Name: Kelsey Riley
Location: Simsbury, Connecticut
Reason to Gather: Thanksgiving
Guest List: 8 guests—little ones included! Her 14-month-old daughter and a friend’s new baby are part of the fun.
Allrecipes Allstar Kelsey Riley—aka @plantedinthekitchen to her 2.2 million followers—has a knack for making cooking feel easy. Her smart meal-prep tricks and storage tips help home cooks stay organized year-round, and she brings that same thoughtful approach to hosting Thanksgiving. Here, Riley shares her best strategies for pulling off a stress-free holiday, plus the make-ahead apple cider gravy recipe inspired by her mom.
Julie Bidwell / Styling: Suzanne Lee / Wardrobe & Hair and Makeup: Valerie Gengras
As a plant-based cook, how do you create a Thanksgiving menu for guests who don’t follow the same diet?
Food is about bringing people together, and I think an important part of that is accommodating everyone’s individual food needs and preferences. We have plenty of options and alternatives for all our dinner guests, so everyone has a plate full of amazing food. We typically have a traditional dinner menu with options that are also vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. I think the most important thing is to communicate openly with all your guests so everyone feels included at dinner!
Julie Bidwell / Styling: Suzanne Lee / Wardrobe & Hair and Makeup: Valerie Gengras
I know you’re all about meal prepping—how do you use that approach to make Thanksgiving day easier?
Thanksgiving and other major food-centered holidays are the perfect opportunity to lean into meal prepping! While this might sound strange to some, many people meal-prep parts of their Thanksgiving dinner. I would argue that it can make a major impact on the flow of your Thanksgiving Day. Meal prepping is all about making life a little easier, and that translates perfectly to hosting on a major holiday. The more that you can prep the day before, the more free time you will have to enjoy the day!
Julie Bidwell / Styling: Suzanne Lee / Wardrobe & Hair and Makeup: Valerie Gengras
Love that strategy! What are some of your other favorite Thanksgiving dishes to prep in advance?
It can be a huge time-saver to make homemade vinaigrettes or salad dressings, pre-chop vegetables (for stuffing, etc.), and make pie fillings the day before.
Sometimes you can make an entire dish the day before! A few classic Thanksgiving dishes you can make the day before are cranberry sauce, stuffing (bake the day of), mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and pies.
Julie Bidwell / Styling: Suzanne Lee / Wardrobe & Hair and Makeup: Valerie Gengras
Your make-ahead Apple Cider Gravy sounds especially delicious and smart. Can you share your inspiration behind this recipe?
When my mom and I were brainstorming the menu for this year’s Thanksgiving, she brought up the idea of using fresh apple cider in the gravy for a unique flavor profile and another opportunity to use some of the best flavors of the season. I get some of my best ideas and guidance in the kitchen from my mom!
This recipe is perfect to prep in advance because you can prep either parts of this recipe (make the turkey stock, reduce the apple cider) or make the entire recipe ahead of the big day. It stores well in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, or you can prepare the entire gravy and freeze it weeks ahead of Thanksgiving.
Julie Bidwell / Styling: Suzanne Lee / Wardrobe & Hair and Makeup: Valerie Gengras
What are some of your favorite meal prepping tools and containers?
I love having to-go containers so everyone can take leftovers home. This is such a lifesaver because everyone can fill their takeout container without worrying about returning dishes or containers later. I love keeping things stress-free!
I also like to make sure I have plenty of large storage containers ready before starting my Thanksgiving day prep. My go-to would probably be Snapware! They come in several different sizes to accommodate anything from salad dressings to large amounts of food. They also come in plastic and glass options, which is really nice.
Julie Bidwell / Styling: Suzanne Lee / Wardrobe & Hair and Makeup: Valerie Gengras
There are so many factors to consider when hosting a holiday, from the food to the table setting. How do you stay organized?
You can’t keep me from a good Pinterest board! I love saving everything from potential recipes to tablescape ideas. I’m a huge visual person, so I love being able to see all my ideas in one place before bringing them to life.
Lists are also my best friend. I’ll keep several running lists on my kitchen clipboard (grocery lists, timelines, playlists, etc.) and plenty of space to jot down last-minute ideas and running thoughts for the day.
Julie Bidwell / Styling: Suzanne Lee / Wardrobe & Hair and Makeup: Valerie Gengras
What are some of the mistakes you’ve made when hosting Thanksgiving over the years, and what tips have helped you avoid those hiccups?
One of my biggest mistakes has been not planning the day out realistically. You will need to make notes of what needs to be cooked the day of and make sure you consider what needs to go in the oven vs. on the stovetop, how long each item needs to cook, and at what temperature, so things can share cooking space if needed.
I also highly recommend setting a timer (or multiple timers) while cooking your Thanksgiving dinner. Even if you don’t usually need to set a timer when cooking, things can be different when you’re juggling multiple items in the oven and on the stove at the same time. I’ve burned food while cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and it’s such a bummer. Learn from my mistakes and don’t take the risk!
Julie Bidwell / Styling: Suzanne Lee / Wardrobe & Hair and Makeup: Valerie Gengras
