Make-ahead Thanksgiving

Get a jumpstart on cooking and free up much-needed time, sanity and oven space

Ingredients Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole Sweet Potatoes:

• 4 cups peeled, cubed sweet potatoes (about 4 large)

• 2 large eggs, beaten

• ½ cup white sugar

• ½ cup milk

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon salt

Pecan Topping:

• ½ cup packed brown sugar

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened

• ½ cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. Prepare sweet potatoes: Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook over medium-high heat until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Or, microwave the sweet potatoes whole, cut in half and scoop potatoes out of the skin.

3. Mash drained sweet potatoes with a fork. Add eggs; mix until well combined. Add sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and salt; mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish.

4. Make topping: Mix brown sugar and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until mixture is coarse and looks like peas; don’t overmix. Stir in pecans. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until topping is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

NOTES: You can prepare this sweet potato casserole one to two days in advance. To make ahead, simply prepare the filling and topping separately — but don’t bake anything yet. Tightly cover the baking dish and place the topping in an airtight container. Store them both in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook.

On the big day, sprinkle the topping onto the filling and bake according to the directions (you may have to add a few minutes to the baking time to account for the cold temperature).

You can also freeze sweet potato casserole. Bake the filling according to the directions (preferably in a foil baking pan) without adding the topping. Allow the casserole to cool, then wrap the entire baking dish tightly in foil. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Add the topping and reheat in the oven according to the directions above.

Make-Ahead Stuffing Ingredients

• 1 cup butter

• 2 cups chopped onion

• 2 cups chopped celery

• 16 cups dry bread crumbs

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• ½ teaspoon dried sage

• 2 cups chicken broth, or as needed

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.

3. Add onion and celery; cook and stir until tender, about 10 minutes.

4. Stir in bread crumbs, salt, poultry seasoning, pepper, thyme, and sage until well mixed.

5. Stir in enough chicken broth to moisten.

6. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Spoon into large resealable bags and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

To Bake:

Place stuffing in the cavity of your turkey and cook according to the recipe you’re following, baking any extra in a casserole dish alongside.

To bake all stuffing outside of the turkey, bake in greased casserole dishes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45 minutes.

Vintage Fresh Green Bean Casserole Ingredients

• 4 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup

• 1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

• 1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Heat a large saucepan of salted water to a boil; add green beans and cook just until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.

3. Mix green beans and cream of mushroom soup together in a bowl; spread into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the green bean mixture and top with French-fried onions.

4. If making ahead, cover store in refrigerator up to 3 days and leave off topping until ready to bake.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and browned, about 30 minutes. If baking from refrigerated, set the baking dish out as you preheat oven, so it can begin to come to room temperature.