Take It Easy Thanksgiving: Recipes and Shortcuts to Simplify Your Feast

Thanksgiving is the ultimate food holiday, a day that home cooks prep and plan for weeks ahead of time, making endless shopping and to-do lists for trendy new recipes and time-honored favorites. While this day of feasting can be a fun opportunity to pull out all the stops, it can also be...a lot.

If you feel the pressure of holiday hosting while life is decidedly life-ing, we'd like to invite you to take it easy this year. Take a step back from your ever-growing task list and consider what really matters: enjoying a meal with the people you love. Embrace ease with a few shortcuts, ask folks to contribute a dish of their own, and spend more time with your friends and family instead of running around in the kitchen.

We hope you'll take a page from the stories shared here by our Simply Recipes editors and contributors and give yourself the gift of less stress and more joy this Thanksgiving. That's something to truly be thankful for.

—Senior Editor Afton Cyrus

Store-Bought Is Fine

We love a from-scratch recipe for beloved favorites, but that doesn't mean every single dish on your Thanksgiving table has to be homemade. Give yourself some breathing room to focus on more ambitious cooking projects (or more time to enjoy sitting at the table!) by balancing things out with store-bought sides or desserts.

READ THE STORY: Why I'm Reaching for a Can Opener This Thanksgiving

• The Best Store-Bought Yeast Rolls
• The Best Canned Cranberry Sauce
• The Best Store-Bought Gravy
  
• The Best Store-Bought Mashed Potatoes
• The Best Store-Bought Stuffing
  
• The Best Store-Bought Pumpkin Pie
  

Low-Lift Recipes

Thanksgiving recipes don't need to be complicated to taste amazing. Just a handful of well-deployed ingredients and an easy-peasy method can turn a simple dish into a showstopper. These recipes are equal parts impressive and no-stress.

READ THE STORY: Why I'm Having a Low-Lift Thanksgiving

Bourbon-Roasted Turkey Breast

No need to roast a whole bird, especially if your group is small. Boneless turkey breast roasts cook up in record time, and this recipe is the key to keeping it flavorful and moist.

Cacio e Pepe Green Beans

All of the flavors of everyone's favorite classic pasta applied to crisp-tender green beans. With just a few ingredients, you'll have a punchy, savory side everyone will keep reaching for.

3-Ingredient Garlic Mashed Potatoes

You don't need a long list of ingredients to make creamy, dreamy mashed potatoes. This 3-ingredient recipe has the added bonus of a mild garlic flavor.

Easy Corn and Edamame Succotash

Figuring out a salad or veggie side can be the trickiest part of Thanksgiving. Enter this virtually no-prep side that you can whip up at the last minute thanks to your freezer.

4-Ingredient Sweet Potato Dump Cake

Move over, pie! Homemade desserts don't get much easier than a dump cake, and this sweet potato version is the perfect ending for a Thanksgiving feast.

Take a Shortcut

Starting with a store-bought ingredient as a shortcut can be a major time saver on a busy cooking day. Skip whipping your own cream, fussing with pie dough, or even thawing your turkey (yes, really!) with these excellent shortcut opportunities.

READ THE STORY: Why I'm Taking Every Shortcut Possible for Thanksgiving

• Butterball's No-Prep Turkey Is a Game Changer
• The Best Store-Bought Pie Crust
• The Best Canned Whipped Cream
• The Best Boxed Chicken Broth
  

Plan Ahead

Thanksgiving stress largely comes down to timing. How far ahead do I need to thaw the turkey? And then brine it? And then roast it? While also preparing various other dishes that need to be hot at the same time? One easy way to ensure your Thanksgiving go smoothly is by making some dishes ahead of time. All of these recipes are ideal for prepping ahead, taking the stress out of the big day.

READ THE STORY: Why I'm Making Thanksgiving Dinner the Day Before

• Deviled Egg Dip
• Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
• Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy
• Maple Pudding Pie
• Whiskey-Cider Punch