Thanksgiving Dishes You Should Probably Make From Scratch
Welcome to the Scammer’s Guide to Thanksgiving . While there is plenty of advice out there for people making desserts and artisan breads, The Con Man’s Guide is geared toward the individual who could use a helping hand, even from some unconventional sources. Some might call it “cheating” (as if that’s a bad thing), but there’s nothing wrong with using modern technology and supermarket know-how to create a stunning traditional feast – with far less of the traditional work involved.
I love reviving pre-cooked turkey, re-frying puff pastry desserts, or pre- freezing gravy in advance. Whether you call it cheating or just being smart, this is how you can get through important dinners without losing your cool. This is because no matter how many things you prepare in advance, some meals will have to be prepared from scratch, and some will need to be prepared on the day of. Keep these items in mind when planning your menu and find ways to bake, freeze, or cook everything else in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. (Don’t worry, I’ve got your back too.)
Pies and tarts
Puff pastry pies, like fruit pies and quiches, top my list of made-from-scratch foods because the flavor and texture of the crust degrades after a day of baking. The rendered fats leave the crust at its crispiest and flakiest; in the following days the crust inevitably softens and fades. Any pie you buy pre-made will essentially be leftover. I’m not saying it’s inedible, it’s just not that tasty.
You can buy frozen uncooked pies at the supermarket and bake them for Thanksgiving, but if you’re giving a presentation, a tin of foil will get in the way. (It’s also very difficult to fake a scratch cake using one of these.)
If you’ll never bake a pie from scratch unless hell freezes over, I suggest skipping the supermarket and going to your local bakery. A human-made pie will always be better than a machine-made pie, and the higher price is worth it. But if you plan to make it from scratch yourself, you’ll have to bake this pie on Thanksgiving morning. Fortunately, not all preparation is lost…
What can you do in advance?
Make the crust in advance. Pie crusts freeze well for months ahead. You can wrap and freeze the dough into large disks so you can defrost and roll them out when you need them. I recommend rolling out the dough, placing it in the pie pan you will be using, and then freezing it. Once it has set, remove it from the pie pan and wrap it tightly in plastic. Essentially, you have ready-made pie shells. Simply place it in the pan when baking day arrives and fill or blind bake if necessary.
Make the filling in advance. Depending on the type of pie you are making, you may want to prepare the filling and store it in the refrigerator or freezer until the day of baking. Make apple pie filling or other fruit pie filling on the stovetop . Then place it in a container once cooled and store in the refrigerator for up to three days or freeze for up to a month. You can also store the quiche fillings in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Freeze the entire pie. You absolutely can freeze a whole raw apple pie. Before assembling, you just need to make sure the two components (crust and filling) are completely cool so the dough doesn’t melt. Then you can bake it straight from the freezer the same day. Freezing uncooked quiches like pumpkin or coconut pies can be a little trickier, so I would recommend using a recipe that includes specific thawing and baking instructions.
The only thing I don’t like about freezing whole pies at home is that you need a lot of free space in the freezer. The pies you freeze need to sit for at least eight hours, maybe longer, before they freeze. You can then stack things on top of them and around them. If you have a freezer, this may be a good tactic for you.
Casseroles and mac and cheese
I’d say crispy edges are the biggest benefit of homemade casseroles made from scratch. They’re casual, comfortable, and rich, making them perfect for Thanksgiving. Sure, you can buy casseroles at a supermarket like Whole Foods, but they’ll inevitably be served in an aluminum can, which often isn’t as deep as a ceramic or glass casserole dish, and it may not give you the crispy edges you need. Plus, it will cost you a lot more than building it from scratch.
I put mac and cheese in a separate category from casseroles, and you might be tempted to buy it at the store. If you must, look to the pre-cooked mac and cheese you see in the prepared food aisles. If the cheese is melted once and then stored in the refrigerator to be reheated, the casserole may end up greasy. You know how ghee strangely hardens again? When melted, the emulsion breaks down and the oil becomes sandy. Likewise, processed cheeses can separate into butter globules and protein clusters and lose their creamy consistency. If you must buy, look for pre-made casseroles that have bits of cheese visible, which means they have never melted.
What can you do in advance?
Rather than pre-bake the casserole, simply pre-assemble it. The dressing (which can be frozen in advance ), cheeses, starches, cooked meats and vegetables can be mixed and placed in a greased baking dish two to three days in advance. Cover the baking dish tightly and place it in the refrigerator. When it’s time to bake, you can easily pop it in the oven. The cheese will melt for the first time and reward you with the best texture.
Fried vegetables
Roasted vegetables are best served fresh from the oven or deep fryer. The charred edges remain crisp and the thicker parts of the vegetables are still full of moisture. The texture is firm but soft. After they sit in the refrigerator overnight, they will wilt and become soft. That’s fine for an occasional snack the next day, but if you’re making reheated roasted vegetables for dinner, like Thanksgiving, “okay” isn’t good enough.
What can you do in advance?
Although the roasted vegetables aren’t mixed with or coated in other ingredients, there’s still a lot you can do ahead of time. You can peel the carrots, chop the onions, clean the dust from the mushrooms, and remove the seeds from the pumpkin. Here’s a list of more vegetables you can prepare before Thanksgiving. Plus, here are all the tastiest vegetable side dishes you can make in the air fryer.
Additionally, you may want to consider how you plan to handle them after frying. Are you going to top them with dressing? Make this in a small jar and keep it ready when you need it.
Salads
It is well known that green salads taste best the same day they are prepared. (Mayonnaise-based salads, such as potato salad or macaroni salad, can be made several days ahead.) They have freshly chopped ingredients and will dry out or become slimy and weird if made too early.
However, there are plenty of salad kits available in supermarkets these days. Regardless, I liked some of these from Trader Joe’s. These kits typically use cruciferous vegetables like kale and cabbage – which may still seem weird! — but because they can handle earlier cutting, they give you some flexibility. While you can upgrade your salad with one of these pre-made kits, I still suggest sprucing up your lunch salad with a few freshly prepared show-stopping pieces to cut down on the feel and taste of the grocery aisle.
What can you do (somewhat) in advance?
Boil the eggs in advance and cut them into slices before serving (at least half an egg per person); add air-fried new potatoes; or cut slices of steamed beets and arrange them in a bowl. Make the dressing in advance and store in a jar in the refrigerator. A few shakes will easily combine the mixture so you can drizzle it over your salad. Just before serving, top the salad bowl with generous amounts of creamy buffalo mozzarella or goat cheese. Depending on the type of salad you’re making, add larger pieces of leafy greens and fresh herbs to add volume, interest, and fresh flavor.