We get it—planning Thanksgiving can be stressful. There’s the turkey, the potatoes, the stuffing, and don’t forget the pie! To help, we compiled these tricks that will make even the busiest of Thanksgiving days feel that much more manageable. Even better: They can help you get to the table faster!
1. Don’t get caught up in the little details. The night before dinner, lay out all of the plates and dishes you’ll need for serving. Use post-it notes so you know what’s going in what plate, like stuffing, yams, and more. No more running around looking for the green bean casserole dish or serving food in pots and pans.
2. Making a sweet potato casserole? Make the puree in advance and freeze it. The day of Thanksgiving simply finish the dish, heat, and serve.
3. Run potatoes through the dishwasher to clean them. Just don’t add soap! The same will work for other root veggies like carrots and parsnips.
4. Make and freeze mashed potatoes in advance, and use a crockpot to heat them up on Thanksgiving. Keep it on low all day so you’ll never have cold ‘taters.
5. Fridge space is a special commodity on Thanksgiving, so use a small cooler as a second fridge for drinks or pie.
6. Keep your gravy warm in a thermos. Yep, a portable thermos that keeps your coffee warm will also keep that salt gravy hot, too. Yum! (If you don’t want to serve gravy out of a thermos, top off your gravy boat occasionally to keep it warm.)
7. For easy access, tape your recipes to your kitchen cabinets. No more spills ruining recipe pages!
Have your own trusty Thanksgiving dinner tips? Chime in in the comments below.