Hi all,
I'm throwing my first rather large party this Saturday afternoon and we'll be doing a deep-fried turkey with traditional thanksgiving sides. I want to be able to prepare at least some of the side dishes I am making (stuffing, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and green bean casserole) ahead of time. I'm afraid if I "assemble" these dishes ahead of time and put them in the fridge overnight, it could change their texture and affect their quality in the time before I put them in the oven.
For stuffing, I use french bread and make croutons from it, then add eggs, stock, spices, sauteed veggies, apples and raisins. Would it work if I assembled it ahead of time or would all the bread and veggies turn to complete mush in the fridge overnight?
For macaroni and cheese -- can the noodles be boiled and the casserole assembled ahead of time without messing up the final product? It'll have evaporated milk and eggs in it, if that matters.
I'm assuming mashed potatoes should be made fresh --I wouldn't mind making these the day of the party. Finally, my green bean casserole will be the simple campbell's recipe, which I also think I could prep the same day.
Thanks a lot for your input!
I'm throwing my first rather large party this Saturday afternoon and we'll be doing a deep-fried turkey with traditional thanksgiving sides. I want to be able to prepare at least some of the side dishes I am making (stuffing, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese and green bean casserole) ahead of time. I'm afraid if I "assemble" these dishes ahead of time and put them in the fridge overnight, it could change their texture and affect their quality in the time before I put them in the oven.
For stuffing, I use french bread and make croutons from it, then add eggs, stock, spices, sauteed veggies, apples and raisins. Would it work if I assembled it ahead of time or would all the bread and veggies turn to complete mush in the fridge overnight?
For macaroni and cheese -- can the noodles be boiled and the casserole assembled ahead of time without messing up the final product? It'll have evaporated milk and eggs in it, if that matters.
I'm assuming mashed potatoes should be made fresh --I wouldn't mind making these the day of the party. Finally, my green bean casserole will be the simple campbell's recipe, which I also think I could prep the same day.
Thanks a lot for your input!