The holidays tend to feel overwhelming — which is the exact opposite of how I want to feel when I officially have time off to spend with my family and friends! Over the years, I’ve learned that it really doesn’t have to be this way if I can plan ahead. I’m sharing my personal planning guide to help make your holiday dinners far easier to accomplish so you can enjoy time with those you love. There are plenty of ways to reduce the day-of prep in advance. Here’s what I recommend:
🗓️ Two Days Before
- Make and refrigerate cranberry sauce — here’s my recipe.
- Bake pies and other baked goods — they hold beautifully for two days.
- If your turkey is frozen, put it in a cooler with the brine to thaw.
🗓️ One Day Before
- Prep and cook the sweet potato casserole; refrigerate without the marshmallows. Be sure to add LOVIN’ MY PUMPKIN for the perfect sweetness.
- Prep and refrigerate any fresh veggie side dishes — leave off crunch toppings (like green bean casserole topping) so they don’t go soggy.
- Prep baked apples and save for baking later.
- Prep and refrigerate the ingredients for your stuffing — don’t bake it yet! Here’s my recipe for traditional homemade stuffing, and a scratch-made community favorite too.
- If you’re making bread or rolls, bake today and store at room temperature.
🍅 Morning of Your Holiday Feast
- Bring stuffing to room temperature and set aside to stuff your bird.
- Bring sweet potato casserole to room temp; have marshmallows ready to add before baking.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and place in a roasting pan. Know exactly how much time your turkey needs and plan backward from your dinner time.
- Stuff the turkey with your premade stuffing mix and start roasting in time for dinner.
⏰ One Hour Before Mealtime
- Bake any leftover stuffing that didn’t make it into the turkey.
- Bring cranberry sauce, pies, and baked goods to room temperature.
- Finish the gravy — add turkey drippings as the bird cooks throughout the morning for maximum flavor.
- Peel, boil, and mash potatoes now if you’re making them fresh.
⏰ 30 Minutes Before Mealtime
- Cook any vegetable side dishes.
🦃 Just Before Mealtime
- Carve the turkey.
- Quick-roast the sweet potato casserole to melt and brown the marshmallows on top — just don’t forget them in the oven while you’re carving the bird!
Happy Holidays to you!! Thank you for all the love, support, and sharing!! 🦃
