Thanksgiving Eve Dinner: 15 Easy Night-Before Suppers That Feed a House Full of Relatives Without Touching the Feast

A Thanksgiving Eve dinner has one big job: feed everyone who walks through the door on Wednesday night without stealing a single burner, pan or shelf from tomorrow’s feast. The fridge is packed, the oven is booked and relatives keep arriving hungry from the airport and the highway. That is why the best night-before suppers lean on a slow cooker, one sheet pan, a disposable foil pan or a big soup pot. Below are 15 easy ideas, from buttery ham sliders and a sloppy joe bar to taco soup, baked ziti, a pancake bar and a freezer meatball tray bake. Most can be prepped days ahead or simply dumped and left alone. Pick one or two, set out paper plates, and let the house fill up with happy, well-fed people..

Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders for a Thanksgiving Eve Dinner Crowd

When the doorbell will not stop ringing, a pan of buttery sliders is the friendliest thing you can put on the counter. Soft Hawaiian-style rolls are split in one big slab, layered with deli ham and Swiss, then brushed with a warm butter, mustard and poppy seed glaze. They bake in about 20 minutes and can be assembled the morning before, so the oven is free again long before the turkey needs it. Pair them with a slow cooker of chili and every late arrival has something hot waiting..

You will need: 24 slider rolls in one slab, 1 lb thinly sliced deli ham, 12 slices Swiss cheese, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp poppy seeds, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp minced onion.

How to make it: 1. Slice the slab of rolls in half horizontally and set the bottoms in a greased 9×13 pan. 2. Layer the ham and Swiss and add the tops. 3. Melt the butter with the mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire and onion and pour over. 4. Cover with foil and chill up to 24 hours if you like. 5. Bake covered at 350°F for 15 minutes, uncover and bake 5 to 8 minutes more until golden.

Big Pot of Chili Mac

Chili mac is what happens when a pot of chili and a box of macaroni decide to feed a crowd together. Everything simmers in one big Dutch oven on the stovetop, so the oven never gets involved. Kids love it, grown-ups go back for seconds, and it holds happily on low heat while people trickle in from the road. Set out shredded cheddar, sour cream and green onions and let everyone build their own bowl. This is the only chili on our list, so make it count with a good spoonful of chili powder and a splash of beer or broth.

You will need: 2 lb ground beef, 1 onion, diced, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 2 cans kidney beans, drained, 4 cups beef broth, 1 lb elbow macaroni, 2 cups shredded cheddar, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Brown the beef with the onion and garlic and drain. 2. Stir in the spices, tomatoes, beans and broth and bring to a boil. 3. Add the macaroni, cover and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until tender. 4. Season, stir in half the cheese and top with the rest. 5. Keep warm on low and serve with toppings.

Slow Cooker Sloppy Joe Bar for an Easy Thanksgiving Eve Dinner

A sloppy joe bar is pure Wednesday night comfort, and it asks almost nothing of you. Brown the beef the day before, stir it into a tangy tomato sauce and let the slow cooker keep it warm for hours. Line up toasted buns, pickles, sliced cheese, coleslaw and a bag of chips and people serve themselves whenever they arrive. Teenagers pile theirs high, little ones eat the filling with a spoon, and nobody needs a plate that has to go in the dishwasher. It is a messy, happy start to a long weekend.

You will need: 3 lb ground beef, 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 2 cups ketchup, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp yellow mustard, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, salt, pepper, 16 buns, pickles, cheese slices, coleslaw.

How to make it: 1. Brown the beef with the diced onion and pepper and drain. 2. Move to a slow cooker and stir in the ketchup, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire and vinegar. 3. Cook on low 3 to 4 hours, then switch to warm. 4. Toast the buns and set out the toppings. 5. Let everyone build their own sandwich.

