Reheat Turkey recipe that transforms holiday dinners into a stress-free delight, allowing you to enjoy perfectly moist turkey without the day-of hassle. By meticulously outlining the make-ahead process and offering reheating methods that preserve the turkey's succulence, it ensures your feast remains a joyful celebration.
Ingredients:
- 1 roasted turkey
- 1 cup chicken or turkey broth
Crock Pot Make Ahead Turkey Recipe
This Crock Pot Make Ahead Turkey Recipe is a game-changer! Its simplicity brings out the turkey's natural flavors, making every bite a delicious delight. Truly a must-try for a hassle-free, memorable meal.
Ingredients
- 1 12 lb turkey (1 lb per person)
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- Oven Bag
- 2 14.5 oz cans 99% fat-free all natural chicken broth
Baked Macaroni And Cheese
Make Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe that stands as an example to comfort food done right, seamlessly combining simplicity with decadent flavors to create a dish that feels like home.
Its promise to please crowds, small families, kids, and even the pickiest eaters aligns perfectly with the soul-warming experience it delivers at every bite. A true old-school delight, that captures the essence of a cherished family recipe that could easily become a staple in anyone’s kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dry elbow macaroni shells or cavatappi
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk not skim
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheese I like 1 cup each of sharp cheddar and Swiss
Apple Salad
This Apple Salad recipe is a delightful symphony of flavors and textures, brilliantly combining sweet apples, crunchy candied walnuts, creamy feta, and savory bacon, all perfectly dressed in a sweet and tangy Apple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette. Its beautiful balance of sweet, savory, and crunchy elements makes it a stunning addition to any meal, demonstrating that it's not just a dish but a genuinely sophisticated culinary experience.
Salad Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce
- Spring salad mix
- Apples (sweet variety like Fuji recommended)
- Dried cranberries
- Bacon (thick cut preferred)
- Red bell pepper
- Red onion
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds, roasted and salted)
- Feta cheese (crumbled)
- Caramelized walnuts
Apple Poppy Seed Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- Olive oil (extra virgin preferred)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Honey (clover honey suggested)
- Sugar
- Poppy seeds
- Dried minced onions
- Salt and pepper
