28 Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes Your Guests Will Rave About

The holiday staples you can make ahead.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published October 29, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Angled view of a decorative bowl of mashed potatoes topped with gravy and sitting on a plate that is on a white and brown embroidered table cloth

Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood

For a long time, even the idea of hosting Thanksgiving felt like an incredibly stressful feat. How can one possibly prep ingredients, cook a ton of different dishes, and be there to welcome guests through the door with apps and cocktails? It just didn't make sense! Growing up, the hosts in my family always managed to make holiday gatherings look easy and feel elegant, and I never knew how they were able to do it—until recently.

Now that I've finally unlocked the secret to relatively stress-free entertaining, I realize it's really not so complicated after all. All you need is a well-outlined plan with plenty of make-ahead components. This spreads the pressure (and use of the oven) across days and allows you to chip away at the work before the party, leaving you more time to enjoy your company.

It sounds simple, and it surely is, but you have to choose the menu wisely to lean into the make-ahead magic. Not every dish will stand up to a reheat or can sit in the fridge overnight and still taste amazing the next day.

I love making desserts, apps, and most sides ahead, with the turkey, gravy, and salads coming together the day of. Whatever your plan, you can rest assured that the recipes below are all make-ahead-friendly additions that you can count on this holiday season.

  • Grandma’s Corn Pudding

    Spoonful of corn pudding lifted from a casserole dish with more

    Simply Recipes / Sarah Crowder

    "You can halve this recipe for a smaller serving size. Cut the ingredients by half and add to a greased 8x8-inch baking pan. Bake for about 30 minutes." —Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

  • Perfect Mashed Potatoes

    A bowl of mashed potatoes with butter melting in the center

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

    "Most people use starchy Russets for mashed potatoes. With their high starch and low water content, they're good for baking, for making French fries, and for mashing. Here's my secret though—even better than Russets for mashing are Yukon Golds." —Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Slow Cooker Stuffing

    Slow Cooker Stuffing on a Spoon with More in the Background

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "There isn’t a hard and fast rule when it comes to bread for stuffing. If you have some leftover bread, I would use that. I’ve used hamburger and hot dog buns before and it works well. If you are buying bread for your stuffing, though, choose a hearty sourdough or crusty boule loaf. All other things being equal, these rustic loaves will hold up better to the stuffing ingredients and not get too soggy." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Homemade Apple Pie

    Homemade Apple Pie on Plate with Fork

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    "The apple pie is not done until the juices are noticeably bubbling. If you have an instant read thermometer, insert it into the center of the pie. A reading of 200°F is done." —Elise

    Continue to 5 of 28 below

  • Baked Mac and Cheese

    Side view of a white baking dish of macaroni and cheese with a serving spoon lifting a serving

    Simply Recipes / Coco Morante

    "A big dollop of cream cheese helps to stabilize the sauce and keep it nice and creamy. I like to use the whipped version since it melts into the sauce so quickly. Regular block cream cheese works too, just make sure it’s at room temperature so it incorporates into your sauce smoothly when you whisk it in." —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer

  • Classic Cheese Ball

    A plate with a cheese ball and crackers, ready to serve and eat

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "I like serving my cheese balls with buttery crackers like Ritz, but you can use any cracker. Vegetables like celery sticks or thick radish slices would work well too. The spread is also good smeared on a crusty baguette." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

    Bowl of Vegan Butternut Squash Soup Topped with Thyme, Coconut Milk, Croutons, and Cracked Pepper, Sitting on a Kitchen Linen and Surrounded by a Bowl of Cracked Pepper and a Spoon

    Simply Recipes / Katie Morford

    "Replace the water with homemade vegetable broth if you have it on hand. Be sure to adjust the salt in the recipe if your broth is already seasoned." —Katie Morford, Recipe Developer

  • Cheesy Potato Casserole

    A side view of a glass casserole dish of potato casserole without canned cream soup. A wooden spoon is partially in view and scooping a serving out of the casserole dish.
    Nick Evans | Art Banner Credit: Andy Christensen

    "While I like making my own sauce for this casserole, I prefer using frozen hash browns over fresh. They are a consistent product and easy to use. Plus, frozen hash browns are par-cooked so there is little risk that you will end up with uncooked potato in the center of your casserole." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 9 of 28 below

  • Brussels Sprout Slaw

    Brussel Sprout Cole Slaw in Three Bowls Next to a Jar of Dressing and Bowl of Pecans

    Simply Recipes / Micah Siva

    "When toasting nuts, both in general and for this recipe, it is best to toast the whole nut instead of chopped nuts. This helps to prevent burning any smaller pieces in the process." —Micah Siva, Recipe Developer

  • Corn Soufflé

    Overhead view of a dark blue baking dish of corn soufflé with a serving removed and a white bowl and spoon with a serving next to a drinking glass

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

    "This is also super cute in individual ramekins—everyone in my family loves the golden brown, sugary crust, and baking in smaller dishes means everyone gets more of the best bites." —Stephanie A. Ganz, Recipe Developer

  • Green Bean Salad with Basil, Balsamic, and Parmesan

    Green Bean Salad on a platter.