Baked Ziti in a Disposable Pan

Baked ziti is the dinner that travels, waits and forgives. Assemble it in a foil pan on Monday or Tuesday, cover it tightly and slide it into the fridge between the cranberry sauce and the pie dough. On Wednesday it bakes for under an hour, then the pan goes straight into the recycling instead of the sink. Ricotta keeps the middle creamy, mozzarella gives you those long cheese pulls, and a little Italian sausage makes it hearty enough for hungry travelers. Add a bagged salad and a loaf of garlic bread and dinner is done.

You will need: 1 lb ziti, 1 lb Italian sausage, 1 jar (24 oz) marinara, 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes, 15 oz ricotta, 1 egg, 3 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, fresh basil.

How to make it: 1. Boil the ziti 2 minutes short of the package time and drain. 2. Brown the sausage and stir in the marinara and crushed tomatoes. 3. Mix the ricotta, egg, half the Parmesan and the seasoning. 4. Layer pasta, sauce, ricotta and mozzarella in a foil pan and repeat. 5. Bake covered at 375°F for 30 minutes, uncover and bake 15 minutes more.

Dump-and-Go Taco Soup, the Easiest Thanksgiving Eve Dinner

Taco soup might be the easiest Thanksgiving Eve dinner on this list. Brown a little ground beef, then open cans of beans, corn and tomatoes and dump everything into the slow cooker with a packet of taco seasoning and ranch mix. By evening it smells amazing, and it stays perfect on the warm setting for latecomers. Put out tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado and lime wedges, and let people crunch and stir their own bowls. Leftovers freeze well, which is handy when the fridge is already full of turkey.

You will need: 1 1/2 lb ground beef, 1 onion, 2 cans pinto beans, 1 can black beans, 1 can corn, 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 packet taco seasoning, 1 packet ranch seasoning, 2 cups broth, chips and toppings.

How to make it: 1. Brown the beef with the onion and drain. 2. Add it to a slow cooker with the undrained beans, corn, tomatoes and sauce. 3. Stir in both seasoning packets and the broth. 4. Cook on low 6 hours or high 3 hours. 5. Serve with chips, cheese, sour cream and avocado.

Sausage, Potato and Pepper Foil Pan Supper

If your oven has a free hour on Wednesday afternoon, this foil pan supper is the smartest way to use it. Chunks of smoked sausage roast with baby potatoes, sweet red peppers and onion until everything is browned at the edges and full of flavor. Toss it all in the pan in the morning, cover it and keep it in the garage fridge until you need it. Spoon it onto plates as it is, or pile it into hoagie rolls for anyone who wants a sandwich. It takes ten minutes of chopping and there is no sheet pan to scrub before the big day.

You will need: 2 lb smoked sausage, sliced into chunks, 2 lb baby potatoes, halved, 2 red bell peppers, 1 onion, 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 425°F. 2. Toss the potatoes with half the oil and seasonings in a large foil pan and roast 20 minutes. 3. Add the sausage, peppers and onion with the rest of the oil. 4. Roast 20 to 25 minutes more, stirring once, until the potatoes are tender and the sausage is browned. 5. Scatter parsley and serve.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

After a long drive, nothing says welcome home quite like a bowl of creamy chicken and wild rice soup. It is rich without being heavy, full of tender chicken, nutty wild rice, carrots and celery, and it tastes even better when made a day ahead. Keep it on the back burner with a ladle and a stack of mugs, and people will help themselves while they catch up. A rotisserie chicken is the shortcut here, so you never have to touch a raw bird the day before roasting one.

You will need: 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded, 1 cup wild rice blend, 3 tbsp butter, 1 onion, 3 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 3 cloves garlic, 1/3 cup flour, 8 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2 cups half and half, 1 tsp thyme, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Cook the wild rice in 3 cups of the broth until tender. 2. Melt the butter and soften the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. 3. Stir in the flour, then slowly whisk in the remaining broth. 4. Simmer 15 minutes, add the rice, chicken and thyme. 5. Stir in the half and half, season and keep warm.

