Skip to content

Top Navigation

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
SUBSCRIBE
Pin FB

Explore Cooking Light

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 31-Day Healthy Meal Plan

      Our 31-day calendar of meals and tips shows you how to cook more and love it with fun, family-friendly meals that come together quickly and deliciously. Read More
    • Dinner Tonight: Quick and Healthy Menus in 45 Minutes (or Less)

      Hundreds of delicious recipes, paired with simple sides, that can be on your table in 45 minutes or less. Read More
    • Our Favorite Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

      Who ever said that chicken wings, doughnuts, and pizza couldn't be healthy? Read More
  • Recipes

    Recipes

    See All Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Recipe Makeovers
    • Quick & Healthy
    • Diabetic
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cooking Light Live
  • Cooking 101

    Cooking 101

    See All Cooking 101
    • Essential Ingredients
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Meet the Chef
    • Cooking Resources
    • Budget Friendly
    • Smart Choices
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living

    Healthy Living

    See All Healthy Living
    • Weight-Loss
    • Health
    • Fitness
    • Home
    • Travel
    • Nutrition 101
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. entertaining
  3. 20 Easiest Holiday Recipes

20 Easiest Holiday Recipes

October 17, 2013
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
A collection of 20 faster, shorter, and make-ahead recipes for the ultimate stress-free and delicious Thanksgiving
Start Slideshow

1 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Have a Stress-Free Thanksgiving

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller

The Thanksgiving meal, for a number of families, is the most important of the year. Many cooks relish the whole ritual of planning and preparing: It's an act of love. Which isn't to say that a few shortcuts don't come in handy. The day can feel overstuffed, work-wise, for the person who toils in the kitchen. Most of us can use some help.

In that spirit, we laid out a challenge to our Test Kitchen: Create the easiest Turkey Day recipes ever, ones that hold close to the flavors and traditions we cherish but take a few items off the cook's list of duties. We shortened ingredient lists, leaned on convenience products (where their supporting role would not stick out), developed make-ahead dishes, and called on every trick in our playbook to produce 20 time-saving Thanksgiving recipes.

1 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

How to Plan

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
There's only so much oven space. So plan your menu accordingly, knowing that the turkey will hog the space for a few hours. While it rests, another dish or two can bake—but don't plan for more than that. In our sample menu, shown at left, the muffins and soufflé bake together at the same temperature, and everything else is made ahead or cooked on the stovetop.

2 of 22

3 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Star of the Show

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Foolproof Brined Turkey

As the centerpiece of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, the turkey has caused more than its fair share of holiday stress. But never fear! We have a couple of techniques to make sure you get a terrific turkey.

For example, try this Foolproof Brined Turkey.

Brining a turkey is well worth the day-ahead time investment. It removes all guesswork, producing an incredibly moist bird that's more forgiving of being slightly overcooked. If you can't find an organic turkey, look for a fresh one without "added solution."

3 of 22

Advertisement

4 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Oil-Basted Parmesan Turkey with Walnut Gravy

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Oil-Basted Parmesan Turkey with Walnut Gravy

Nine ingredients (not counting salt, pepper, and cooking spray) come together for a grand holiday centerpiece with deep nutty essence from toasted walnut oil and chopped nuts. Let your turkey come to room temperature before it goes in the oven; it will cook more evenly and more quickly.

4 of 22

5 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Scrumptious Starters

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Brie with Jeweled Fruit Compote

When guests arrive, they're ready to eat. So have these small bites prepped and ready to go.

Start off with an impressive Brie with Jeweled Fruit Compote.

This lovely appetizer is about as quick and easy as it gets—and tasty, too. You don't even need to let the cheese come to room temperature first; the warm fruit that goes on top will soften it up. Serve with crostini or crackers.

5 of 22

6 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Slow-Cooker Blood Orange Fizzy Mulled Wine

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Slow-Cooker Blood Orange Fizzy Mulled Wine

The slow cooker offers great convenience here, keeping the stovetop open for meal prep. Pouring the soda into the hot wine right at the time of service brings the temperature down enough to drink immediately. Change out the orange slices for fresh when serving to punch up the look.

6 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Creamed Spinach Phyllo Cups

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Creamed Spinach Phyllo Cups

Turn a beloved side dish into a cute and savory appetizer. Frozen phyllo shells speed prep time, as does bagged baby spinach (rather than frozen). Toasting the phyllo cups keeps them crisp longer after being filled.

7 of 22

8 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Easy-Peasy Soups

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: White Bean and Pumpkin Bisque with Sage Pesto

Anything you can prep in advance helps on the big day. Even if a dish can't be completed, you can at least make certain components in advance.

Such is the case with this autumn-inspired White Bean and Pumpkin Bisque with Sage Pesto.

Start with canned pumpkin (for rich, smooth flavor) and canned white beans (for body), and you end up with a speedy first course that's crowned with a flavor-packed pesto. Make the soup a few days ahead, but do the pesto only shortly before serving so its color stays vibrant.

8 of 22

9 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Smoky Bell Pepper Soup

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Smoky Bell Pepper Soup

Inspired by the flavors of Spanish romesco sauce, this starter soup gussies up bottled roasted bell peppers with Marcona almonds (already toasted, saving a step), lots of garlic, and sherry vinegar.

9 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Set Up the Sideboard

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Sweet and Sour Brussels Sprout Salad

Remove clutter from the dining table by setting out all the dishes on a sideboard and letting people serve themselves. It's OK to put everything out together. Seeing all the offerings—even dessert—helps folks pace themselves. Also, make sure your menu includes serveral fresh vegetable side dishes. You need those lighter bitess to help balance the plate.

For example, try this Sweet and Sour Brussels Sprout Salad.

