Once the calendar moves on to November, time seems to go faster and faster. Yesterday was Halloween, tomorrow will be Thanksgiving, and the next morning will be the first day of our holiday break.

It can sometimes be difficult to appreciate the present when so much of our effort in these weeks is spent in preparation for the events of just a few short days. We all have the best intentions to finish important tasks early, to be prepared to minimize stress, but so many of us (me included) will likely find themselves pulling all-nighters and rush ordering items and scrambling in the last few days and hours to make magic.

When it comes to the Thanksgiving meal, staggered production is the key to a relaxing, enjoyable day for the cook instead of a hectic, sweaty ordeal.

Desserts can be made days in advance, breads can be baked and stored for reheating, salad dressings can be mixed, crudité can be cut, and composed dishes like the sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing can be prepped all the way up to the final baking point and then held for a day or two.

Except for the salad and mashed potatoes (truly best fresh), there need not be any chopping or mixing on turkey day.

I had to check to see if I had already offered a stuffing recipe here, and I was shocked to see that I had not! So here is my very delicious, traditional bread stuffing recipe so you can do some planning in advance.

Bread stuffing

Ingredients:

½ large white onion

½ pound bacon

1 large honeycrisp apple, finely chopped

4 stalks celery

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 large loaf French bread, cubed

2 tablespoons minced fresh sage

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

4 large eggs

½ cup heavy cream

2-3 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon salt

Black pepper to taste

Directions:

The day before you mix the stuffing, cut your loaf of bread into small cubes and spread out on a baking sheet. Let it sit out for a day to dry.

Finely chop the raw bacon and cook until the bacon is crispy, and the fat has been rendered out.

Remove the bacon from the pan and use the grease to sauté the onion and celery until the onions are translucent. Let the vegetables cool a bit before continuing.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the cubed dry bread, bacon, chopped apple, walnuts and cooked vegetables (including the remaining bacon fat).

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and cream.

Add the salt, garlic powder, minced fresh herbs, and a little black pepper to the eggs.

Pour the egg mixture onto the bread and use a rubber spatula to fold and mix until well combined.

Pour on the chicken stock, one cup at a time, until there are no dry ingredients. You want the mixture to be moist and to stick together, but it should not be soupy.

Transfer to a medium casserole pan and press down to flatten and compress.

You can store the dish as-is for several days, if necessary, or bake straight away, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

*** Tip: Try baking the stuffing in a loaf pan. It makes portioning easier and, as a bonus, a slice of stuffing will make your midnight turkey sandwich extra satisfying. ***

Make-ahead stuffing helps take pressure off Thanksgiving cooking. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)