Make-Ahead Lasagna Roll-Ups

Lasagna roll-ups give you all the comfort of lasagna with neat, grab-one-or-two portions that are perfect when people eat in shifts. Each noodle is spread with a spinach and ricotta filling, rolled up and tucked into marinara. Make the whole pan on the weekend and freeze it, then thaw it in the fridge on Tuesday. On Wednesday night it bakes while you set the table for tomorrow. Leftover roll-ups reheat beautifully for a quick lunch on Friday.

You will need: 12 lasagna noodles, 15 oz ricotta, 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, 2 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1 egg, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 jar (24 oz) marinara, salt and pepper.

How to make it: 1. Boil the noodles until just tender and lay them flat. 2. Mix the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg and garlic powder. 3. Spread the filling on each noodle and roll up. 4. Set seam side down in a dish over half the marinara and top with the rest and remaining cheese. 5. Bake covered at 375°F for 30 minutes, then uncovered 10 minutes.

Pancake Bar: Breakfast for a Thanksgiving Eve Dinner

Breakfast for dinner is a Thanksgiving Eve dinner tradition in plenty of homes, and once you try it you will see why. It feels like a party, costs very little, and uses ingredients you already bought for the holiday weekend. Mix the dry pancake ingredients ahead, keep cooked pancakes warm on a sheet pan, and set out berries, whipped cream, warm syrup, bacon and scrambled eggs. If you want something on the side before tomorrow, our make-ahead Thanksgiving appetizers keep hungry relatives happy too.

You will need: 3 cups flour, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 3 cups buttermilk, 3 eggs, 6 tbsp melted butter, 1 lb bacon, 10 eggs for scrambling, berries, whipped cream, maple syrup.

How to make it: 1. Whisk the dry ingredients, then stir in the buttermilk, eggs and butter until just combined. 2. Bake the bacon on a sheet pan at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes. 3. Cook the pancakes on a griddle and hold them in a 200°F oven. 4. Scramble the eggs softly. 5. Set everything out with toppings and warm syrup.

Loaded Baked Potato Bar

A baked potato bar is cheap, filling and endlessly flexible, which makes it a lifesaver when you are not sure how many people will show up. Russets cook low and slow in the slow cooker wrapped in foil, so the oven stays free for pies. Then the fun begins: shredded cheddar, crispy bacon, sour cream, chives, steamed broccoli, leftover chili or even pulled pork. Vegetarian cousins and picky kids can all build exactly what they like, and you are not stuck cooking three different meals.

You will need: 12 russet potatoes, 2 tbsp olive oil, coarse salt, 2 cups shredded cheddar, 1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled, 2 cups sour cream, 1 bunch chives, 3 cups steamed broccoli, butter.

How to make it: 1. Scrub the potatoes, rub with oil and salt and wrap each in foil. 2. Stack them in a large slow cooker. 3. Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 to 5 hours until tender. 4. Prepare the toppings in bowls. 5. Split the potatoes, fluff with a fork and let everyone load them up.

Pizza Night: A Thanksgiving Eve Dinner With Homemade Dough

Pizza night turns the busiest evening of the year into something everyone looks forward to. A simple dough can be mixed on Tuesday and left to rise slowly in the fridge, which makes it more flavorful and easier to stretch. On Wednesday, give each guest a ball of dough and set out sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, peppers and mushrooms. Two sheet pans at a time means dinner is ready in about 15 minutes, and the kids stay busy topping their own. It is the kind of Thanksgiving Eve dinner people remember for years.

You will need: 5 cups bread flour, 2 tsp instant yeast, 2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 cups warm water, 2 cups pizza sauce, 4 cups shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, sliced peppers, mushrooms, fresh basil.

How to make it: 1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt, oil and water and knead 8 minutes. 2. Cover and refrigerate 24 to 48 hours. 3. Divide into 4 balls and let them warm up for an hour. 4. Stretch onto oiled sheet pans, add sauce, cheese and toppings. 5. Bake at 475°F for 12 to 15 minutes until bubbling and browned.

Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches

French dip sandwiches feel fancy, yet the slow cooker does nearly all the work. A chuck roast cooks all day in beef broth, onions and a little soy sauce until it falls apart, creating a rich au jus for dunking. Pile the beef on toasted hoagie rolls with melted provolone and serve the juices in small cups. It is warm, savory and satisfying without being a preview of tomorrow’s turkey, which is exactly what you want the night before.

You will need: 3 lb chuck roast, 2 onions, sliced, 4 cups beef broth, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp thyme, salt and pepper, 10 hoagie rolls, 10 slices provolone.

How to make it: 1. Season the roast and sear it on all sides if you have time. 2. Put the onions in the slow cooker and set the roast on top. 3. Add the broth, soy sauce, Worcestershire, garlic and thyme. 4. Cook on low 8 to 9 hours, then shred the beef. 5. Pile onto toasted rolls with provolone, melt briefly under the broiler and serve with the jus.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

A pork shoulder in the slow cooker is the ultimate hands-off dinner for a full house. Rub it with brown sugar, paprika and garlic in the morning, add a splash of cider vinegar, and by evening it shreds with a fork. Toss it with your favorite barbecue sauce and pile it onto soft buns with crunchy coleslaw. It stretches to feed a crowd on a modest budget, and extra pork becomes nachos or quesadillas over the long weekend.

You will need: 5 lb boneless pork shoulder, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 onion, sliced, 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 2 cups barbecue sauce, 14 buns, coleslaw.

How to make it: 1. Mix the sugar and spices and rub all over the pork. 2. Lay the onion in the slow cooker, add the pork and vinegar. 3. Cook on low 8 to 10 hours until very tender. 4. Shred the meat, skim the fat and stir in the barbecue sauce. 5. Serve on buns topped with coleslaw.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil

For families who live near the coast, or anyone who wants a break from heavy holiday food, a sheet pan shrimp boil is a lively Thanksgiving Eve dinner. Baby potatoes, short pieces of corn and smoked sausage roast first, then big shrimp go on for the last few minutes with plenty of Old Bay style seasoning and garlic butter. Spread newspaper or parchment down the table and pour it all out for a casual feast that feels like a celebration. Gatherings like this echo the long history of the American Thanksgiving holiday, which has always been about sharing food with the people you love.

You will need: 1 1/2 lb baby potatoes, halved, 4 ears corn, cut in thirds, 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced, 2 lb large shrimp, peeled, 1/2 cup melted butter, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp seafood seasoning, 2 lemons, parsley.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400°F. 2. Toss the potatoes with half the butter and seasoning and roast 20 minutes. 3. Add the corn and sausage and roast 10 minutes more. 4. Toss the shrimp with garlic, remaining butter and seasoning, add to the pan and roast 6 to 8 minutes until pink. 5. Squeeze over lemon and scatter parsley.

Freezer Meatball Tray Bake for a Stress-Free Thanksgiving Eve Dinner

A freezer meatball tray bake is your insurance policy for the night before Thanksgiving. Roll and bake a big batch of meatballs a week or two early and freeze them, or use a good bag of frozen meatballs. On Wednesday they go straight from the freezer into a foil pan with potatoes and sweet peppers, get a glaze of tangy sauce, and bake while you set the table for tomorrow. Serve it with soft rolls to mop up the juices. It is a warm, hearty and easy way to end the list, and it leaves you fresh for the big day.

You will need: 2 lb frozen cooked meatballs, 2 lb baby potatoes, halved, 2 red bell peppers, 1 onion, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup barbecue or chili sauce, 1/4 cup grape jelly or honey, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley, soft rolls.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400°F. 2. Toss the potatoes with oil, salt and pepper in a foil pan and roast 20 minutes. 3. Add the frozen meatballs, peppers and onion. 4. Whisk the sauce, jelly and garlic powder and pour over. 5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once, until the meatballs are hot and glazed, then add parsley.