What do you cook ahead for Thanksgiving and please give recipe..?

How many days ahead do you start cooking for Thanksgiving?What do you cook ahead for Thanksgiving and please give recipe..?
I make these things ahead:


1 day:


Cheese tray


I select a variety of cheeses and slice them then wrap airtight in bags to assemble on T-day.


Deviled eggs


I cook for a large family, so I hard boil 3 dozen eggs and allow them to cool. Peel them, cut in half lengthwise, scooping the yolk and a bit of the white into a bowl. I mash them well and add 3/4 C.Hellman's mayonnaise, stirring well. Then I stir in 1 tablespoon prepared mustard and 1/2 tsp. white pepper. If you like yours creamier, add more mayo. Then use this to fill the egg cavities with. Cover and refrigerate.


Non-custard pies like pumpkin, Dutch apple, cranberry raisin, parsnip and mincemeat.


Follow your favourite recipe. If you're worried about time or oven space or inexperienced, you can always ask someone to bring a pie with them.


Vegetable dips


We usually have the ranch dip that is on the back of the Hidden Valley packet, the Knorr Spring Vegetable Dip that is on the dried soup packet, French onion dried soup mix that you stir into a 16 oz. container of sour cream and chill for a few hours before serving, and then a Yoghurt dip. Mix 16 oz plain yoghurt, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons Louisiana Hot Pepper Sauce,1 tablespoon drained and chopped capers, and 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon. Let chill for a few hours to meld flavours.


Tinted cocoanut for the mirrored veggie tray.


I use a large mirror to arrange the veggies on and usually make little boats out of cucumbers to 'float' on the water. Put flaked cocoanut in a zip top bag, add a few drops food colouring, shake until uniform colour, and turn out onto waxed paper or parchment paper to dry for 45 minutes or so.


Saute the veggies and add the herbs and liquid for stuffing (don't mix with the bread until right before I stuff the bird, though).


I use 1 finely chopped yellow onion, 3 full stalks celery,chopped, and 1/2 C. butter to start. Melt the butter in large frying or saute pan over medium low heat. Add the veggies and cook until translucent. Stir in 1 C. chicken broth, turn heat up to medium, and add 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon ground sage, and 1/4 teaspoon thyme. Simmer about 5 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings. I cool this and pop in the 'fridge until I mix it with the bread for stuffing in the morning.


I also tear my bread into chunks the night before and separate them on cookie sheets and pop them in a 250F oven for 10 minutes. I let them cool and use a large Sterilite tub to store them until I make stuffing.


If my grandkids are here the night before and bored, I let them make homemade ice cream following the freezer directions.


Cheeseball:


Mix with a hand held mixer 8 oz. cream cheese,softened; 2 oz. (1/4 C.) grated cheddar cheese,1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 clove garlic, finely minced, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Chill until firm enough to handle. I chop 1/2 C. smoked almonds and put them on waxed paper. Form the cheese mixture into a ball and roll in chopped nuts. Place on cheese pedestal and refrigerate. Remove 1 hour before serving to make it easier to spread.


I also measure out my ingredients for dinner rolls and cover the bowls with plastic wrap before going to bed. Saves time and ensures I'll have a bowl to mix the dough in!What do you cook ahead for Thanksgiving and please give recipe..?
You can cook some things 1-2 days in advance. I have a lovely recipe for cranberry soup that is best made the day before you serve it.





Cran-Com铆 Soup








3 C vegetable stock


4 carrots, chopped


3 beats, chopped


1 pkg cranberries, fresh or frozen


2 onions, chopped


1陆 C cabbage


1 C apples


1 tsp taragon


Pinch cayenne pepper





garnish with:


Fennel


Sour cream





Simmer the vegetables in the broth in a large pot, adding water if necessary to cover vegetables. When vegetables are softened (about 20-30 minutes), puree the vegetables in a food processor. Add additional water if necessary to reach desired consistency. Pour soup into individual bowls, garnish with sour cream and fresh fennel sprigs, and serve immediately.
I usually bake my pies the day before both pumpkin and mincemeat.





I also cut up veggies for a veggie tray and make dips the day before.





I love the meal to be as fresh as possible, so the other things I do on Thanksgiving Day. I get up really early, stuff an start the turkey, and then prepare the other veggies. I do this and keep my eye on the Macy's Day Parade.





Unfortunately this is the third Thanksgiving I am out of the country, so I won't be watching the Macy's Day Parade again this year.
usually we start the turkey on the day or the day before and then we eat at about 1 or 2 o' clock. We make the pies a day before and cut up the cranberry sauce and the pickles all of the sides. We usually make the sweet potato pie that day and the stuffing.





One thing that we make that is my favorite is the Pum-dil-cue (we made that up, dum, huh)


Ok what youll need is a loaf of pumpernickel bread


1 or 2 cucumber wholes


and dill dip


optional dil seasoning.





what you do is cut about 1 inch slices of the pumpernickel then you spread the dill dip on to that. Once it is spead add a slice of cucmber. then you are done. You can add the dill seasoning after on the cucumber if wanted.very easy and tasts good.
Almost all of the dinner can be prepared ahead, except the turkey and even it can be (the grocery store's ';prepared dinners'; are). I wouldn't suggest you do some of the more delicate vegetable's like peas ahead, most everything else can be made at least a day ahead and reheated at 350 degrees about an hour before hand.