Preparing Early for Thanksgiving

Our answer

Most stuffings can be prepared a day ahead and stored in the fridge overnight. In the US a stuffing that is cooked in a separate dish is known as a "dressing". Nowadays most people recommend that stuffings are cooked separately from the bird as the extra time it takes to cook the stuffing in the cavity of a turkey can casue the turkey itself to become too dry.

For both stuffings we would assemble the stuffings following the recipe instructions, put them in their dishes, let them cool then cover tightly with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and refrigerate. We would suggest refrigerating them within an hour of making. On the day we suggest you remove the stuffings from the fridge about 30 minutes before you intend to cook them, to let them loose their fridge chill. Make sure that the stuffings are piping hot all the way through once the cooking time is over. In a full oven the cooking time can sometimes be slightly longer. If the centre of the stuffing is still only lukewarm then return the stuffing to the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes, before checking again. Let the stuffings stand for 10-15 minutes after cooking as they will firm up a little and be easier to serve.