Freezer-Friendly Thanksgiving Recipes

Keep yourself on schedule (and be less stressed on Turkey Day) by making what you can as soon as you can. These dishes can be prepared and tucked away in the freezer up to three weeks in advance of Thanksgiving Day.

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Photo By: Tara Donne

Photo By: Tara Donne ©Tara Donne

Giada's Fried Ravioli

Giada's dish is a great appetizer to have ready when your guests walk in the door. If you bread the ravioli in advance and lay them out on a sheet tray to freeze, all you'll need to do is heat up some oil for frying on the big day. Let them thaw out before frying, but you’ll want them to be cold so the breading doesn’t fall off.

Get the Recipe: Fried Ravioli

Alton's Squash Soup

Alton's super-easy soup is the perfect way to start your meal with a seasonal ingredient. The best part? You can make it and freeze it weeks in advance — just leave out the cream. When your guests look like they're starting to make their way to the table, run a little hot water over the container to loosen the frozen block of soup and place it directly in the pot. Melt it over a low flame, stir in the cream and heat till steaming.

Get the Recipe: Squash Soup

Alex's Parker House Rolls

Bread rolls are a mandatory Thanksgiving side. They're easy to make in large quantities and (more importantly) help make sure there’s no gravy left on your plate. Alex's rolls help you make it through the big meal and act as the perfect sandwich vessel for your leftovers the next day. Make the dough and freeze it up to three weeks in advance, so all you have to do is thaw it the night before and pop the rolls in the oven on the big day.

Get the Recipe: Parker House Rolls

Anne's Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Stuffing is one of the rare Thanksgiving staples that improves with time: It can be frozen (minus eggs) weeks in advance, allowing the ingredients to meld together and forcing the bread to absorb all of the flavors. The sausage, cornbread and earthy herbs in Anne's stuffing go really well with any Thanksgiving meal. For her version, eggs aren’t needed at all. Pull it from the freezer the night before and bake it in a casserole dish before the main course.

Get the Recipe: Sausage Cornbread Stuffing

Tyler's Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie

Ready for dessert? Make Tyler's pie in advance so you can relax and enjoy dinner once the main course is out. Line your pie container with plastic wrap and build the pie according to the instructions. Freeze the pie until solid, then remove from the pie container, wrap tightly and freeze until Thanksgiving eve. Put it in your refrigerator to thaw the night before, then cut steam vents and bake it just as your guests start to arrive. Let it sit for an hour after baking and it’ll slice up beautifully.

Get the Recipe: The Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie