Cook Fast, Live Young: Make Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes

^{Image Courtesy of TalkofTomatoes via Flickr}

Last week, I talked about planning a "Thanksgiving for Two," so I thought I'd talk about the opposite end of the spectrum today: planning a gigantic feast for your entire family. How do you keep track of all the menu items without going crazy?

One great technique is to take advantage of make-ahead recipes. That way, on the day of, you can just focus on getting a few key dishes perfect. Also, if you run into trouble the day before, you have an opportunity to make up for it the next day. There's really no way to lose.

Of course, not all dishes taste great if they're not cooked right away. You certainly wouldn't want a turkey that was cooked the day before. So where do you start? I've rounded up a few recipes to help you out.

Orange-Scented Cranberry Sauce from MarthaStewart.com

If you've never tried cranberry sauce with a little citrus zest, you'll be in for a pleasant surprise. You can even make this a few days before.

White Wine Gravy from MarthaStewart.com

Just the recipe name makes my mouth water. If you don't mind using chicken broth instead of turkey drippings for your gravy, you can store it in the fridge for a few days before.

Mrs. Sigg's Fresh Pumpkin Pie from AllRecipes.com

This recipe uses fresh pumpkin, but you can also find many recipes that use the canned variety if that's what you prefer.

Mashed Sour Cream and Scallion Potatoes from RealSimple.com

Honestly, I think mashed potatoes tastes better on the second day. You just reheat it in a saucepan, adding milk if necessary to adjust the consistency.

New Green Bean Casserole from GoodHousekeeping.com

If you've been making your casserole with canned soup, consider trying a new recipe this Thanksgiving. It's delish!

Once you've decided on your menu, make a shopping list and check it twice. There's nothing that will slow you down more than having to make an extra trip to the supermarket. Then make a cooking plan. Know which items you want to cook the day before, and be aware of how long things take to cook and reheat, so everything comes out warm and ready to be eaten at the same time.

And most of all, don't forget to enjoy cooking! Even if a dish or two gets burnt or doesn't turn out right, that's part of the fun of the holiday. Don't stress about it, and focus on enjoying the yummy foods that did make it to the table.

Juliana Weiss-Roessler has ten years of professional writing and editing experience. For four years, she managed the web content for the star of an Emmy-nominated reality series. Currently, she is an editor for the geek girl e-zine PinkRaygun.com, a contributor to the career blog at Resumark.com, and owner of the food blog CookFastLiveYoung.blogspot.com. Follow her @cookfast on Twitter and learn more about her work at WeissRoessler.com.