We all know that Thanksgiving is a time meant for giving thanks, but sometimes the hassle of making the perfect meal can get in the way of the festivities. Thanksgiving cooking requires a lot of time, effort and planning to execute properly. However, with a comprehensive Thanksgiving meal prep timeline, you can feel confident and prepared to tackle every entrée without losing sight of the reason for the season.
Make your life a little easier this year by following these Thanksgiving meal prep tips for a stress-free Thanksgiving.
One Week Before
Most people scramble to whip up an entire meal on Thanksgiving Day without realizing they can prepare certain foods a whole week before the big day:
- Soup: You can make your soup of choice a week before Thanksgiving and freeze it until the big day. Then, take the soup out of the freezer and reheat it on the stove before serving.
- Gravy: Purchase your turkey wings, necks and giblets at a butcher shop ahead of time so that you can make and freeze your gravy one week before the meal.
- Cranberry sauce: Making cranberry sauce a week in advance and placing it in the refrigerator helps it to thicken over time, creating the perfect consistency for the big day.
One Day Before
Before things get hectic, be sure to prepare these Thanksgiving staples the day before the meal:
- Desserts: You can prepare pies and other desserts ahead of time, place them in the refrigerator and reheat them the next day. Pecan and apple pies thrive best at room temperature, so you don’t have to refrigerate them.
- Stuffing: Assemble your stuffing one day ahead, refrigerate it and bake it around the same time you cook the turkey. Consider making a delicious sausage stuffing recipe to add some extra flavor to your dish.
- Casseroles: Prepare your casserole of choice before covering and refrigerating it. Then, stick it in the over after your turkey is finished cooking.
The Day Of
Once the big day arrives, you can whip up the rest of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes with ease:
- Turkey: After thawing your turkey for several days, it’s finally time to cook it. Roast the turkey in the oven for about two to four hours depending on the size. Then remove it, tent it with tin foil and let it rest for a half-hour before slicing.
- Potatoes: Peel your potatoes on Thanksgiving morning and prepare them a few hours before dinner. Then, heat them in a slow cooker, in the oven or over a low flame until mealtime.
- Vegetables: Precook or blanch your veggies about four hours before your meal and finish grilling or sautéeing them an hour before dinner.
- Salad: You can take advantage of downtime to assemble your salad while other dishes are in the oven.
Purchase Premio Foods Sausage for Your Thanksgiving Cooking
Alleviate your Thanksgiving stress by purchasing Premio Foods sausage to spruce up your dinner. With so many delicious holiday sausage recipes, you’ll be sure to put together a meal that will be the talk of the table.
For over 40 years, Premio Foods has created countless sausage varieties made from the highest quality meats, seasonings and spices. Our sausage is perfect for any occasion, with a taste that’s fresh, familiar and authentically Italian. We make sausage the way sausage should be.
Use our store locator to find Premio Foods sausages at a store near you!