Make-Ahead Sausage and Caramelized Onion Stuffing

Assembling and baking your stuffing—technically, in this case, dressing—the day before Thanksgiving frees up your oven for all of the other major players that may be vying for the same space (looking at your 14 lb. turkey). All you’ll need on the big day is 15 minutes to heat the baking dish without the foil to warm the stuffing through and crisp up the top layer. Of course, if you have the space and time, you can also cook this recipe all the way through the same day you want to eat it (just skip the cooling and overnight refrigeration part).

Four onions may seem like a lot, but by fully caramelizing them—it will take the full 30 minutes—you’ll shrink the heap significantly. The sweet and savory strands nearly melt away into the stuffing as it bakes, and the flavors play quite well against spicy Italian sausage and the classic herbs of the season.