You know how it goes… trying to prepare a thanksgiving feast in one day?! You fret about getting it all done. You have scheduled the exact time you need to put your turkey in the oven, boil the potatoes, start the gravy, and on and on and on. You are on a tight schedule when you know a large group is coming over for the feast at (insert time here)!
You got to love the dishes and pies you can prepare ahead of time. But how many days in advance can I bake that pumpkin, apple, coconut cream, etc… pie and still have it taste and look amazing?
I hope these tips will help ease your mind and schedule!
Lets start with my Hawaiian Inspired Pumpkin pie. If you are making this or any pumpkin pie, you can make it up to three days in advance. Be sure to cover the top of the pie with foil to prevent the pie from drying out and store it in the refrigerator. This particular pie keeps well the longest.
If you are making a cheesecake, I would keep it in the springform pan it was baked in and refrigerate. You can do this up to two days in advance. I wouldn’t take it out of the springform pan until the morning of the big day. Of course, keep any fruit toppings in a separate container. You can top the whole cheesecake the morning of and put it back in the refrigerator or top the slice just before slicing.
For fruit filled pies such as apple and berry I recommend you baking them one day before. I like them best when they are not baked more than one day before eating it. The fruit starts to release juices and the bottom crust gets soggy. I actually like my apple or berry pie better on the second day! These also do not need to be kept in the refrigerator,
For pecan pies, you can bake these two days in advance. You don’t need to store pecan pies in the refrigerator. Yay…. we need refrigerator space for all the other food! Make sure you wrap plastic wrap over all the pies to keep them fresh.
If you did your math, that means you can make your cheesecake and pumpkin pies today! So nice to get a jump start on things and as a bonus… your house will smell wonderful. A prelude to the big day and meal! Your family will be counting the minutes until they can dig into your delicious creations they have been smelling for days. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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