We love Brussels sprout salads but wanted a quicker approach than the tedium of pulling apart the leaves. The food processor slices each sprout nice and thin with lightning-fast speed.

10 of 22

11 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Corn Bread Stuffing Muffins

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Corn Bread Stuffing Muffins

Here is a great shortcut to this favorite Thanksgiving side dish. It just may convince you to make stuffing more than once a year.

11 of 22

12 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Cranberry-Orange Relish

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Cranberry-Orange Relish

In place of traditional cranberry sauce, try a faster relish. The flavor is bright, crisp, not too sweet, and ideal with turkey and trimmings. Make up to 3 days ahead.

12 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Speedy Apple-Beet Salad

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Speedy Apple-Beet Salad

Hooray for the food processor, which makes this crisp, refreshing salad a snap to make. Honeycrisp apples have peel that ranges in color from bright red to golden--pick the redder ones, as they tend to be sweeter. Don't make this dish too far ahead, as it might discolor; aim for no more than 30 minutes before you plan to serve it.

13 of 22

14 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Green Beans with Sherried Mushroom Sauce

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Green Beans with Sherried Mushroom Sauce

Here's a faster, fresher take on green bean casserole that's done all on the stovetop—one less thing to try to work into oven rotation on the big day. Although we use fresh beans and make our own creamy sauce, we've kept the French-fried onions (arguably the best part of traditional green bean casserole). To speed prep, you can purchase bags of fresh, pretrimmed green beans from the produce section.

14 of 22

15 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Make-Ahead Layered Salad

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Make-Ahead Layered Salad

Prechopped veggies and precooked bacon and eggs help you pull this charmingly retro dish together in a flash. You can assemble the salad, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

15 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Browned-Butter Rolls

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Browned-Butter Rolls

Use store-bought refrigerated bread dough to make pretty ­knotted rolls that you can gussy up with your favorite toppings.

16 of 22

17 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Shortcut Spuds

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Easy, Cheesy Potato Gratin

We were skeptical of the supermarket potato products used here but found ourselves delighted with the results: Instant potato flakes make for a soufflé with concentrated potato flavor, presliced spuds are simply made for gratins, and canned sweets yield a deliciously gooey casserole. All offer significant time savings, too.

Just take a look at this Easy, Cheesy Potato Gratin.

Refrigerated presliced potatoes slash tons of prep and cook time. The combo of Gruyère and Parm-Regg cheeses is delicious, but you can use all one type if you prefer.

17 of 22

18 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mashed Potato Soufflé

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Mashed Potato Soufflé

Who knew instant potato flakes could be the basis of such an amazing dish? It's really something of a faux-fflé--technically not a soufflé, but you get the same puff-tacular results without even having to whip egg whites.

18 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Quick Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Quick Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole

This side is ridiculously easy and goes into the oven in only 10 minutes, thanks to sweet canned yams. To boost flavor and add richness, we counter the canned spuds with luscious crème fraiche; chunks of almonds bring big crunch.

19 of 22

20 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Sweet Array

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

We've created ways for you to have the sweets you crave with less effort, making it easy to offer at least two (or maybe three) desserts. That's part of the fun of the holiday, after all: the joy of the dessert plate. Just make it easy for people to serve themselves smaller portions.

With this Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream, set out sample-sized amounts—mini scoops of ice cream in little cordial glasses.

A few easy additions to store-bought ice cream create a custom flavor that simply tastes like Thanksgiving.

20 of 22

21 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

No-Bake Cheesecake with Pecan Caramel

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: No-Bake Cheesecake with Pecan Caramel

Since we've nixed the baking (even of the crust), you save tons of time; you don't have to wait for the cheesecake to cool out of the oven. Make the cheesecake up to 3 days ahead, but prepare the caramel shortly before serving. It hardens quickly to a yummy praline-like texture.

21 of 22

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 22

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Carrot-Apple Spice Cake with Browned-Butter Glaze

Credit: Photo: Johnny Miller
View Recipe: Carrot-Apple Spice Cake with Browned-Butter Glaze

We challenged ourselves to come up with a showstopping dessert that uses boxed cake mix as a starting point--and we succeeded. Fresh carrot and apple plus a splash of bourbon boost the flavor of the layers, while the browned-butter glaze is, well, the wildly delicious icing on the cake.

22 of 22

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 22 Have a Stress-Free Thanksgiving
    2 of 22 How to Plan
    3 of 22 Star of the Show
    4 of 22 Oil-Basted Parmesan Turkey with Walnut Gravy
    5 of 22 Scrumptious Starters
    6 of 22 Slow-Cooker Blood Orange Fizzy Mulled Wine
    7 of 22 Creamed Spinach Phyllo Cups
    8 of 22 Easy-Peasy Soups
    9 of 22 Smoky Bell Pepper Soup
    10 of 22 Set Up the Sideboard
    11 of 22 Corn Bread Stuffing Muffins
    12 of 22 Cranberry-Orange Relish
    13 of 22 Speedy Apple-Beet Salad
    14 of 22 Green Beans with Sherried Mushroom Sauce
    15 of 22 Make-Ahead Layered Salad
    16 of 22 Browned-Butter Rolls
    17 of 22 Shortcut Spuds
    18 of 22 Mashed Potato Soufflé
    19 of 22 Quick Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole
    20 of 22 Sweet Array
    21 of 22 No-Bake Cheesecake with Pecan Caramel
    22 of 22 Carrot-Apple Spice Cake with Browned-Butter Glaze

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Cooking Light

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    MeredithCooking Light is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Cooking Light may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Cooking Light. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.cookinglight.com

    View image

    20 Easiest Holiday Recipes
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.