Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and anyone who’s hosted a Thanksgiving at their house knows how stressful the holiday can become. Try these Thanksgiving hacks this year to save both time and sanity.
1. Make the mashed potatoes the day before
Mashed potatoes are an essential part of Thanksgiving, but they also create a ton of dishes during the process. Peeling them, cutting them, boiling them, mashing them, and then adding all of the ingredients can be very time-consuming. Making them a day early doesn’t affect the taste at all, and it saves a lot of time for everything else the day of. The morning of, just add them to a crockpot to keep warm for dinner.
2. Chop all of the vegetables ahead of time for the stuffing
Stuffing doesn’t reheat as well as potatoes, so making it the day before is out of the question – however, chopping the vegetables ahead of time will make a huge difference. Not only will this save time during Thanksgiving, but it will also save room in the refrigerator.
3. Keep food warm using crockpots and use crockpot liners for an easy cleanup
Keep food warm by serving side dishes in crockpots. Food will stay warm all day and no one will run into the awkward situation of getting seconds only to find out the vegetables are already cold. To save on cleanup, line all crockpots with a crockpot liner so at the end of the meal they can be removed and thrown away. With liners, you no longer have to soak and scrub the crockpot, saving cleanup time.
4. Clean dishes as you cook
A sink full of dishes is not a sight anyone wants to see, especially on a busy holiday. Clean and put away dishes as you use them, as to not overwhelm yourself. Having a clean workspace will make cooking more enjoyable and save on cleanup time once everyone is finished eating. Make sure to run and empty the dishwasher before the meal starts, so all plates can go right into an empty dishwasher.
5. Turn leftovers into a Thanksgiving pot pie
The best way to use Thanksgiving leftover is to turn them into a pot pie. Use leftover stuffing as a bottom crust, with the leftover mashed potatoes as the top crust, and fill the inside with the leftover turkey, gravy, and vegetables.
Happy cooking! Enjoy a stress free day thanks to these Thanksgiving hacks.