when do you make your thanksgiving sides?

for those that are cooking, i just wanted to see how you space out your day cooking-wise... i know the turkey goes in the oven first in the morning, but i wanted to see if anyone prepares any sides in advance or how you go about making your side dishes... between all the sides im making i dont know that ill have enough oven space or stove top space so i was just wondering how you manage to spread things out. thanks!

Re: when do you make your thanksgiving sides?

I make almost all my sides the day before and bring them to my parents' house where we have Thanksgiving. I basically prepare everything without putting anything into the oven. So I cook the sweet potatoes and cut and arrange them with brown sugar, marshmallows and pecans, boil the brussel sprouts, toss with olive oil, cooked pancetta and bread crumbs, completely make and cool the cranberry sauce etc. Then just heat when I get there. I take the food out early to let it come to room temp so it doesn't have to be in the oven that long since there's so much to heat up and so little oven space!

ETA: The turkey needs to rest before you cut it so don't forget you have oven time for other things once the turkey comes out!

Message edited 11/14/2010 10:07:17 AM.

Re: when do you make your thanksgiving sides?

I make some things the day before and don't cook them. Most of the oven things I have will go in after the turkey is done. I let the turkey rest about an hour before I serve it so there's time to cook 3 casserole things in the oven.

There are usually 3 stove top things I cook that are done within 20 minutes that I do right before I serve.

Stuffing-stove
mashed taters-stove
brussells-microwave and stove

Sweet potatoes-oven
noodle kugel (don't ask the family loves it) (oven)
Green bean cassarole (I could just eat that forget about the rest of the stuff) -oven

I've got a small crowd so that's all I serve along with appys and munchies.

Re: when do you make your thanksgiving sides?

mashed tatos - stove
mashed sweet tatos - steve
string beans - stove
stuffing in bird and oven
stuffed mushrooms - oven/maybe toaster over

Re: when do you make your thanksgiving sides?

i was thinking about this too cause we're hosting our first thanksgiving. i think i might do a lot of the prep work the night before and then just pop everything in on the day of. it's making me stressed thinking about it all!

Re: when do you make your thanksgiving sides?

Dessers the night before.
Mashed potatoes the night before, than stick in crockpot the next morning.
Sweet potatoes the night before, then put in oven w/ b.sugar and marshmallows that day.
Stuffing, corn bread casserole and green bean casserole that day. We use pre-made cranberry sauce, and frozen creamed spinach.

Re: when do you make your thanksgiving sides?

thanks all! i am so nervous i am freaking out so the stuff in the oven, do you do it all once you take the turkey out?

Re: when do you make your thanksgiving sides?

I do the prep work the night before - cleaning and chopping veggies, put everything into ziplock bags in the fridge. I make the cranberry sauce and dressing the day before. Table is set and ready to go the night before.

Day of, the first thing cooked on the stove is the mashed potatoes, which when finished the pot is wrapped in a beach towel and placed on the floor near the radiator - the potatoes stay really warm.
The rest of the veggies are then cooked on the stove.
Once the turkey comes out of the oven, the temp is lowered and the veggies/dressing go in to stay warm. Anything that has to get finished at the last minute like the gravy or the sauteed brussel sprouts stays on top of the stove.