Best Side Dishes For Thanksgiving To Make Ahead will be a true time-saver. No matter, if you are making dinner at home, are attending a potluck meal, don’t get stuck making everything the day of or the night before.
These are great for Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes to Freeze or simply make a few days ahead of time.
Here are some quick Thanksgiving Side Dish recipes you can prep ahead of time and just roast before heading out to dinner. Be sure to check out our Cheeseball Recipe that you make ahead and freeze.
Plus super simple Thanksgiving casserole side dishes you can make ahead and freeze. These frozen Thanksgiving side dishes will travel well too, I plan on defrosting during our travels.
Make ahead Thanksgiving Side Dishes That Can Be Frozen is a true time-saver.
Best Side Dishes For Thanksgiving To Make Ahead & Freeze
Every year I make a corn casserole it is a super easy Thanksgiving side dish, it only has 6 ingredients. Every year I make it a few days ahead of time. This year I made it 2 weeks ahead of time and my corn casserole is waiting in my freezer.
I will simply thaw it out just to reduce oven time and then add the final layer of cheese at the end.
A lot of people are looking for other recipes for leftover corn, here are our top 12 recipes for leftover corn on the cob.
Make Ahead Thanksgiving Jiffy Corn Casserole Recipe
Can You Freeze Corn Casserole?
Bet you are wondering : can corn casserole be made ahead and frozen? The answer is yes yes yes and here is how:
Bake your Jiffy Corn casserole and allow it to cool completely before covering and freezing. Do not add the cheese until you bake it to serve.
Allow it to cool overnight in the fridge, then put the Jiffy Corn casserole in the freezer.
How should I reheat my Make ahead Corn Casserole Recipe for Thanksgiving?
Do not add the cheese until you bake it to serve. Allow Jiffy Corn Casserole to thaw the night before and reheat in over 15-20 minutes then add cheese.
Can I freeze Sweet Potato Casserole?
Another great casserole For Thanksgiving Side Dish that can be made ahead is this Crunchy Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
For quick and easy Thanksgiving side dishes that the whole family will enjoy but a bit healthier, I would recommend the Sea salt Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe or this Ina Garten recipe for Roasted Parsnips and Carrots.
Both recipes you can prep the veggies a few days in advance and then just roast after the turkey comes out.
They do not have to be eaten super hot so you could probably roast them the night before and just heat them for a few minutes before serving. You can easily double or triple this recipe.
- 2 pounds parsnips, peeled
- 1 pound carrots, unpeeled
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley ( I used herbs de Provence)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- If the parsnips and carrots are very thick, cut them in half lengthwise. Slice each diagonally in 1-inch-thick slices. The vegetables will shrink while cooking, so don’t make the pieces too small.
- Place the cut vegetables on a sheet pan. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss well.
- Roast for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables, tossing occasionally until the parsnips and carrots are just tender.
- Sprinkle with seasoning
To make ahead: prep your veggies and keep in the fridge. Or you can roast in the morning you plan on serving and allow to sit at room temperature for a few hours or place in the fridge and reheat slightly before serving.
Pin this Make Ahead Corn Casserole for Thanksgiving side dish
No matter what you choose to make this Thanksgiving, be sure and remember to be thankful you have food to prepare and friends and family to enjoy it with.
As the cook, I can say sometimes you can get so wrapped up in the preparation you lose sight of why you are cooking at all.
30 more casseroles for Thanksgiving
Other Thanksgiving Recipes you Can Make Ahead Of TIME:
Best Make Ahead Thanksgiving Dishes
Best Make ahead Thanksgiving sides that you can freeze or make a day or two in advance.
MAKE AHEAD THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES
Make-ahead Side Dishes for Thanksgiving
Cranberry sauce is best made a day or two ahead of time. Make it on the stove, allow it to cool and then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese, loaded with melty Vermont white cheddar. Around our parts, it's just not a holiday meal without it. And the make-ahead beauty of this tasty side is it's actually better if prepared the day ahead and refrigerated overnight before baking!
Ditch bread stuffing this Thanksgiving and make Cornbread Pudding instead! Assemble it in advance for a no-stress meal!
Make Ahead Stuffing Recipes
This savory and sweet cornbread stuffing has made in advance cornbread, breakfast sausage, and delicious herbs! Prepare in advance, pour in the broth when you’re ready to bake!
Crispy bacon, chewy cubes of toasted, buttery bread, and a smattering of tender butternut squash make this Homemade Bread Stuffing a total MUST MAKE for your holiday dinner
There are so many things to love about Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing and, in addition to the taste which is divine, it’s virtually effortless to make. Both the cornbread and the dressing can be made well ahead of the big day and frozen so that all you have to do is pop it in the oven
Make Ahead Veggie Side Dishes
This green bean casserole uses no canned ingredients, only fresh! Prepare in advance and warm in the oven on Thanksgiving!
Ratatouille is a bounty of fresh vegetables roasted in a rich tomato sauce, delivering the most incredible side or main dish. Can be made ahead. This Ratatouille recipe is Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Paleo, Low Carb, Whole30, Keto, and Dairy Free…and yet fires on all cylinders! Everyone can enjoy it.
