K now what you're making for Thanksgiving yet? If the answer is "no earthly idea," do not panic. Panic only wastes time, and that's precisely the commodity that's in short supply. It's also completely unnecessary: Armed with this gameplan, it's completely doable (really!) to make a company-worthy Thanksgiving meal in two hours.
This menu stays true to Thanksgiving's most iconic flavors while shaving off prep time whenever possible. Each of these dishes incorporates time-saving strategies. Now is probably not the time to invite 20 friends over to dinner. Instead, shoot for a more manageable number of guest list — six to eight people is a good bet. Follow the gameplan, and you'll multitask effortlessly, creating an impressive feast in record time.
Here's how we did it—and how you can, too:
Spatchcock your turkey to cut cooking time.
Remember, Rockwell-idealism aside, you do not need a massive roasted turkey in the center of the table to call your meal complete. Cutting up the turkey before roasting it drastically reduces cooking time.
Keep your vegetable sides simple.
Why bother with elaborate winter squash recipes when a simple combination of roasted Delicata squash and roasted onion tastes so good? Roast them on two sheet pans, and you'll maximize the delicious caramelization.
Bake your stuffing right in a skillet.
Prepping your stuffing in one pan saves time, and if you cook it in a cast-iron skillet, you can even bring it straight to the table. Just sauté your aromatics in an oven-safe pan, then add the bread and remaining ingredients, stir, and bake.
Skip the green bean casserole.
Instead, keep your green beans simple and fresh—steam them right in the pan, then toss with butter, za'atar, and lemon zest. Done.
Serve a DIY dessert.
Why fuss over pie when you can set out bowls of vanilla ice cream, cranberry-pear sauce, and crushed gingersnaps so that folks can build their own Thanksgiving-inspired sundaes? That's a sweet sprint to the finish line.
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