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Soups and even gravy (using turkey parts) can easily be prepared the day before Thanksgiving and other big holiday meals, then livened up with freshly cut garnishes and toppings the day of.

Plan to make vegetable or meat stocks for your recipes in advance, Rubin says, freezing them and making sure to take them out in time to thaw.​ “You can precook potatoes too,” Rubin says.

“And then, day of, do the mashing and assembly.” The same thing goes for chopping vegetables for roasting or for your stuffing, as well as preparing salad dressings and the like.​ If you’re

planning to serve a cheese tray, either for nibbles while everyone is cooking together or as part of the main event, accompaniments like quick pickles, vinegared onions and balsamic figs add

a special homemade touch and can be made well in advance.​ And don’t forget the cranberry sauce. “It’s the easiest thing in the world to make, and you can do it a week ahead,” says Moore,

who spikes hers with horseradish for some kick.​ OPT FOR DISHES SERVED AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES Delegating dishes is a tactic Moore uses to her advantage when the meal is at her home. She

asks family members to bring foods that are already cooked and can be served at room temperature so they won’t require her to relinquish precious oven space.​ “If you can parcel out dishes

that don’t need the stove or oven, it simplifies your life and makes everything go better,” she says. “I always delegate supervision to an obliging aunt, friend or, as a last resort,

husband.” For foods that need to stay cold when they arrive at your house, have an extra cooler stocked with ice packs outside to save on refrigerator real estate. Having a range of dishes

that can be served at varying temperatures leaves the main chef space to focus on the critical timing of things that need to be served piping hot, Rubin says. Mashed potatoes and roasted

vegetables, perhaps brought along by your invitees, are very forgiving, he says, and can be reheated while your turkey is resting.