Cooking a Thanksgiving or Christmas banquet is a huge undertaking. Fortunately, many holiday dishes can be safely prepared in advance as long as a few food safety precautions are followed.
What to Do One Week Ahead of Time
At least a week before the holiday dinner, recipes should be gathered and a shopping list should be prepared. Cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer helps to make room for the additional food being brought into the kitchen. Non-perishable items such as canned goods, frozen items and shelf-stable boxed mixes can be purchased at this time.
Begin Preparation Three Days Before the Holidays
Frozen turkeys should be removed from the freezer and placed on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator to thaw. It is important not to place the turkey on the top shelf as raw poultry juices can drip down and contaminate other foods. A baking sheet or roasting pan placed underneath the turkey can help catch these juices and prevent cross-contamination.
Start Cooking Two Days in Advance
Combination dishes that require multiple steps can be started two days before Thanksgiving or Christmas.
- Bread Crumbs - Because many stuffing and dressing recipes call for stale or hard bread crumbs, bread can be cubed and toasted up to two days in advance. Alternatively, cornbread can be baked for a southern-style holiday stuffing.
- Pie Crusts and Pies- Pie crusts can be baked ahead of time and refrigerated overnight to be finished the next day. Pies can also be finished up to two days prior to the holidays and refrigerated until needed.
- Cranberry Sauce - Homemade cranberry sauce can be prepared and refrigerated. As cranberry sauces will not be reheated prior to serving, it is very important that they be placed on the top shelf of the refrigerator above the defrosting turkey.
What to Cook the Day Before
Side dishes and foods that can be reheated and served hot can be finished the day before dinner to save time on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day.
- Stuffing and Casseroles - Covering these items with foil will prevent excessive browning and drying out. These dishes can later be reheated without a cover and will then obtain their crispy top layer.
- Appetizer Platters - Cold cuts, cheese platters and dips can all be prepared the day before, making for easy serving whenever guests arrive. Certain vegetables and crudites that will not oxidize, like carrots and celery, can also be prepared the day before.
Certain food items should also be purchased as close as possible to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Pre-baked pies as well as fresh fruit, vegetables and bread can spoil or go stale if purchased too soon.
What to Cook Thanksgiving or Christmas Day
Menu items that do not reheat or refrigerate well must be prepared the day of the holiday dinner. Ample time should be allowed so that in the unlikely event of a mistake, the meal will still be a success.
- Turkey or Ham - Follow cooking directions on the package based on weight. The International Food Safety Council recommends that poultry be cooked to a minimum of 165F (74 degrees C) and ham should be cooked to at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
- Mashed Potatoes - Traditional recipes do not reheat well and may become gummy.
- Rolls - Depending on the type of bread served, allow at least 10-15 minutes for rolls to bake just prior to dinner.
- Vegetables - Frozen and canned vegetables are already cooked, so there is no reason to cook these items prior to reheating them.
- Reheated Dishes - Dishes prepared on the previous days need to be properly reheated before serving. Stuffing, casseroles and other mixed dishes should be reheated to at least 165F (74 degrees C).
For holiday recipe ideas that can be prepared in advance, check out Holiday Oyster Stuffing. Also try this recipe for Hot Buttered Rum Batter, which can be prepared and refrigerated up to a month ahead of time.
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