Make Thanksgiving Easier: 8 Classic Sides You Can Prep Days in Advance

Set yourself up for success with these easy make-ahead Thanksgiving sides.

By Robin Shreeves
Published November 11, 2025
Overhead view of sweet and savory corn casserole

Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

For about 15 years, I hosted a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, and I loved doing it. I quickly learned that the side dishes were just as important as the turkey: Everyone had a favorite they asked me to include. So I made a lot of sides. I always prepared several in the days leading up to Thanksgiving so I could focus on the turkey and avoid feeling overwhelmed when I sat down with guests.


These eight make-ahead side dishes—some fully prepared in advance, others with components prepped ahead—are ideal for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. And remember: A turkey can rest for up to an hour after it comes out of the oven, giving you time to pop many of these dishes in to heat through. Pick a couple, prep them ahead of time, and see how much easier it is to enjoy your friends and family around the table on Thanksgiving.

Love any of these recipes? Tap "Save" to add them to MyRecipes, our free tool to save and organize favorites from top food sites.

  • Classic Sage and Sausage Stuffing (Dressing)

    sausage and sage stuffing in orange baking dish, on a thanksgiving table, with roasted squash to the side.

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

    Dried white bread and eggs give this stuffing a custardy texture, while a mixture of sage, sausage, onion, garlic, and celery adds a classic flavor. You can prepare it up to three days in advance, then cook it on Thanksgiving.

  • The Ultimate Homemade Green Bean Casserole

    Overhead view of green bean casserole

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

    Move aside, canned beans and gelatinous cream soup. This upgraded take on the holiday classic uses blanched fresh green beans, a homemade mushroom sauce, and crunchy fried shallots—capturing the nostalgic vibe of the original while delivering fresher flavor and texture. You can make the fried shallots up to a month ahead, the mushroom sauce up to four days ahead, and assemble the entire casserole up to two days in advance.

  • The Best Mashed Sweet Potatoes

    20141107-mashed-sweet-potatoes-food-lab-thanksgiving-08.jpg
    J. Kenji López-Alt

    These mashed sweet potatoes start with a double-roasting process to intensify their natural sweetness—first at a lower temperature, then at a higher one. They're then mixed with brown butter, a touch of maple syrup, thyme, and salt, resulting in a mash with an almost toffee-like complexity. Make them up to five days ahead, then reheat before serving.

  • The World's Easiest Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce

    Finished cranberry sauce in a small bowl next to a bowl of stuffing with a gold spoon

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Cranberry sauce may be one of the smartest things to make ahead—there's nothing to do on Thanksgiving Day except take it out of the refrigerator. You can prepare and refrigerate this customizable sauce up to a week in advance, or freeze it for several months and let it thaw in the fridge before serving.

    Continue to 5 of 8 below

  • Classic Rich and Silky Potato Gratin (Scalloped Potatoes)

    20171026-potato-gratin-vicky-wasik-13.jpg
    Vicky Wasik

    This rich, cheesy potato gratin is creamy and loaded with flavor. You can assemble and par-cook the gratin up to three days before you plan to serve it. When you're ready to finish the gratin, top it with cheese, warm it in the oven, then bake until it's nice and bubbly and lightly golden brown.

  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Miso Butter and Maple

    20161102-Roasted-Miso-Maple-Sweet-Potatoes-03.jpg
    Matthew and Emily Clifton

    In a sweet potato rut? Miso and maple syrup add a rich, savory flavor, while freshly grated ginger and white wine vinegar prevent the dish from becoming cloying. Make the sauce ahead of time, then reheat it before pouring it over the sweet potatoes when you're ready to cook.

  • Roasted Brussels Sprouts

    Roasted brussel sprouts and shallots with a balsamic glaze in a bowl, with glasses of sparkling water, some smaller plates and a colorfully printed table top

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

    Roasted Brussels sprouts are a staple on many Thanksgiving tables. Here, extremely high heat—plus a preheated roasting pan—gives the Brussels sprouts sweet flavor and a nutty char. You can make the work a little easier for yourself by cutting the sprouts and shallots up to two days before you plan to cook them.

  • Sweet and Savory Corn Casserole

    Overhead view of sweet and savory corn casserole

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

    Part of this recipe's appeal is that everything comes together in a single cast iron skillet. But if you'd like to make it ahead of time, former Serious Eats editor Stella Parks recommends transferring the sautéed corn mixture to a broiler-proof 7-by-11-inch glass or ceramic baking dish before baking. You can prep it up to three days ahead: Bake it so it's still slightly underdone, refrigerate it, and reheat it just before you plan to serve it.

Explore more:

More Serious Eats Recipes