Thanksgiving is a marathon, and no one wins by cooking each single dish from scratch. Even our editors choose their battles, leaning on make-ahead gravy, store-bought apps, and somewhat potluck vitality to maintain the day joyful as a substitute of draining. These are the shortcuts that make the feast really feel doable—and nonetheless utterly scrumptious.

Preserve It Tight

“That is extra a tip than a process: You should not have to make tons of dishes. It is simpler to increase servings of fewer dishes than the same quantity of meals unfold throughout a better variety of dishes. It is simpler to buy, it is simpler to cook dinner, and it is simpler to serve while you maintain your menu tight. Thanksgiving dinner may be nice with a comparatively modest variety of recipes: the turkey and gravy, the stuffing, a vegetable facet, and possibly some form of candy potato dish (that is only one instance, it would not need to be precisely that). Add a dish of cranberry sauce on the facet and also you’re finished, and everybody might be completely satisfied and properly fed.” —Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

Purchase the Apps and Desserts

“There may be nothing unsuitable with store-bought apps and desserts to maintain you calm on turkey day. A pleasant cheese board, possibly some cured meats or spreads like pimento cheese dip or baba ghanoush are bites you should purchase and serve earlier than the meal, with pies from a bakery after. That method, all you are cooking is the dinner.” —Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

Freeze the Dinner Rolls

“I’ll admit, this isn’t precisely a shortcut—it’s extra of stress-reducing maneuver for a make-everything-from-scratch form of woman like me. I’m making Jed Portman’s cloverleaf rolls this yr, however as a substitute of cramming them into my Thanksgiving baking lineup, I’m baking and freezing them the 2 weekends earlier than. The trick works simply as properly for bakery or store-bought rolls too—purchase them early, skip the pre-holiday bakery chaos, and freeze till the large day. Then the day of, I reheat them within the air fryer so they arrive out tender and golden with out stealing treasured oven actual property.” —Leah Colins, senior culinary editor

Multi-Cooker Mashed Potatoes

“To maintain your stovetop from getting overcrowded on turkey day, I like to recommend boiling your potatoes in a multi-cooker like an Instantaneous Pot. You may pressure them after which mash ’em proper within the pot, then change the cooker over to “heat” mode till it is time to eat. You do not have to fret a few pot boiling over on a busy range when you’re occupied with different dishes, and it offers you one much less factor to fret about preserving scorching for dinner.” —Ashlee Redger, author

Field Stuffing

“Look, I’ve made our basic sage and sausage stuffing, and it is implausible—however most of my tradition-minded household sighed wistfully on the absence of a easy pot of the boxed stuff. So boxed stuffing it’s! One much less from-scratch dish for me to make in any case. I do ‘up the ante’ as a lot as I can by sautéing a mirepoix in butter earlier than including the combination, and I exchange water with rooster inventory for further oomph. –Grace Kelly, senior editor

Outsource to Pals and Household

“Solely as soon as in my life have I made your complete Thanksgiving dinner, and it was my grumpiest vacation ever. It is so a lot better while you do a potluck and let individuals carry what they need. This perspective has gotten me Thanksgiving meals with 5 totally different variations of guacamole and a beautiful chocolate-orange tart with zero pumpkin, pecan, or apple pies, and I would not have it some other method.” —Megan O. Steintrager, affiliate editorial director

Make-Forward Pie Dough

“I make and freeze all my pie doughs of their tins forward of time, so all I’ve to do is fill and bake the day earlier than the large day. No have to stress about oven house on Thanksgiving day!” —Genevieve Yam, senior editor

Cook dinner a Hen

“This one would not translate in the event you’re internet hosting an enormous crowd. However on years when my Thanksgiving visitor listing is small, I skip the large turkey and simply roast a rooster. It thaws and cooks faster, and would not take up practically as a lot house within the fridge or the oven. Plus, it is simpler to carve!” —Rochelle Bilow, editor

Make-Forward Gravy

“I at all times make my gravy forward. It seems deeper and extra savory after I’m not dashing it, and the completed gravy holds fantastically—stashed within the fridge for just a few days or frozen for later. A turkey simply doesn’t produce sufficient drippings to make gravy for a crowd. And as soon as the kitchen hits full Thanksgiving chaos, having it finished forward is one much less factor to fret about. On the day of, I simply heat it gently and loosen it with a splash of inventory.” —Laila Ibrahim, affiliate meals editor