Get an Early Start: Our Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Menu

Slightly sweet and slightly spicy, these nuts are easy to prepare and make a satisfying snack when guests gather for dinner. You can toast the nuts up to 3 days in advance; let cool, place in an airtight container and store at room temperature. Then you can simply reheat them and toss with rosemary before serving.

Make this warming autumn soup a day or two ahead, cool, cover and refrigerate.

Here, kale is treated similarly to cabbage in a slaw—it’s marinated to create a tender and flavorful salad. Allowing the greens to sit in the dressing improves their taste and texture, and you don’t have to wait until the last minute to toss everything together.

This bird is first cooked in pieces using the sous vide method, then quickly browned just before serving. The turkey can be cooked in a sous vide machine for up to four days in advance; refrigerate in the vacuum-sealable bags. (If you don’t have a sous vide circulator, you can still work ahead by brining the turkey a couple of days in advance. And remember resting time: a roast turkey needs 30 minutes before carving to seal in juices, so you have more downtime than you think.)

Many stuffings, including this one made with our savory mix, are easy to make ahead. You can cook the vegetables in advance and combine with the bread and stock just before baking to streamline prep.

Celery root has a pronounced nutty, earthy taste and pairs wonderfully with potatoes in this rich, creamy gratin. Assemble it a day ahead, cover and refrigerate, then bake before serving.

A homemade or store-bought onion reduction adds just enough sweetness and acidity to balance the flavor of bitter collard greens. You can blanch the collard greens a day in advance and refrigerate, then finish the dish a few minutes before you’re ready to eat.

All pies can easily be prepped ahead, as the dough can be refrigerated for a day or two before baking (or frozen for much longer than that). But this one is served at room temperature, so it can be made and baked entirely a day in advance, then cooled on a wire rack overnight.