How to Prepare Thanksgiving Dinner in an InstantThanksgiving is one of the most wonderful times of the year, but it can also be one of the most time-consuming holidays to prepare for, as well. If you’re hosting family and friends over for dinner, you don’t just have to dress the table and make your home look festive — it’s probably safe to assume that you’ll be in the kitchen all day long preparing your favorite meals, too. To make your dinner plans easier than ever this year, we’re encouraging you to put some popular appliances to work. Read on to learn how to cook an exceptional Thanksgiving meal in an instant.
Instant Pot Cheesecake
As many people have recently discovered, an Instant Pot is your new best kitchen buddy. Put yours to work a couple of days before your Thanksgiving festivities for dessert duty. This Instant Pot cheesecake is a delicious addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table, and only takes 35 minutes to cook. With a chilling time of four hours (or overnight), it’s a perfect recipe to make early. The Instant Pot Blackberry-Peach Cobbler has a 15-minute bake time, so it’s easy to make two desserts in one day.
Cranberry Sauce, Casserole & Mashed Potatoes
An Instant Pot’s quick cook times will also come in handy on Thanksgiving day. Start your day making a homemade cranberry sauce, which only takes about 30 minutes (including the time it takes to build and release pressure) and can be refrigerated until mealtime. This sweet potato casserole is a Thanksgiving classic, and you can place it under a broiler for a crunchy top, and then keep it warm in the oven during the 12 minutes it takes to cook these creamy mashed potatoes.
Turkey Breast & Stuffing Balls
With your Instant Pot busy cooking a variety of dishes, pull out the air fryer for your turkey. For a smaller gathering, you may not have to go full bird when it comes to the turkey. Try a turkey breast that gives you all the flavour of an oven-roasted turkey, but without all the time and effort. It only takes about 20 minutes to cook and while it’s resting, you can whip up this interesting take on a traditional side — Air Fryer Stuffing Balls.
Leftover Turkey Soup
It wouldn’t be a true Thanksgiving if there weren’t any leftovers in sight. Pack away your sides of mashed potatoes and stuffing for lunch the next day, and save your other leftovers to make a turkey soup. Instead of throwing out the carcass of your turkey after it’s been carved, place it in a slow cooker with other vegetables to cook all day long. By the time it’s ready to be served, it’ll be the dinner hour, and you won’t feel like you’re eating the same meal as the night before.
Whether you’re cooking up a storm, supplementing your Thanksgiving menu with a few online orders, or just picking up dinner from a favourite restaurant (there’s nothing wrong with that!), we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving. For your next dinner party, learn how to make Chef Sous Chef’s Sunday best lasagna, and the one thing that will make entertaining so much easier.
Images courtesy of Whole Foods Market, The Spruce Eats, Betty Crocker, Goode Co., Gold Belly, Simply Recipes.