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31 Brilliant Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes That’ll Save You Serious Time

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Main Dishes

While you might not be able to roast a whole turkey ahead of time, you can make plenty of holiday-worthy mains before Thanksgiving.

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Turkey Roulade

Assemble juicy turkey breast swirled around sausage and herb cornbread stuffing up to 24 hours before you pop it in the oven.

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Side Dishes

You can prepare plenty of delicious side recipes partially or completely ahead of time.

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Wild Mushroom Stuffing

This stuffing is packed with in-season wild mushrooms and an earthy blend of herbs. You can assemble the entire dish the night before the big day.

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Kale Slaw

This easy slaw is a colorful mix of shredded cruciferous vegetables, almonds, dried cherries, and a tangy honey-mustard dressing that can chill on the table two hours before dinner.

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Thanksgiving Lentil Salad

This hearty side is loaded with butternut squash, red onion, and kale in a roasted garlic vinaigrette. Leave out the parsley when you make it a day ahead and add it right before serving.

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Classic Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole uses grocery store shortcuts to rival the classic back-of-the-box recipe; make it three days ahead without the topping and add the onions before you bake it.

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Gravy and Cranberry Sauce

Of course you want to serve top-tier condiments on the Thanksgiving table, but that doesn’t mean you need to stir a pot while simultaneously checking your turkey’s temperature. In fact, you can get going on gravy and cranberry sauce way in advance.

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Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

When your Thanksgiving turkey is roasted and the guests are seated, you won’t have to worry about your gravy because you froze it ahead of time.

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Vegan Brown Gravy

This vegan gravy gets its flavor from caramelized onions and earthy mushrooms. Make it five days in advance if you’re planning to store it in the fridge, or keep it in the freezer for up to two months.

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Desserts

In addition to classic Thanksgiving pies like pumpkin and pecan, you can also whip up cheesecake and pie bars before Turkey Day.

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Mini Apple Pies

Make the pie crust for the individual desserts beforehand, and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. Once baked, these pies will keep for four days.

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Pumpkin Pie Bars

With just five ingredients, these pumpkin pie bars are easy to make, and you can do so almost a week before the holiday.

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Slow Cooker Cheesecake

This creamy, silky, slow cooker cheesecake comes from none other than Martha Stewart, and you can get going on it up to a week before Thanksgiving.

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Pecan Pie

You can get to work on your dough four days ahead, or freeze it for up to three months. Your finished pecan pie will stay fresh for up to three days.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

The creamy goodness of a New York-style cheesecake balances the lively, familiar spices of classic pumpkin pie. You can make and freeze it up to one month ahead of time.

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Salted Caramel Apple Pie

You can make your homemade salted caramel sauce up to two weeks in advance. When baked, this sweet-salty apple pie will stay fresh for three days.

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