These Hacks Will Save You Time on Thanksgiving Day

There never seems to be enough time when you’re preparing to host Thanksgiving, even with the most organized and detailed schedule. Things like unexpected delays, missing ingredients, last-minute dietary requests, kitchen mishaps, and more can derail the timeline. So, all hosts will take any amount of extra time on the big day.

Professional chefs know how hectic kitchens can get—they have to deal with busy service times a lot. So, of course they have a couple of tricks and tips up their sleeves that will shave off some prep time and make everything go a lot smoother. Read on for their advice if you want a less stressful Thanksgiving.

Thomas J. Story

1. Create a Game Plan

Preparation is key to a stress-free Turkey Day. “Make a list and schedule your prep, stick with it, and make sure you have the right amount of ingredients and tools, so you don’t have to go out any buy anything the day of,” says Massimo Falsini, chef-partner of Caruso’s at Rosewood Miramar Beach.

Executive Chef Charles Wiley of Hearth ’61 at Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale suggests this prep schedule for the week of: “Start on Monday: shop, polish silver and plates, iron napkins. Tuesday, start your turkey stock, make your pie dough, and portion your filling ingredients if you’re baking. Wednesday make your gravy, prep the veggies, prepare your butter service.”

2. Figure out How You’re Going to Use Your Oven and Stovetop

Things can get crowded if you’re trying to cook everything at once. “Cooking on Thanksgiving always takes longer than you expect, especially if you are ‘new to the game.’ Take a good look at your menu and what you are cooking. Anything you feel you can do the day before will set you up nicely to execute the day of,” says Joseph Offner, executive chef of Bar Sprezzatura in San Francisco.

Write down the cook times so you can make a schedule for your oven and stovetop. “Planning how long your turkey/ham/roast takes and what you have room for in the oven ahead of time makes it easier for dinner to be ready at the proposed time,” says Chris Knouse, executive chef of Harvest at Castle Hot Springs in Morristown, Arizona. “Most homes have one oven, so planning when and what goes in the oven is the best way to be efficient. Plan for things like salads and final touches to be done while you wait for oven items to cook.”

Don’t forget about your fridge game plan, too. You want to be sure that there’s enough room to store things. “The biggest mistake is not having enough storage space or cooking space. Ensure you have the fridge and oven space for all of the dishes,” says Zachary Woodworth, executive chef at Mii Amo in Sedona.

3. Keep It Simple

“I cannot stress this enough. Keep it simple and use great ingredients,” says Joel Hammond, chef de cuisine at Uchi in Los Angeles. “Let them shine on their own and stick to tradition. Have fun with it and don’t tie yourself down to the kitchen all day. The holiday is about spending time with your family and friends!”

Thomas J. Story

4. Road-Test New Dishes

“The holidays are a great time to try new recipes, but cooking for a crowd can be stressful,” says Executive Chef Brian Doyle of Greenhorn Ranch in Quincy, California. “I recommend testing new dishes before the big day—adjustments are almost always needed, and experience helps you prepare with confidence.”

5. Prep Your Tools

Prepping veggies can take time but making sure your knives are sharp with a nice cutting board can go a long way to help things going smoother,” says Seth Stowaway, executive chef and owner of Osito in San Francisco.

6. Don’t Be Afraid to Cut a Dish (or Two)

“Cut out a dish if necessary! It is better to make five dishes perfectly than making six or seven mediocre dishes,” explains John Silva, executive chef of Hell’s Kitchen at Harrah’s Resort Southern California. “It’s great to really focus on one dish a year until you have your recipe and techniques down to a science.”

Thomas J. Story

7. Prep the Turkey a Day or Two in Advance

“I recommend preparing the turkey two days prior to Thanksgiving, leaving 24 hours for brining and an additional 24 hours for air drying,” says Anthony Stagnaro, executive chef of Bear at Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection.

8. Make Homemade Stock in Advance

“Prepare homemade stock a few days before,” suggests Cedric Vongerichten, executive chef and co-owner of Wayan Aspen (set to open in December). “It can be refrigerated or frozen. Efficiency tip: Store in measured portions to save time on reheating and measuring.”

