26 Ultimate Make Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes for a Stress Free Thanksgiving Feast

Make your Thanksgiving dinner stress-free and delicious with these easy make ahead Thanksgiving recipes! From savory sides to sweet treats, this collection of Thanksgiving dishes can be prepared in advance, giving you more time to relax and enjoy the holiday with family and friends.

Stressing over how you are going to get all the Thanksgiving food on the table before the buzzer goes off?

You’re not alone. You have to learn how to divide the space in your oven and on your stove, how to spend time on preparing and cutting all the vegetables, how to coordinate the time so that everything remains warm, and how to keep your sanity while not forgetting something as important as thawing the turkey.

Let’s make this Thanksgiving one to remember with these time-saving, crowd-pleasing dishes!

make ahead THANKSGIVING recipes for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving (2)
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You never expected that preparing for Thanksgiving dinner would be a piece of cake. But how in the world are you expected to moderate the drama and pour more wine when you have turkey thermometers to pop and mashed potatoes to mix? This year, do not stress yourself out and prepare these delicious Thanksgiving recipes in advance.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving Potluck Ideas

Make Ahead Thanksgiving Appetizers

Make Ahead Thanksgiving Recipes

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Potatoes From Air Fryer Yum

Bacon wrapped baby potatoes are always a joy to behold on a table of appetizers in a party. These Air fryer bacon wrapped potatoes Fluffy potatoes engulfed in crispy bacon is every bacon lovers dream.

And this recipe gives much more than that. In my opinion, these bacon wrapped potato bites fit all the criteria that I would consider when looking for something that would be enjoyed by most of the guests.

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Bacon Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls Pinwheels From Simply Made Eats

These bacon cream cheese crescent rolls are simple to prepare and require only a handful of ingredients. Bake some bacon, combine it with cream cheese and chives and spread it on crescent dough for a few tasty treats.

You will not even be able to get these things off the cookie sheet before people start reaching out for them! Bacon cream cheese rolls are a must have at every major Holiday.

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Baked Brie with Fig Jam and Honey From A Grateful Meal

This baked brie with fig jam and honey is one of the easiest appetizers that you can prepare with little to no work. Soft melted brie cheese with ripe figs and honey, this is one of the most popular appetizers that people love.

This is a perfect appetizer for the holiday season, but you can use this brie appetizer recipe all year round, just change the figs to other fruits and jams that are in season.

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BLT Bites From amycaseycooks

BLT Bites are small portions of bacon, lettuce and tomatoes. This is a simple way of frying the bacon without having to deal with the mess that comes with frying.

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Brie Cranberry Tartlets From Simply Made Eats

These Brie Cranberry Tartlets in Puff Pastry are the perfect appetizer for the Holidays and only a few ingredients! When it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas day, the last thing I would like to bother with is challenging appetizers.

These are so simple to make with only 3 ingredients needed. Best thing is. . I want to stress that this tartlet recipe takes 25 minutes in total, and most of that time is spent in the oven.

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Cranberry Honey Baked Brie From Sungrown Kitchen

Cranberry Honey Baked Brie is a perfect holiday appetizer, it is savory and sweet with baguette to dip and it takes only 30 minutes to prepare!

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DairyFree Spinach and Artichoke Dip From Olivia’s Kitchen

This spinach and artichoke dip is dairy-free and has all the flavors of the classic appetizer but is warm and creamy. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free with an easy vegan option.

This spinach and artichoke dip is a dairy-free appetizer that is perfect for thanksgiving, Christmas, dinner party, or football Sunday.

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Easy Puff Pastry Samosa Recipe From Cook with Kushi

Puff Pastry Samosa is a tasty appetizer or snack that has a crispy and golden flaky layer on the outside and a spicy stuffing on the inside. These puff samosas are ideal for the festive season (Christmas, Diwali, or Thanksgiving), weekend parties, picnics, potluck, or any game day (Super bowl, football).

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Easy Pumpkin Cheese Ball From Take Two Tapas

This festive Pumpkin Cheese Ball is the perfect appetizer to serve during all your fall festivities. Delicious and simple to prepare! It is such a cute concept and much more entertaining than a regular cheese ball. Pumpkins are not only for Halloween, they are also perfect for Thanksgiving appetizers.

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Easy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip From Quiche My Grits

This Easy Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip is a perfect appetizer to enjoy during the autumn time. It is the perfect fall dip because it only requires 5 ingredients!

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Guacamole Shrimp Appetizer Recipe From Life Currents

Guacamole Shrimp Appetizer Recipe will assist you in sharing the goodness this Thanksgiving – it is easy to prepare this exquisite appetizer.

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Homemade Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs From Simply Scrumptious Eats

The most delicious and easy Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs recipe, a healthier meatball that is easy to prepare. Ideal for a working week dinner or for meal prepping.

