LAKEWOOD, Ohio — At Salt restaurant in Lakewood, the chefs are experts in advanced preparation. Pastry chef Emily Marine's biggest Thanksgiving tip is to make the pies ahead of time.
"You can make the crust ahead of time and the filling, then freeze the crust, and put it all together the day of, and bake," she said.
So cut the Thanksgiving day stress with some time-saving tricks.
Green bean casserole
Green bean casserole, or any casserole for that matter, including stuffing, can be made up to 2 days in advance, and stored in the fridge. That even allows the green beans to marinade, and the dish becomes more flavorful. Add the crispy onions on Thanksgiving day and bake.
Potatoes
You can peel and chop potatoes the day ahead. Store in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator to keep the potatoes from browning. Sweet potatoes can be peeled and chopped 3 days in advance. Simply store them in a sealed bag, or airtight container.
Vegetables
Celery, carrots, peppers, and broccoli can be chopped and store 2 to 3 days in advance. However onions can only be diced a day or two in advance before they lose their flavor. For herbs and garlic -- it's best to chop as you go, so you don't lose flavor.
Another trick is to blanch your vegetables the night before in boiling water until tender crisp, then shock the vegetables in ice water.
"That stops the cooking right away, so you don't have mushy and gross," said Emily Campion, chef at Salt.
Blanching cuts the cooking time significantly. Just reheat with a saute in good butter and seasonings.
With a little work ahead of the big day, perhaps the home chef will be able to enjoy the holiday too.