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Thanksgiving; What are you making in advance?

10 years ago

Really excited. This is my first Thanksgiving with a kitchen (all I need is a backsplash and its done!!). This is what I've got so far.

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Comments (9)

magsnj
Original Author
10 years ago
Banana cake/bread and broccoli casserole
magsnj
Original Author
10 years ago
Banana cake/bread and broccoli casserole

{{!gwi}}
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Guess because of the farm and time being a premium as well as oven space we got use to a lot of things made ahead. We usually have 12-15 people. I make my desserts (cakes, pies but not the Pistachio Salad) ahead and freeze them. Definitely make the cranberry relish ahead and after letting it set a day freeze it. It gets better with time.(Usually make several gallons for the rest of the year.) Sometimes I'll make up my crescent rolls and freeze them before baking but they are better fresh Then the night before I make up all my casseroles, (squash, sweet potatoes, onion, etc._ and get them ready and in the dishes. Cover them with foil and mark the temp and cooking time on them and put them in the frig. On TD I start at about 4 am. I mix up my stuffing, and get the turkey going. I cook my ham in my roaster, the turkey in the gas oven and the last 2 hours I'll use the electric oven to cook the casseroles. Veggies like corn, peas, mashed potatoes are last minute. Mom makes her Waldorf salad :-/ last minute usually so it doesn't get watery. Some of the family and friends I don't get to see very often so I'd rather be visiting with them instead of trying not to miss something in a recipe listening into all the fun in the other room or measuring while trying to have a conversation. (Not one of my strong suits. I always leave something out when I'm talking to somebody and cooking) It's not all fresh but a lot of the folks that come fix dinner out of a TV dinner box so they're always happy and stuffed with the fare that's put on the table. And I get to spend time with everyone.
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I've done my potatoes-8 pounds' worth of the pioneer woman recipe and stashed them in my slow cooker for easy warm up and transportation, made brownies, have a turkey breast thawing and eggs slow simmering for the deviled eggs. That's my only oops; I already slow simmered 18 eggs last night-and left them at our house when we came down to the weekend place. Oh well, no biggie. I'll make a batch of stuffing tomorrow, roast the turkey breast and make gravy. Then take it all to my dad's house! It's still worlds easier than hosting everyone at our house, plus I can take a nice plate over to our elderly neighbor who just had his cataract surgery today.
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dancingqueengw
10 years ago
The sweet potatoes with bacon and maple are prepared and in the garage since the refrigerator is completely full and it's COLD outside. The italian stuffing is also prepared. A turkey and a turkey breast have butter and herbs under the skin and are sitting in the extra refrigerator. Pies are ready. Tomorrow I make the make ahead mashed potatoes in the morning and the gravy and finally the green beans with cranberries are made just before everything goes on to the table. I ran out out time so no bourbon cranberry sauce this year.
magsnj
Original Author
10 years ago
Wow!! Should I already have my turkey buttered and herbed?! Never even thought of it. Figured I'd wrestle with that big turkey tomorrow am.
melissaki5
10 years ago
Spinach dip, beer bread, pecan caramel apple pie is in oven, pumpkin cheesecake, cranberry relish, stuffing is prepped but not completely ready. Tomorrow is mashed potatoes, corn casserole, salad, green beans, turkey, finish stuffing and I cannot think of what else.
beachlily z9a
10 years ago
Cranberry sauce, cornbread (for dressing), and gravy. Done. I'm feeling great because I have the hard stuff done. Just waiting to see if I can grill or if I have to roast. Depends on the wind .... love to grill! Changed the dessert to mousse if I have to roast. Pecan pie if I can grill. Just waiting. Brought the orchids inside. Supposed to be chilly tonight.
doucanoe
10 years ago
I spatchcocked my turkey on Monday night, it's in the fridge, and I roasted and simmered the backbone, neck, wing tips and giblets with some vegetables and made stock for gravy .

Tonight I got the make-ahead potatoes ready, just need to be heated up, Sauteed the onion, celery, mushrooms and sausage for the stuffing.

So tomorrow all I have to do is roast the turkey and stuffing, heat up the potatoes, thicken the gravy and add pan drippings, and steam the green beans.

Dessert is being brought by my guests. Cranberry sauce is store-bought from Trader Joes.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Linda
KatieC
10 years ago
DH presalted the turkey. That's it. We have food intolerances and Crohn's to deal with and The Kid's gone gluten-free, so we're winging it. She and future son-in-law will (hopefully) bring something pumpkin flan-ish and GF bread for stuffing. I'll probably make my sis's cranberry chutney and for the rest of the sides we'll raid the pantry and freezer. It'll be a fun day cooking together.
trixietx
10 years ago
For the first time in 30+ years, I am not having Thanksgiving at my house. My son and DIL bought a beautiful, large, and I mean large home and moved in a couple of months ago and DIL wants to have Thanksgiving this year. I am fixing the turkey, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce and rolls. The turkey is ready for the oven in the morning, I have two large pans of stuffing/dressing as we call it, in the fridge ready for the oven. The make ahead gravy is ready as is the cranberry sauce and the rolls are doing their first rise in the fridge tonight.
Wishing all a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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