13 Thanksgiving Cooking Hacks That’ll Save The Day

Turkey Day warriors, it's time to hang up your frayed aprons and embrace a new era of culinary genius. We've compiled 20 Thanksgiving cooking hacks to transform your kitchen from a stress zone into a haven of holiday magic. These aren't your grandmother's tips (though we bet she'd approve) - we're talking game-changing strategies that'll have you cooking with the confidence of a five-star chef.

From tricks to achieve the perfect golden-brown turkey to shortcuts that'll make your side dishes sing, these hacks are about to become your secret weapons in the battle against holiday cooking chaos. Imagine a world where your gravy is always lump-free, your pies are picture-perfect, and you have time to enjoy a glass of wine before the guests arrive. With these clever tips, that dream can become your delicious reality.

13 PHOTOS

#1 Pop Your Pumpkin Puree In The Food Processor For Unbeatably Silky Pie Filling

Review: "The food processor is fast and efficient! No noise, and has different speeds for the texture required! Great value for money! I also love the fact that the blades have protective covers!" - Chixy

#2 Squeeze Bottles Make Icing A Breeze For Amateur Bakers

Review: "I purchased these to use for donut icings on a donut bar for my daughter's wedding. We had a practice round and not only are the bottles easy to dispense, but they were extremely easy to fill as well with the included collapsible funnel! We haven’t added the labels yet, but know they will be a perfect touch to the donut bar!" - Susan B. Briggs

#3 A Baking Stone Helps You Achieve A Perfect Bake Throughout All Your Dishes

Review: "Oven stone just arrived today as I was getting ready to bake my sourdough bread. It easily accommodated my 2 cast iron pots that I use for baking bread. The stone keeps the bottom of the bread from getting too brown. The Rocksheat stone performed flawlessly!! I’m very happy with this purchase!!" - Susan

#4 Spreading Butter Under Turkey Skin Makes It Super Crispy And Golden

Review: "I make a lot of puff pastry and biscuits and I always use Land Of Lakes unsalted Butter. What can I say it's always coming through for me. If you have never tried it you should. Great product !" - Sybol

#5 A Spoonful Of Mustard Is The Missing Ingredient In Most Mac 'N Cheeses

Review: "Great purchase for me with a fantastic price. I love French’s Mustard because it’s the best-tasting mustard on the market. The size of this product is just what I need and I won’t be running out of mustard anytime soon." - Paul P Williams

#6 Always Make Stuffing With Toasted Bread

Review: "There are so many choices that it can be challenging to choose a new toaster. Not only am I satisfied with this choice, but it makes me happy. It's beautiful, well-designed, and does a great job. I wish I was happy with every purchase I make. Well done!" - iCloudia

#7 According To Jamie Oliver, Apples, Cinnamon, And Sugar Improve The Taste Of Cranberry Sauce

Review: "I just can't get enough whole cranberry sauce. It has to be the whole cranberry sauce, not the jelly kind. I put the whole cranberry on everything... Did I mention that I can't get enough of it? Yeah I did" - Aloha Tay

Feeling like a Thanksgiving superhero yet? Hold onto your basting brush, because we're just getting started. As we carve into more brilliant cooking tactics, you'll discover that pulling off the perfect feast doesn't require a culinary degree - just a few clever tricks up your sleeve. These next hacks are so effective, that they might just have you volunteering to host every year (or at least feeling less panicked about it).

#8 Stop Wasting Time Grating Potatoes For Latkes. Simply Smash Some Tater Tots Or Hashbrowns And Bake For Ultimate Crispyness

Review: "These are the best tots I’ve ever had - better than a more popular brand. They taste fresh, crisp up well, and just taste better. They were out of stock for some time and I’m so glad to see them back! One of my favorite Amazon Fresh purchases!" - JLP

#9 Boiling Your Potatoes In Heavy Cream Before Mashing Them Makes Them Heavenly! Anthony's Heavy Cream Powder Is An Easy Way To Save Costs While Doing This

Review: "This is excellent for when you're replacing the non-dairy powder with an all-natural clean ingredient. Use the directions for sure in powder to water ratio. Has the good cream taste and keeps well!" - Vinita Robinson

#10 Level Up The Flavor In Your Gravy With Some Quality Soy Sauce

Review: "I like soy sauce occasionally. Even when I use low sodium, it just tastes like flavored salt. I read a review of this product and now every time I prepare something to eat I find a reason to add this. The flavor is amazing. Tonight it goes on a hamburger that has caramelized onions on top. I use it on any rice or noodle dish, every vegetable, and even in soups. Try it once! You’ll be hooked." - Jane Garmon

#11 Don't Rely On A Pop-Up Thermometer. Do The Math And Use A Meat Thermometer For The Most Reliable Results

Review: "Easy to read, instant results, long probe for accurate temps yet folds to save space. And can't beat the price. Our Thanksgiving turkey was done to perfection using this thermo to guide us. I wish I had this thermometer years ago!" - D. Jones

#12 The Best Cookies Come From Dough That Has Rested In The Fridge For A Day But Frozen Cookie Dough Is The Ultimate Lazy Hack

Review: "These are my absolute favorite. So way to bake. Already cut into the perfect size and ready to pop in the over super soft and yummy - not too sweet. Perfect with a glass of cold milk :)" - Madelyn Ruizdeporras

#13 Get The Tablecloth And Settings Ready The Night Before. Your Nerves Will Thank You!

Review: "This tablecloth is so pretty, and the color is gorgeous! The photos don’t do it justice. I have been watching for it to come back in stock for a year now. So happy I was able to get it this year. It will look so beautiful on my Thanksgiving table!" - Shopper