Lawry's Creamed Spinach is the perfect side dish to go with your holiday dinner. Make it a day or two ahead and just reheat!
Make this ahead, freeze if desired, and warm for serving in a casserole dish in the oven or crock pot. Perfect for the hostess or to take along if traveling. (I have personally done both many times.) Being low carb and gluten free is an added bonus
These easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette can be made up to a few days in advance then just warmed that day. Make a little extra of the vinaigrette to drizzle right before serving.
Make Ahead Breads
This dinner roll recipe just might be my family’s most requested item. They are a staple at Thanksgiving dinner and pretty much every other special occasion where dinner rolls are appropriate. They can easily be made ahead of time and frozen
These Cheddar Corn Biscuits are the perfect combination of flaky and soft! Packed with flavor and the sweetness of corn. Perfect for Thanksgiving. Plus, they can be made ahead of time & frozen too!
Potato Side Make Ahead Dishes
A wonderful and easy sweet potato casserole great all year long. We have made sweet potatoes a few different ways and this was a fun and easily made ahead Classic Sweet Potato casserole from Southern living or this sweet potato casserole that is has cereal topping.
Make ahead and heat it up in the oven on Thanksgiving Day! This Cheesy Bacon Potato Casserole is so flavorful, simple to make and require no peeling of potatoes!
An important secret to getting through the holidays when you’re hosting is to make ahead when you can! These make ahead mashed potatoes can be prepared up to 2 days before which makes them perfect for holiday planning.
Classic Southern Sweet Potato Casserole can easily be made ahead - either a day or two and refrigerated, or several weeks and frozen. Loaded with creamy sweet potatoes and crumbly crunchy brown sugar-pecan topping, it's a classic holiday side dish for a reason - because it's just plain good.
TWO SIDES IN ONE DISH. MAKE THIS AHEAD OF TIME AND THEN WARM UP WHEN READY TO serve.
Dress up your holiday dinners with these Make-Ahead Duchess Sweet Potatoes. Here’s an easy savoury side dish recipe that can be made in advance.
If you have limited oven space especially during Thanksgiving meal prep, then you need to let your Instant Pot take over and make some of these delicious Thanksgiving side dishes in a pressure cooker
This easy and rich Make-Ahead Sweet Potato Casserole with Toasted Meringue is a gluten-free and nut-free SIDE dish that is sweet enough to serve even as a dessert.
Make Ahead Thanksgiving Desserts
Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie recipe is the best of both worlds. Cheesecake layers topped with pumpkin pie
The perfect bite size cheesecake dessert. You can change up the recipe to make the flavors of your choice.
A Chocolate Chip cookie dough Cheesecake with a cookie dough crust filled with a cheesecake filled with chocolate chips
Make these the day before with the kids or give them the project of creating fun desserts for kids while you do some meal prep.
Pies are one of those desserts that are best done a day or two in advance. We make our pumpkin and pecan at least 2 days early. You can make the pie crusts weeks in advance and just freeze it.
Turtle Bourbon Pecan Tart is a treat all year round especially thanksgiving time
These mini apple pies have a delicious oatmeal cookie crust and are covered in caramel sauce. The perfect individual dessert for Thanksgiving! They're just as delicious from the freezer as fresh.
Frozen Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Pie is a wonderful change of pace for Thanksgiving dinner
Can’t make recipes ahead of time, check out our list of Instant Pot Recipe for Thanksgiving
Corn Casserole Recipe
A great make ahead Thanksgiving side dish Corn Casserole Recipe can be frozen and reheated for dinner Jiffy Corn Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 8 ounce box Jiffy cornbread mix
- 2 15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 15 ounce can creamed corn (not drained)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 2 Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Coat an 8x8-inch or other 2-quart baking dishe with cooking spray.
- Mix all ingredients (except cheese) and pour it into a greased 8x8" casserole dish.
- Cook uncovered for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Then add the cheese and cook an addition 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Notes
To Make ahead do not add cheese. Allow casserole to completely cool before putting it into freezer. Allow it to thaw the night before and reheat in over 15-20 minutes then add cheese.
Can Be doubled. Bake in 9x13 or 4 Quart Casserole. Adjust time until the center is firm.
Nutrition Information
Yield 10 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 403Total Fat 24gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 106mgSodium 462mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 3gSugar 10gProtein 11g
All information and tools presented and written within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on stayingclosetohome.com should only be used as a general guideline.
What is your favorite Thanksgiving Side dishes? Do you make them ahead or cook everything on Thanksgiving?
Thx we do it all too and it is nice to have make ahead side dishes. Just made cranberry sauce yesterday
Thank you for the recipes. Will have to use some of these since my wife and I are making everything.
Thank-you! I love dishes you can make ahead! I’m going to try the Corn Casserole one this weekend as Canadian Thanksgiving already happened last month.
It really does add stress during the weeks before but relieves your oven and stress on Thanksgiving
Love the corn casserole. I will be making these ahead of time so that I can spend time with family on the holiday.
These are brilliant and I will DEFINITELY be making a few of these to save myself some time on Turkey Day!