9. Prep Your Veggies Ahead of the Day

“Chop all vegetables (like onions, carrots, celery, and herbs) a day in advance,” advises Vongerichten. “Store them in sealed containers in the fridge. Chopping on Thanksgiving Day takes time. By preparing beforehand, you can jump right into cooking.”

Chef de Cuisine Michael Rosenthal of La Société in San Francisco says you don’t have to chop all your veggies with a knife—if you have a food processor, use it! And if you’re going to chop your potatoes the day before, Kyle St. John, executive chef of Harvest at The Ranch at Laguna Beach, recommends rinsing them with cold water until it becomes clear and storing them covered in cold water.

You can also cook your veggies beforehand, too. “Vegetables like green beans or sweet potatoes should be blanched in salt water and shocked in ice water directly after blanching—you can do this at least one day in advance and reheat on Thanksgiving,” Stagnaro says.

Iain Bagwell

10. Make Sauces in Advance

“Gravy and cranberry sauce are items I always prepare in advance,” says Chef Dustin Valette of The Matheson and Valette in Healdsburg. “For the gravy, I make a roasted chicken dinner a day or two before Thanksgiving, then use those carcasses as the base for my turkey gravy. On the day I roast the turkey, I add the neck bones, winglets, and roasting juices to enhance the gravy’s flavor.”

A roux can also be made earlier in the week. “This can be put in the freezer. When ready to thicken your turkey stock for gravy simply grate the frozen roux on a box grater and whisk into sauce until desired thickness,” says Eric Piacentine of Layla at MacArthur Place in Sonoma.

11. Prep Those Casseroles

You can make any casserole bakes a day or two in advance, Knouse says. He recommends taking them out of the fridge while the turkey is cooking to bring them to room temperature and popping them in the oven while the turkey rests.

The same can be said for your stuffing. “It is something that can take quite some time if you make it from scratch, so this is something that can be put into a dish and reheated in the oven the day of,” says Brandon Sloan, executive chef of Pendry San Diego.

12. Make Appetizers and Desserts Early

Well, it seems like about 85% of the meal can be prepped or made a few days in advance, even appetizers and desserts. “Desserts like pies are best made a day or two early since they taste even better the next day—just warm them up before serving,” Avila says.

Iain Bagwell

13. It’s Okay If Everything Isn’t Made from Scratch

“There’s no shame in buying something that’s already been prepared to save or make up time,” says Travis Watson, executive chef of Blackbird at the Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara. “Your family and friends will still have a wonderful time if you go buy a loaf of French bread or a pie, and don’t make every single thing from scratch. Also, have people bring things… make it a team effort.”

The same can be said for ingredients—you don’t have to make your own stock if you don’t have time. Piacentine says it’s totally fine to buy bouillon cubes or boxes of turkey, chicken, or vegetable stock.

14. Stay Organized

Avila recommends keeping your space organized so you’re not looking for tools or ingredients are you’re working. And both Wiley and Offner say it’s important to clean as you go. “The most common thing I see is people making messes and not cleaning as they go,” Offner says. “They slow down as the mess increases until they hit a wall of frustration. Keep it clean and check your list, stay organized. It’s the best way to keep things moving.”

15. Set the Table the Night Before

Vongerichten says this will give you one less thing to worry about. For efficiency, he recommends labeling serving dishes with sticky notes so you know what goes where when plating.

Maren Caruso/Getty Images

16. Ask for Help

Don’t be shy! If someone wants to help, take them up on it. But be careful about how you delegate. “Everyone wants to help, but that can lead to too many cooks in the kitchen and can be overwhelming,” Wiley says. “Designate one or two helpers and write down exactly what you need them to do at service time. Assign a family member to be the full-time dishwasher—sweep, mop up spills, and take out the garbage. This person needs to take their job seriously.”

17. Don’t Check the Oven Too Much

“Let the oven do its work, trust your recipe and try not to open the oven—each time you do, hot air escapes, making the cooking time longer than planned,” Stagnaro says.

18. Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself

It’s a stressful day, so take some deep breaths and breaks. And don’t try to do everything all at once.

“Give yourself extra time—everything always takes longer than expected. If you fall behind, don’t stress; Thanksgiving is about celebrating with loved ones, and they’ll understand if dinner doesn’t start right on schedule,” says Woodworth.