3 dishes you can prepare ahead to make Thanksgiving dinner easier

3 dishes you can prepare ahead to make Thanksgiving dinner easier

Sara Moulton shares three recipes that you can make ahead of Thanksgiving.

ByBrandon López

November 20, 2023, 2:09 PM

If you're in charge of making Thanksgiving dinner for your loved ones, you know how stressful it can be. So many dishes, so little time. Fortunately, there are some ways to make that process just a little bit easier.

Chef, cookbook author and host of “Sara's Weeknight Meals,” Sara Moulton, dropped by “GMA3” recently to share three helpful recipes that you can make ahead of Thanksgiving that will make your holiday stress-free.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:3 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeledKosher salt, to taste1/2 to 3/4 cup whole milk, heated4 tbsps. unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and softenedFreshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Quarter or halve the potatoes, depending on the size. Place in a large saucepan and pour in enough cold water to cover by one inch. Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until tender when pierced with the point of a sharp knife, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and stir to dry out for about two minutes. Transfer to a food mill fitted with the finest blade or to a ricer and puree. (Or just mash them with a handheld potato masher.) Stir in butter first, then 1/2 cup of the milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Thin with additional milk if you like a lighter texture. Serve immediately.

If you want to make the potatoes a day ahead, follow the instructions up to the point that you puree the potatoes. Then transfer them to a glass bowl, cover them with plastic and put them in the fridge overnight. On Thanksgiving Day, soften the butter (this must be added first), heat the milk, heat the potatoes in the microwave and whisk in the other two ingredients along with salt and pepper to taste.

Make Ahead Gravy

Ingredients:8 tbsps. unsalted butter1/2 cup all-purpose flour4 cups chicken or turkey broth, heated1/2 cup dry red or white wineReserved liquid from turkey roasting drippingsReserved liquid from turkey resting platter

Directions:In a medium saucepan over moderately low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook it, whisking for five minutes. Add the broth in a stream, whisking and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down to a simmer for five minutes. Let the gravy cool, transfer to a bowl, cover and chill overnight. The gravy will be thick, but you will be adding liquid, which will thin it out.

On Thanksgiving Day, after you have transferred the turkey to a platter and covered it loosely with foil, pour off the drippings from the pan into a fat separator and discard the fat in the separator. Put the roasting pan on two burners on the top of the stove, and turn the burners to medium. Add the wine and the reserved drippings to the pan and scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the premade gravy, any juices from the resting turkey and salt and pepper to taste.

Skillet Apple Cranberry Pie with Shortbread Crust

The filling and the crust can be made several days ahead and kept covered and chilled in the fridge. Just assemble and bake the pie about 25 minutes before you want to eat it. The caramel sauce can also be prepared ahead and then reheated.

Apple Filling Ingredients:2.5 lbs. mixed apples (your choice, but avoid apples that fall apart like Macintosh) peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice1/4 tsp. table salt1/2 tsp. cinnamon2 tbsps. unsalted butter1/2 cup fresh apple cider3/4 cup dried cranberries

Topping Ingredients: 8 Walker's Pure Shortbread Cookies, broken into quarters1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar1/4 tsp. table salt3/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal

Drizzle Ingredients:11 oz. caramel squares2 tbsps. water1/3 cup half and half2 tsp. vanilla extractVanilla ice cream

Directions:Make the apple filling: In a medium bowl, toss together the apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon. In a 10-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Reduce to medium and add the apple mixture (reserving the bowl) and the cider. Cover and simmer, stirring frequently, until most of the apples are tender but still hold their shape. 12 to 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Transfer the apples with a slotted spoon to the reserved bowl leaving all the liquid in the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half and syrupy. Add the apples and cranberries to the skillet and stir well.

Make the topping: In a food processor, pulse the cookies until they are coarsely chopped. Add the butter, sugar and salt and pulse until well combined. Add the oatmeal and pulse three times. Distribute the topping evenly on top of the filling, pressing it down gently.

Bake the pie on the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Make the caramel drizzle while the pie is baking. In a small saucepan, combine the caramels with the water and bring the water to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring frequently until the caramels have melted and the mixture is smooth. Carefully add the half and half (it will bubble up) and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

To serve: Scoop the pie onto each of six plates, top each portion with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle generously with the sauce.