Three years ago, I decided to cook everything for our Thanksgiving meal ahead of time. I froze every item except for my turkey that my hubbie smoked in his smoker. I made sure that I put everything in the refrigerator 2 days prior to Thanksgiving meal. Prior to serving time, I heated all items up in the microwave or oven. You can even use your slow cooker to heat dishes up, too! Everything tasted wonderful!
I slept in on Thanksgiving day and enjoyed the day with our family. I served 12 people an enormous feast without ever stressing out! It was such a joyous day. My Thanksgiving has been stress-free ever since.
Amen!
It truly is silly to spend your day cooking when you can be visiting with your family. Not to mention how tired you will be after waking up before the chickens.
Do you have any Thanksgiving meal tips that makes your day less stressful?
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Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
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I love your idea! I will have to try and do that myself next year.
Thanks for posting it! I’m glad I took the time to check out your site!
Nancy
That is a wonderful idea! Thank you so much for sharing. We will have to try that starting this year.
Thanks for this great suggestion. I think I am going to
try it this year. Blessings on your Thanksgiving.
Jill, I prepare everything ahead of time and just bake that day. I’m blessed to have 3 ovens so it makes it much easier to cook for a large crowd. My pies, cakes, etc. are made ahead of time and tables set, etc. But, this sounds like a great idea as well! I agree, relaxing and enjoying family is most important!
I’ve been trying to get my mother to do this for years, but she swears it doesnt taste as good if it’s not done that day. *sigh* Thanks for the encouragement! Pinned!
Great post, Jill! We are NEVER stressed on Thanksgiving either. We always prepare the majority of our dishes and pies/desserts ahead of time saving only one or two things for Thanksgiving day. We do cook our turkey (either deep fry OR roast) on Thanksgiving day itself as we enjoy preparing it as a family. We also might make a fresh dip or two for serving. Other than that we just enjoy each other while feasting off and on all day! I totally agree that we should not be stressed on Thanksgiving OR any other day at that. God does not delight in us being stressed out – but rather being good stewards of our time and diligent in all we do 🙂 Bless you!
How did you do your mashed potatoes ahead of time. When I do that they never turn out good – and when I freeze them they turn out really sponge-y. I’d love to know how to do potatoes that turn out good when made ahead of time. It would save me a lot of stress.
Mine always turn out great. Maybe when heating them add a little milk??? I suggest making sure they are cool before freezing, too.
You have it all figured out!! So awesome! More time with the family and less time in the kitchen! We love it! We are so happy that you linked up to our “Strut Your Stuff Saturday!” Hope to see you back soon! -The Six Sisters