The tricky part of Thanksgiving isn’t so much cooking the recipes themselves; it’s timing everything to be ready at the same time. That’s why prepping and cooking ahead of time will help–instead of coordinating full recipes, you only have to juggle the finishing touches (or final cooking) of each dish. How much you can do ahead depends on which recipes you choose, but there are a few universal make-ahead principles for the traditional Thanksgiving meal:

A month or more ahead:

• 可以制作馅饼面团，形成磁盘，并冷藏长达两天，或冷冻长达一个月。您还可以形成外壳并将其冷冻长达两个星期。如果您的外壳易用，可以在填充和烘烤馅饼之前一天进行。
• 如果您要为甜点提供水果酥脆，请提前两个月，然后将其放入冰箱中，然后将其存放在冰箱中。用冰箱直接使用浇头，或者按照食谱中的指示使其达到室温。
• If you’re adding flavor to your turkey by rubbing aflavored butterunder the skin, you can make that butter up to 1 week ahead and refrigerate it, or freeze it for up to 2 months (but give it plenty of time to thaw in the fridge).

A week to two days ahead:

• Most cranberry sauces can be made up to a week ahead of time and refrigerated in a covered container.
• Make your own bread cubes for stuffing by cutting up a loaf of bread up to five days before Thanksgiving, and letting it air-dry overnight on sheet trays. Once the bread cubes are dry, store them in a zip-top bag.
• As soon as you get your turkey home, make abroth from the gibletsto use as the base of your gravy.
• If a recipe calls for fresh or toasted breadcrumbs, they can be made and toasted up to one day in advance.
• If your recipes call for toasted nuts, they can be toasted up to two days ahead and kept at room temperature in an airtight container.

One day ahead:

• Most vinaigrettes can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated in a covered container.
• 您可以在感恩节前一天晚上组装馅料，但在将馅料放入烤箱之前之前，不要有任何鸡蛋，汤或融化的黄油。
• Many vegetables can be cut up the night before. For instance, cut broccoli or cauliflower into florets, peel and cut up carrots, parsnips, butternut squash and sweet potatoes, trim Brussels sprouts and green beans. Store the vegetables in the refrigerator in zip-top bags. Exception: don’t peel and cut potatoes until just before you’re ready to cook them, or they’ll discolor.
• While putting together your timeline, remember to leave time for the turkey to rest for about 30 minutes post-roasting. This gives you time to make your gravy and finish up any side dishes that require last-minute touches.