The Make Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner

Share this post

Introduction

Everyone is so busy these days juggling a full-time career, parenting responsibilities, chores, finances, errands, exercising, traveling, etc., that who has time to make a Thanksgiving dinner from scratch? Well, I am going to let you in on a little secret 🙂 Nearly everything can be made in advance and frozen until the big day arrives. And yes, it will still taste just as good, I promise! The only thing you will have to do, is reheat some items and cook the turkey, or whatever your main dish is. By preparing everything in advance and freezing it, you will be able to have a completely homemade meal, if that’s what you’re aiming for. The menu I have posted below is what I have eaten at Thanksgiving year after year. This is an evergreen post, so I will be adding more dishes to it as time goes on.

Preparation Schedule & Shopping List

An example timeline of how to make Thanksgiving dinner ahead of time with only a week to go, might look something like this:

• Saturday
  • EASY Homemade Mashed Potatoes (YouTube video)
• Sunday
  • Healthy homemade applesauce
• Monday
  • Homemade butter using a mason jar. Reserve the buttermilk to make blueberry buttermilk pancakes Thanksgiving morning.
• Tuesday
  • Baked butternut squash using the homemade butter from the day before. Save seeds and set aside to dry overnight on a towel in preparation for roasting the next day. Alternatively, you can also make roasted delicata squash.
• Wednesday
  • Homemade whipped cream OR Coconut Whipped Cream {Vegan, Gluten-Free}
  • Roasted winter squash seeds
  • Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
• Thanksgiving
  • Blueberry buttermilk pancakes with buttermilk leftover from making butter
  • Whipped cream fruit salad (can be made with dairy-based whipped cream or coconut whipped cream)
  • Golden milk latte (to relax after the big day!)

I’ve also made a shopping list to make it even easier! The shopping list is very plain, so that you won’t waste a lot of ink printing it out :). For most of the items, I put in brackets what dish it’s for so that in case you aren’t making it, you don’t need to buy the item. I also tried to group things together as you would find them in the grocery store to make navigation easier.

Side Dishes

1. Healthy Homemade Applesauce

The best time to make this is actually in the fall when apples are in season, and at their lowest price. Here in NY, I can get a large tote full for $0.88/lb! For my applesauce I like to use either McIntosh or Gala apples, but you can use any type or mixture of apples that you want. This healthy homemade applesauce contains just apples, water, and spices! No added sugars or artificial ingredients. This recipe is vegan and top 8 allergen free.

To freeze: Scoop the applesauce into labeled freezer safe mason jars leaving an inch or two of head space, and put in the freezer for up to 2 months. Two days before Thanksgiving, move the jars from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw out.

2. Baked Butternut Squash

Similar to apples, the best time to make this is in the fall when they are in season, and at their lowest price. A few weeks before Thanksgiving, I have been able to find butternut squash for as cheap as $0.39/lb.  This recipe is also vegan and top 8 allergen free. My favorite vegan butter to use is Earth Balance. It tastes like the real thing! If you want to use real butter, you can also make your own using a mason jar.

To freeze: Scoop the baked butternut squash into labeled freezer safe mason jars leaving an inch or two of head space, and put in the freezer for up to 2 months. Two days before Thanksgiving, move the jars from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw out.

3. Whipped Cream Fruit Salad

While I am adamantly against packaged foods…I make an exception for this dish :). My recipe for whipped cream fruit salad does use canned fruit cocktail, but it is a throwback to my childhood and my family has made it the same way ever since! There is some fresh fruit added into it, and you can of course choose to make the entire dish with fresh fruit if you want. You can make this dish with dairy-based homemade whipped cream or with Coconut Whipped Cream {Vegan, Gluten-Free}.

To freeze: Not recommended

4. EASY Homemade Mashed Potatoes (YouTube Video)

These homemade mashed potatoes are really easy to make and freeze really well. You can make them up to a month in advance if you want. The high fat content is what makes them keep in the freezer. I don’t have a recipe written up for these yet, so for now, I will share the YouTube video.

To freeze: Place a few scoops in a labeled freezer bag. Flatten into a pancake, squeeze out all of the air, zip shut, and then place in the freezer for up to one month in advance.

Toppings

1. Homemade Whipped Cream

This whipped cream can be used in the fruit salad above, as a topping for pies, pancakes, fruit, hot cocoa, or golden milk lattes. Homemade whipped cream only contains 3 ingredients, and can be made in 7 minutes or less! Goooooddd bye Cool Whip and sketchy ingredients!

To freeze: If you are going to use it in the fruit salad recipe above, freeze as one large batch. To thaw, remove from the refrigerator 2 days in advance. If you are going to serve the whipped cream on pies, in hot cocoa, on fresh fruit, pancakes, etc, you can actually freeze the whipped cream in dollops. To do this, first line a baking tray with wax paper. Then using a spoon, scoop a dollop of whipped cream and place on the waxed paper. Alternatively, you can use cupcake/cake decorating tips to pipe swirls on the wax paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours, or until dollops are frozen through. Transfer to a labeled freezer bag. To thaw, remove bag of dollops from freezer one day before Thanksgiving.

2. Homemade Butter Using a Mason Jar

Did you know that you can make homemade butter using a Mason jar? No fancy butter churner needed! Just a mason jar, and 20 minutes of upper body exercise ;). I like homemade butter, because you can customize it however you want and it’s free from any artificial flavors. And that buttermilk that’s leftover after making the butter? You can use that to make some homemade blueberry buttermilk pancakes!

To freeze: Place butter in a labeled mason jar, and place in the freezer.

3. Roasted Winter Squash Seeds

Flavored pumpkin seeds (or any winter squash seed really) with a clean ingredients list can be very expensive to purchase. Fortunately, it is very easy to make your own! And since most people prepare butternut or delicata squash as a side for Thanksgiving, you will already have some on hand to roast.

To freeze: Not recommended

Desserts

1. Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Not everyone enjoys pumpkin pie, so I thought I would share an easy alternative! If you aren’t vegan or gluten-free, this dish can be easily reverted back. Serve with a hunk of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. I like to sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top.

And if apple crisp OR pumpkin pie isn’t your thing, be sure to check out the cookies section of my blog. LOTS of recipes there, and they’re all really good. 🙂

Beverages

1. Golden Milk Latte

Golden milk latte is my new favorite hot beverage. The curcumin has anti-inflammatory effects, and if your Thanksgiving Day was stressful, then this drink is for you! A perfect and healthy way to relax and unwind after the table has been cleared, and your house is nice and quiet. Top with a dollop of homemade whipped cream!

ARE YOU MAKING THIS RECIPE OR OTHERS? Share your creations with me by posting a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, share it on Twitter, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #thepanickedfoodie.