Your Fast Thanksgiving Feast

Between the demands of your career and your home life, you don’t have hours to spend preparing a feast. Your turkey’s oven time may be non-negotiable, but just about everything else can be given an efficiency makeover. Here are a few ideas from around the web to help you pull together a memorable holiday meal in no time flat.

Breakfast. Thanksgiving morning is for lounging with family, watching the Macy’s parade…and getting started on dinner, of course! Avoid both stress and cereal by whipping up this breakfast apple crisp the night before. Serve it cold from the fridge and top with a scoop of yogurt for a sweet but wholesome start to the day.

Appetizers. Don’t drive yourself crazy trying to do it all from scratch. Your family and/or guests will be thrilled to munch on cheese, charcuterie and crackers (or a baguette from the local grocery store). If you want to try your hand at something more festive, candied nuts are an easy addition—or how about a platter of savory sweet potato skins (save the insides for a sweet potato casserole).

Sides. Veggies slow-roasted at high temperatures develop a deep, caramelized flavor all on their own. Fill a baking dish with your seasonal selection of choice – squash, onions, brussels sprouts – and toss with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper before roasting at 400º for 45-60 minutes. More ambitious chefs can try their hand at green bean bacon bundles, brown butter mashed potatoes or fresh cranberry orange sauce, none of which take over half an hour (the sauce can also be made in advance).

Dessert. Forget fussy crusts. Pumpkin pie is all about the innards, so put them on display in a simple pumpkin and sour cream pudding. Alternately, use day-old bread to make a pumpkin bread pudding that comes together in about as much time as a box of brownie mix. Pecan lovers can get their fix with a slab of sweet and salty pecan bark, which also makes a lovely parting gift for guests—only hard part is waiting for it to cool!

Don’t let the stress of cooking keep you from making beautiful holiday memories. Plan in advance, enlist help…and don’t you dare get roped into doing the dishes alone. Happy holidays!

—Emma Aubry Roberts