5 Things You Don't Need to Make From Scratch This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a one-day holiday that often comes with work-intensive requirements. Preparing a Thanksgiving feast takes considerable time and effort, especially if you make your dishes from scratch.

Here’s a quick rundown on how much time the average person spends in the kitchen each Thanksgiving (for some perspective) and a list of items you should consider offloading to make your job a little easier this Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Prep Is Intensive

Preparing meals from scratch is time-consuming, and it gets particularly time-intensive around the holidays. With so many dishes to make, catering to the elaborate Thanksgiving line-up can lead to a ton of time spent in the kitchen.

There’s no hard and fast rule about how much time a “proper” Thanksgiving meal takes up. But when you look at the average amount of time spent prepping in the kitchen, it's clear how quickly those hours can add up.

Cross-checking the trends across the years, the average Thanksgiving dinner starts at 4 pm. Preparing Thanksgiving dinner can require several hours of cooking, especially when multiple dishes are made from scratch. Depending on the menu, you may need to start preparing dishes hours before guests arrive.

5 Easy Ways to Trim Your To-Do List This Thanksgiving

Everyone does the holiday a little differently. But whether you’re covering yams in marshmallows, mashing cranberry sauce by hand or baking a dozen pies, a Thanksgiving meal takes a lot of elbow grease. Here are five things you can get pre-made to reduce the workload, sleep a little later and, you know, actually enjoy the experience more this year.

1. It’s Just Gravy

There are side dishes, and then there are the toppings for side dishes. Gravy is iconic, but in the end, it just goes on top of the main course.

Don’t let it throw you off. Pick up a gravy option at the store. You can get it ready-made as a liquid or get a quick powdered gravy mix that you can whip up right before you eat.

2. Dinner Rolls Are Easy to Outsource

The other common carb is dinner rolls. They're a familiar addition to many Thanksgiving tables, but they don't necessarily need to be made from scratch.

Dinner rolls are a simple addition to the meal, good for soaking up gravy or satisfying guests who prefer familiar flavors. There's no need to invest extra time making them from scratch.

Get a roll you can whip up in the oven at the last minute. Better yet? Get a bag of pre-baked ones at the store.

3. Don’t Stuff Your Schedule With Stuffing

Stuffing is a multi-step process. Sauté onions in butter. Cut up celery and toss it in. Add in dried bread, herbs and broth, and use that high-demand oven time to bake it to a crisp.

Unless you have a family recipe that you like to make each year, this is a great one to simplify. Get something pre-made or pre-mixed. Add some water (and maybe a little melted butter), and you’re good to go.

4. Don’t Bake That Pie

Everyone wants pie on Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition. But that doesn’t mean you have to turn into an expert pastry chef overnight. The truth is, if you aren’t exceptional at making a quality crust, homemade pies can quickly lose their luster anyway.

If pie-baking isn’t your strong suit, consider looking around for a shortcut option. You can go to a local supermarket chain, but if you do, chances are you’re going to end up with a pre-packaged pie that was mass-produced.

Instead, pull up an AI app and ask this prompt: “Find a local bakery that makes highly reviewed and rated pies at a good price. Include information on when the pies need to be ordered in time for it to be fresh on Thanksgiving.”

5. Outsource the Whole Meal

If cutting corners on individual dishes still leaves you with a long to-do list, there's another option worth considering: outsourcing the entire Thanksgiving meal. If you’re on the hook to provide all the food, but you aren’t ready to do everything from scratch this year, consider getting everything delivered.

Online food delivery services like Mackenzie Ltd have single-click complete holiday dinner options that can serve groups up to 10 people at a time. While cost might become a consideration when you’re getting the whole Thanksgiving meal, it’s worth taking in the big picture here.

The cost of hosting Thanksgiving can add up quickly when you factor in groceries, side dishes, desserts, drinks and other hosting expenses. When you account for everything, a pre-made meal becomes much more appealing, especially when you consider the hours of preparation you also save.

Make Memories, Not Just Meals

At the end of the day, Thanksgiving isn't really about how many dishes you made from scratch. It's about the people gathered around your table and the time you get to spend together.

Every hour you save on chopping, baking and preparing is an hour you can spend catching up with family, laughing with friends or simply enjoying the holiday without worrying about what's still in the oven. And when you're less stressed about getting everything just right, it's a lot easier to be present for the moments that matter.

So give yourself permission to take a few shortcuts this year. Whether you buy the pie, skip the homemade gravy or order the entire feast, remember that the goal is to make memories with the people you love.

After all, Thanksgiving should feel like a holiday for the host, too.