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Holidays, Recipes · November 1, 2022

20 Thanksgiving Sides you Can Make the Week Before

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If you’re anything like me, side dishes for a holiday meal are the bain of your existence! Trying to get everything to come out at the same time (and hot, too!) requires a degree in engineering. And that’s why I’m loving these make-ahead Thanksgiving Sides!


(This post probably contains affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is quite boring, but you can read it here if you’d like!)

When I was growing up, holidays were always at our house with my mom cooking everything.

But one year, when I was in my early twenties, my parents went away to my uncle’s house and I wanted to stay home and cook for myself and D (he was around 4 at the time). So I took over my mom’s kitchen and made a complete Thanksgiving feast.

It wasn’t pretty.

Let’s just say there was undercooked meat and potholders on fire. Nobody died, buuuuuut let’s just say I haven’t lived it down yet.

Anyhoo, don’t do that. Make these side dishes ahead of time and save yourself the hassle.

But first…

Best Thanksgiving Dinner tips

  • set your table the night before! (favorite tip ever!).
  • and don’t forget lots of extra serving spoons!
  • save the oven space and make the turkey in one of these. Best thing I ever did!
  • use a slow cooker to make some sides and keep them hot. I don’t ever use my crockpot without one of these magical time savers.
  • don’t be afraid to ask people to bring something!
  • send leftovers home in environment-friendly containers instead of plastic ones.
  • make ahead as much as possible. Bake potatoes ahead of time, cut veggies, par-boil pasta, etc. Speaking of making ahead Thanksgiving side dishes… (you saw that coming, didn’t you???)
  • write down your plan so you don’t forget anything! Here’s a great Holiday Dinner Planner for you:

Free Holiday Dinner planner

Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

Make-Ahead Stuffing by Wine And Glue

Creamy Macaroni And Cheese Casserole by Spend With Pennies

Bourbon Pecan Mashed Sweet Potatoes by Zesty Olive

Mulled Cranberry Sauce by Sidewalk Shoes

Broccoli Casserole From Scratch by Brown Eyed Baker

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes by Delicious Table

Cornbread Sausage Stuffing Recipe with Apples & Cranberries by Home Cooking Memories

Roasted Carrots With Garlic And Herbs by Sara’s Cucina Bella

Green Bean Casserole by The Cozy Apron

Free Holiday Dinner planner

Put these on your make-ahead Thanksgiving sides plan too…

Smoky Salmon Cheese Spread by Taste And See

Sweet Potato Casserole by Natasha’s Kitchen

5-Minute Savory Pumpkin Hummus by Two Healthy Kitchens

Homemade Hash Brown Casserole by Inside BreCrew Life

Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy by Cardamom And Coconut

Pressure Cooker Turkey Breast Instant Pot by Low Carb Yum

The Best Baked Spinach by Smitten Kitchen

Cranberry-Orange Relish by Zesty Olive

Homemade Brown Butter Brioche Dinner Rolls by Foodal

5-ingredient Corn Casserole by Tastes Of Lizzy T

…and the easiest Thanksgiving dessert ever!

Quick Pumpkin Pie Pudding by Simply Happy Foodie

Need more help planning Thanksgiving dinner?

If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner and are looking for some help with planning out your turkey, sides, dessert, and all the trimmings…you can grab this Holiday Dinner Planner:

It’ll help you get everything to the table on time – and while it’s still hot! 

Free Holiday Dinner planner

In: Holidays, Recipes · Tagged: holidays

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Cut your melon the proper way, folks. No cutting i Cut your melon the proper way, folks. No cutting it into little boats and scraping the seeds out and then cutting the peel off. 
Nobody has time for that. 
Also I can’t stomach buttercream frosting anymore. 

#kitchenhacks #howtocutmelon #summermelon #simplekitchenhacks #mealplanningblueprints #mealplanning101
Had to hop on this trend… Had to hop on this trend…
Do we have any in common?!? 5 things I don’t d Do we have any in common?!? 

5 things I don’t do: meal planning edition! 

1️⃣ buy eggs at the store
I’ve found local eggs that are not only healthier but WAY cheaper than the store! 

2️⃣ step foot in grocery stores
I RARELY go grocery shopping anymore. I mostly use Walmart+ for delivery/pickup and Sam’s Club. I more than make up the fees by not buying extra stuff while walking down the aisles (especially with a kid, iykyk).

3️⃣ stock my pantry
Less is more. It’s easier to get dinner on the table when you don’t have a bazillion options. Kinda like it’s easier getting dressed when you don’t have a million clothes. 

4️⃣ cut coupons
Wanna make my blood boil? Mention extreme couponing. 😡😂 Your time is worth more money than those coupons are saving you. Cut it out. (Pun intended!)

5️⃣ meal plan every week
Another time suck. If you don’t want to do a capsule pantry, fine. But at least meal plan for the month. Doing it every week and starting with that blank calendar is just silly. 

Did we have any in common? Any you disagree with? Comment and let me know!
Want to actually enjoy your summer without figurin Want to actually enjoy your summer without figuring out what’s for dinner every single night… 

I’m breaking down the 3 steps to my summer meal plan in a brand new FREE workshop tonight (and yes there’ll be a replay!)

Here’s what I’m showing you: 
🍉 Understand the ONLY meal planning mistake you need to avoid and what to do instead!

🍉See the endless possibilities of making delicious meals using just 35 ingredients.

🍉Learn how to automate your grocery shopping but still save money on groceries (without couponing)!

🍉Uncover my secret trick to coming up with new dinner ideas that your family is guaranteed to love!

🍉Minimize food waste by planning meals with ingredients that can be used in multiple dishes.

🍉PLUS, get a free Summer Workshop Action Guide and all the details on the meal planning program that has changed the lives of over 1200 mamas.

🍉 and FINALLY, I’ll unlock my secret 3-Step Blueprint to Creating Delicious Dinners with Minimal Ingredients!

You know where to find the link! It’ll be there until Monday to watch the replay! 

You can also comment SUMMER WORKSHOP and I’ll send you the link! 

#simplesummermeals #mealplanningblueprints #mealplanningworkshop #mealplanning101 #mealplanningmadesimple #capsulepantry #capsulepantryblueprint #summerdinners #whatsfordinnertonight #whatsfordinner #summerdays
You don’t need that kinda negativity in your lif You don’t need that kinda negativity in your life. 

I guess I’ve got the dishwasher on my mind after my last reel. #dishwasher4lyfe
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