My Thanksgiving feast never looks this pretty, but it
tastes good and I have fun making it.

A big Thanksgiving dinner can be intimidating, especially if you have to put it together solo. Making a feast is exhausting, and it makes for a rotten holiday if you are too tired to enjoy the company of family and friends.

After a couple years of spending absolutely no time with my friends on Thanksgiving, I finally developed a way to plan the big meal so that I had some free time. The main trick is to make or prep as much as possible before the big day. For the rest I make a timeline of when each item needs to go in the oven and when it needs to come out. As zero hour approaches and things get hectic, I enlist my guests to help with as much as possible, making the kitchen and dining room a meeting place instead of an isolation chamber.

To hopefully help your big day go a bit smoother, here are my recipes for the Thanksgiving feast and my tips on what can be prepped ahead.

* Kathryn's Thanksgiving Turkey

* Crockpot Sage and Mushroom Stuffing

* Pan Gravy

* Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls

* Chunky Cranberry Sauce

* Green Bean Casserole

* Garlic Mashed Potatoes

* Candied Sweet Potatoes

* Kathryn's "Pumpkin" Pie

* Apple Pie

* Cherry Pie