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

    "To make it your own, dress it up with other toppings, such as halved cherry tomatoes, toasted nuts (e.g., walnuts, pine nuts, slivered almonds), and chopped hard-boiled eggs." —Elise

  • Apple Bread Pudding

    Slice of Apple Bread Pudding on a Plate with Sauce

    Simply Recipes / Hannah Zimmerman

    "Use a firm, crisp apple variety for this recipe. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Gala are all good options. Avoid softer varieties like Macintosh and Macoun, as they will become mushy during the cooking process." —Hannah Zimmerman, Recipe Developer

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  • Cranberry Sauce

    A bowl of cranberry sauce garnished with orange zest

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne

    "The recipe calls for a cup of water. You can easily substitute that with 1/2 cup of orange juice and 1/2 cup of water if you want to increase the orange note in the sauce (cranberries and oranges play well together!)" —Elise

  • Best Ever Gravy

    Angled view of a decorative bowl of mashed potatoes topped with gravy and sitting on a plate that is on a white and brown embroidered table cloth

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood

    "If you don’t have Maggi Seasoning, you can swap it for soy sauce in a pinch." —Ivy Manning, Recipe Developer

  • Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows

    Make Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows serve the casserole

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    Add the marshmallows just before reheating. "My trick for this recipe? Roast—don't boil—the sweet potatoes. If you roast the sweet potatoes instead of boiling them, you say goodbye to tedious peeling! The potatoes become soft in the oven, and after a few minutes of cooling, the skins slip off like magic." —Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

  • Mom's Stovetop Turkey Stuffing

    Overhead view of a dutch oven with turkey dressing inside and a red linen next to it.

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    "Walnut skins can be bitter and have tannins in them that can turn your stuffing dark. Blanch the raw walnuts in water before toasting them to remove the bitter tannins." —Elise

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  • Baked Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar

    Baked Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "For those that like a little savory with their squash, I use cumin and chili powder after I lightly baste a little olive oil over the flesh of the squash." —Mark, Reader

  • Make-Ahead Dinner Rolls

    Freezer Rolls recipe bake the rolls

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "For shiny rolls, brush them gently with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water) before they go into the oven. Then, to decorate them, sprinkle them with herbs, chunky salt, or poppy seeds, after applying the egg wash if you like." —Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

  • The Best Pecan Pie

    Best Pecan Pie Recipe pecan pie cooling after baking

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Most pecan pie recipes I've found call for two cups of sweetener—one cup of corn syrup plus one cup of either granulated or brown sugar. I find that just a bit too sweet for my taste. So, for this pecan pie recipe, I've dropped the sugar down by half a cup. Feel free to reduce further or add more to your taste." —Elise

  • Green Bean Casserole from Scratch

    Classic Green Bean Casserole made from scratch

    Simply Recipes / Megan Keno

    Add the toppings just before reheating for superior crunch. "You can omit the mushrooms in this casserole if you want and just use the cream sauce. If it's the texture, not the flavor, of mushrooms that's unappealing, use a stick blender to blend the mushrooms into the sauce." —Megan Keno, Recipe Developer

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  • Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

    Make Ahead Turkey Gravy

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "You can make this deeply flavorful turkey gravy days or even weeks before Thanksgiving." —Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

  • No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

    Slice of no-bake pumpkin pie topped with whipped cream

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "Use chocolate wafers or gingersnaps or use brown butter instead of unsalted butter in the crust. Or feel free to buy a premade 9-inch graham cracker crust and skip to step 3." —Rachel Knecht, Recipe Developer

  • Twice Baked Potato Casserole

    A wooden spoon lifting a serving of twice baked potato casserole from a baking dish

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    "For more veggies, add blanched spinach, sauteed peppers, mushrooms, roasted garlic, or broccoli florets to the mix." —Brianne Ross, Recipe Developer

  • Thanksgiving Stuffing with Sausage and Apples

    A baking dish with stuffing, ready to be served

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    "I prefer to use a one-pound ground country or breakfast sausage rather than, say, Italian sausage. I also tend to use turkey sausage just because it’s a little leaner, but really, you can use whatever you prefer." —Summer Miller, Contributor

    Continue to 25 of 28 below

  • Sweet Potato Casserole With Pecans

    A baking dish with sweet potato casserole inside

    Simply Recipes / Lisa Lin

    "Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, and in a casserole, there are sweeteners added on top of that. If you want to cut down on the sweet taste of this dish, you can cut the maple syrup in half, or omit it completely, or just make half the topping." —Lisa Lin, Recipe Developer

  • Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

    A baking dish with mashed potatoes topped with chopped herbs

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The cream cheese helps fortify the mashed potatoes so they reheat well, and the yogurt gives them a light tang. You could also use sour cream. Heap the baking dish with the potatoes, and chill until a couple of hours before dinner time, then let come to room temp and bake. Easy!" —Elise

  • Homemade Pumpkin Pie

    Slice of Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie Held on a Pie Server with the Rest in a Pie Dish Below It

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

    "If you want to sub ready-to-use pumpkin pie spice in place of all the spices listed in this recipe, use 3 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice." —Elise

  • Southern Squash Casserole

    Southern squash casserole in a casserole dish (a serving size al served)

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "Squash releases a lot of moisture as it cooks, and you want to drain it away before mixing up the casserole. My easy trick for doing this is to mash the cooked squash in a colander so the excess moisture drips off. No watery casserole!" —Sara Bir, Former Senior Editor

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