This is a very easy recipe and can be enjoyed any time of the year. Whether you are preparing them for a back to school lunch or preparing them as an appetizer for a Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner or New Years Eve Party, you cannot go wrong.

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Pumpkin Roll Recipe By Tessies Table

This Pumpkin Roll recipe combines the rich flavors of pumpkin puree, warm spices and smooth cream cheese filling.

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Easy Wild Rice Pilaf With Cranberries and Pecans By Made In A Pinch

Cranberry Wild Rice Pilaf recipe is a breeze to make and features onions, carrots, pecans, parsley, and delicious cranberries!

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Mini Cheese Balls on a Stick From Flavour and Savour

Mini cheese balls on a pretzel stick are a great finger food. A perfect appetizer that can be prepared in advance for Thanksgiving, New Year or any other holiday party.

The way to make sure they are good for those who are lactose intolerant- and everyone else- is to use goat cheese. These should be made soon.

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Make Ahead Sage Apple Stuffing By Sweet Peas And Apron

This make-ahead sage and apple stuffing is the perfect Thanksgiving side dish, loaded with fresh herbs, crisp apples, and aromatic flavors. Prepare it a day ahead for a stress-free holiday, then enjoy its unique twist: it’s twice-baked for extra flavor and texture!

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Pan Fried Gnocchi with Sage Butter From Shutter + Mint

Crispy Pan Fried Gnocchi with Sage Butter is a perfect dinner, appetizer, or side dish recipe! It’s especially good with Thanksgiving Dinner! Crispy Pan Fried Gnocchi with Sage Butter is perfect for a main dish, side dish, or appetizer because it is satisfying and delicious!

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Fresh Green Bean Casserole From Served From Scratch

Elevate your holiday dinner with this homemade, make-ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole! Made with tender, fresh green beans, a rich from-scratch cream of mushroom sauce, and crispy homemade fried onions, this dish is a wholesome twist on the classic. Prepare it the day before and simply bake it when you’re ready, making it a stress-free and delicious addition to your holiday menu!

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Stuffed Mushrooms with Crab By Heavenly Spiced 

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms are the perfect easy appetizer or side dish for your next holiday gathering or to pair with a steak dinner. The rich, flavorful crab filling adds a touch of elegance to this crowd-pleasing recipe. Plus, it’s a great make-ahead dish—simply prep the filling and mushrooms the night before for a stress-free addition to your meal!

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Pumpkin Deviled Eggs From The Dinner-Mom

Here is a simple recipe to prepare Pumpkin Deviled Eggs. It is a great Halloween, Thanksgiving and other fall parties appetizer that is low in carbs.

Oh yes, there are many tempting goodies that are around this time of the year. Pair them with savory deviled egg pumpkins. This is a perfect Halloween, Thanksgiving, and a fall charcuterie board appetizer since it is low in carbs.

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Quick Apple Thanksgiving Puff Pastry Appetizer From NINNESCAH HOMESTEAD

To prepare these apple thanksgiving puff pastry appetizers, you will require two sheets of laminated puff pastry, apples, cinnamon and brown sugar.

You will require one package of puff pastry, 3-4 tart apples, cinnamon and sugar, a pinch of salt, a little egg wash to brush the tops with and approximately 15 minutes of preparation time.

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Scalloped Potatoes with Almond Milk From A Sweet Alternative

These gluten-free, dairy-free scalloped potatoes made with almond milk are the best vegan Christmas or Thanksgiving side dish.

The top layer of these scalloped potatoes is slightly crunchy, but the layers below are bathed in a rich, creamy sauce that keeps the potatoes just tender. Make plenty because the leftovers are moist and do not become dry when reheated.

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Smoked Salmon Pate From Cooking Gorgeous

This easy Smoked Salmon Pate is the perfect appetizer for your festive table whether it is Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year celebrations. It is a very easy dish that is prepared with smoked salmon and poached salmon to give it a better texture and taste.

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Spam Fries From Greedy Girl Gourmet

These SPAM fries are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, and they are savory and packed with umami. Very easy to prepare and ready to be served in less than half an hour!

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Vegetarian Chopped Liver Recipe with Mushrooms From Debra Klein

Simple recipe for vegetarian mock chopped liver, prepared with mushrooms, walnuts and boiled eggs. And many other ideas to spread on your matzo.

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Whole Cauliflower In Air Fryer From Culinary Shades

Whole cauliflower marinated in yogurt and Indian spices and roasted in air fryer is a great appetizer for parties, pot lucks, game days and Thanksgiving. These spices are aromatic and flavorful and that is why this recipe is delicious and tantalizing. This is a very popular recipe and it is very easy to prepare.

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