Never freeze mashed potatoes with sour cream in them, you will end up with soup when you defrost them. So glad I had some Betty Crocker boxed on hand or we would’ve been SOL.

I always prep the sweet potato casserole the day before, and this year I’m also peeling and chopping all root veggies day before.

Potatoes won't get goopy, they dry out. Just add milk/cream when warming and you're good to go.

Anonymous wrote:What about stuffing?

NP - stuffing is one of the very few day of things for me, because I don't think it reheats well. But, I love stuffing!

Things I'm making ahead: cranberry sauce, pies, cranberry curd tart. I've also done a lot of the prep for the stuffing (chopping onions/celery, drying the bread). My mom is doing the potatoes, thankfully.

What about stuffing?

Any sort of casserole can be made a day or two in advance.

I would cook the potatoes a day or two early, then reheat and mash (with lots of butter and milk!) on Thanksgiving day. Pie on Wednesday, absolutely. Anything with lots of sauerkraut will keep a week or more, make that today and don't think about it again.

Personally, my group does potluck so I only have to do mac and cheese, pie, and cornbread, all of which I'm planning to bake Wednesday, with the mac and cheese being reheated Thursday.

I made cranberry sauce last night

Pies, rolls and sweet potato casserole on Tuesday night (It would be Wednesday, but I have plans).

Cut vegetables Wednesday if I'm not too tired.

Everything else is saved for Thursday

Anonymous wrote:Pies can absolutely be made ahead of time.

For the potatoes, I'd prep them today (wash, peel) and then store until Wednesday. Then make the mashed potatoes and put in a microwaveable dish. Take them out of the fridge at the beginning of the day so they aren't ice cold in the middle. Then mix in a little warm milk and top it with generous pats of butter. Microwave and stir and add butter as needed.

Store those cut potatoes in cold water so they don't oxidize

Pies can absolutely be made ahead of time.

For the potatoes, I'd prep them today (wash, peel) and then store until Wednesday. Then make the mashed potatoes and put in a microwaveable dish. Take them out of the fridge at the beginning of the day so they aren't ice cold in the middle. Then mix in a little warm milk and top it with generous pats of butter. Microwave and stir and add butter as needed.

Can you do mashed potatoes on Tuesday or Wednesday and reheat them without goopiness? I was thinking of doing the pie on Wednesday evening. We're Polish and I was thinking of simmering Kielbasa and Saurkraut today (Monday) but do you think it will keep until Thursday? What are you making ahead?