The Classic Thanksgiving Dessert You Can Prep Ahead (And How)

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it's time to start planning. We all know how busy the holiday can get — there's not only a whole turkey to cook but also a range of sides and desserts to prepare. Luckily, some of those dishes can be prepped ahead of time, such as the highly coveted Thanksgiving pies. To find out all that we need to know about prepping your favorite pies, Daily Meal spoke with an expert: Jessie-Sierra Ross, the cooking and home entertaining author of "Seasons Around the Table; Effortless Entertaining with Floral Tablescapes & Seasonal Recipes."

Ross explains there are a few ways to get ahead in the pie-making process, such as making a perfect pie crust on the days leading up to Thanksgiving, so all you have to do is fill it before popping it in the oven. "Did you know that butter pie dough can be made and stored in the refrigerator a day or two before baking?! This works really well for single-crust pies like pumpkin and pecan."

Some pies can be fully assembled beforehand and kept in the freezer until it's time to bake to get even more work out of the way ahead of time. Ross says, "Double-crust fruit pies (where the fruit is sandwiched between two disks of flaky pie dough) do very well with this method." This includes some of the most beloved holiday pies, such as a perfect apple pie.

To do this, assemble the pie as you normally would: Place the bottom crust layer in the pan, add the fruit filling, then top it off with the second crust layer. Pop the pie in the freezer after covering it with plenty of plastic wrap. Ross suggests adding a layer of parchment paper between the first crust layer and the pan so that, after the pie has frozen solid, you can pop it out of the pan and store it in a zip-top bag.

When it comes time to bake the pie, Ross says to make sure not to thaw it. Just place it back into the pie pan and set your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. "Bake for about 20-25 minutes, and then reduce the heat to 375 [Fahrenheit] and bake for another 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden and there are juices bubbling up from the vents."