Thanksgiving Prep List: A Stress-Free Timeline for a Vegetarian Menu

A calm Thanksgiving is mostly a planning problem. The cooking itself is simple, but ten dishes asking for the oven, the stove and your attention at the same time is not. This thanksgiving prep list breaks a vegetarian menu into a timeline you can follow, so most of the chopping, peeling and baking is done before guests arrive.

The menu below is built around five dishes: a soup to start, three sides and a hearty main. Every recipe is vegan, and most of the work can be done ahead.

The menu: five dishes that share a lot of prep

• Starter: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (vegan, coconut)
• Side: Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Side: Vegan Mushroom & Herb Stuffing
• Side: Creamy Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
• Main: Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers

Notice how often the same ingredients return: onions, garlic, potatoes, squash, herbs. That overlap is what lets you prep once and use it across several dishes.

One week out: plan and shop

Decide your menu and count your guests, then write one shopping list for everything. Buy the non-perishables now: broth, rice, canned beans, coconut milk, raw cashews, nutritional yeast and spices. Check your tools at the same time. If you will be peeling several pounds of potatoes and a large squash, a sharp, comfortable peeler matters more than you think. Our guide on how to choose a peeler covers what to check.

Also buy the bread for the stuffing now and cut it into cubes. Bread that is a day or two old absorbs broth better than fresh bread.

Two to three days out: peel, chop and prep the bases

This is the stage where good tools save the most time.

• Garlic. Mashed potatoes, stuffing, scalloped potatoes and the soup all use garlic. Peeling it all at once with the Götze Premium Garlic Peeler turns a sticky chore into a quick one.
• Onions, celery and herbs. Chop them for the stuffing and the peppers. The Götze Premium Stainless Steel Food Chopper is made for vegetables, fruits and herbs, and the FreshCut Food Dicer gives you even dice for the peppers' filling. Store the chopped vegetables in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
• Cashew sauce. Soak the cashews and blend the sauce for the scalloped potatoes. Keep it covered in the refrigerator.

The day before: make and assemble

• Roast the squash and make the soup. It reheats well, so it is one less thing on the day.
• Assemble the stuffing in its baking dish, cover and refrigerate.
• Leave the potatoes for the day itself. Sliced potatoes are best prepared fresh, because their starch helps thicken the scalloped potato sauce. Have the SafeSlice Pro and the peeler ready on the counter.
• Prepare the pepper filling and keep it chilled.

If you are still deciding what to bring as a host gift, our kitchen gift guide has ideas by type of cook.

Thanksgiving day: a simple oven schedule

1. Morning: Peel and slice the potatoes for the scalloped dish and assemble it. Peel potatoes for the mash and keep them in cold water.
2. Early afternoon: Bake the scalloped potatoes first. They need the longest time, covered and then uncovered.
3. Mid-afternoon: Add the stuffed peppers and the stuffing to the oven. The recipes bake at 180–190°C (350–375°F), so they can share the oven. Add a few minutes to the dish that bakes at the lower temperature.
4. Before serving: Boil the potatoes and garlic and mash them. Reheat the soup on the stove. Let the scalloped potatoes rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Oven times vary, so check each dish for doneness rather than relying only on the clock.

The tools that save the most time

You do not need a drawer full of gadgets, but a few tools remove the most repetitive steps: a peeler set for potatoes and squash, a garlic peeler, a chopper or dicer and a slicer. You can browse them all in our best sellers or find them together in our bundles and sets. For safer slicing, see our guide to using a safe mandoline slicer, and for the squash, our guide to peeling and cutting butternut squash.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving prep FAQ

How far ahead can I prep vegetarian Thanksgiving sides?

Chopped onions, celery and herbs keep in airtight containers in the refrigerator for a day or two. The cashew sauce, soup and stuffing assembly can be done a day ahead. Bake the scalloped potatoes and mash the potatoes on the day.

Can I make the whole menu vegan?

Yes. All five recipes linked above are vegan. Check the labels on the bread and the vegan butter, since some brands contain dairy or eggs.

What is a good vegetarian main dish for Thanksgiving?

Stuffed bell peppers filled with rice, black beans and vegetables are hearty and can be filled a day ahead. A large batch of roasted squash soup with a side of stuffing also makes a filling meal.