16 Last-Minute Thanksgiving Recipes to Get Dinner on the Table in a Hurry

By now, some of you probably already have your Thanksgiving menu in place. You’ve picked a delicious turkey recipe, you’re looking forward to mashed potatoes, and you’re ready to go with all the delicious side dishes.

But for the rest of us, who have the best intentions but found for some good reason or another, planning and prepping our Thanksgiving feast gets pushed to the back burner, and here we are, days, and even hours way from friends and family gathering around the table, without a solid menu in place. Fear not: Thanksgiving can and will be as fantastic as you want it to be and no one needs to know you slacked off a bit on your entertaining duties.

Choosing the right recipes is essential to pulling off a last-minute Turkey Day feast. You may not have enough time to use your favorite brine, but you can still serve a beautiful and flavor-packed bird. You’ll need to master the art of savvy shortcuts. For instance, making homemade bread for stuffing is nice but not at all necessary, which means you can — and should — skip it. And don’t be afraid to delegate. Enlist a few guests to pitch in by picking up wine, flowers, or ice, and if anyone is particularly eager to help, ask them to make a dish or two.

Last but not least, consider filling out your menu with store-bought items. You don’t need to make every dish on the buffet. Hors d’oeuvres and dessert can very easily be picked up at a local shop and plated nicely so they seem homemade, or at the very least like you put care into selecting and serving them. In the end, if you’re smart about what you make and how you present it, no one will even suspect they’re enjoying a last-minute feast.

You Complete Thanksgiving Guide from Yahoo Food:

Turkey recipes | Potato Recipes | Side Dish Recipes | Pie Recipes

Desserts That Aren’t Pie | Traditional Recipes | Show-Stopping Recipes

Thanksgiving on a Budget | Stuffing Recipes | Healthier Recipes