Holiday cooking gets a lot easier when you stop trying to make everything on the same day.

So I put together a simple printable checklist to help you move the work earlier, free up oven space and leave yourself time to actually sit down with the people at your table. It works for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any big family meal.

What’s in the checklist

• What to make and freeze a week ahead
• Sides and casseroles you can prep 3 to 4 days out
• What to thaw, check and make 2 days before
• Day-before setup, including overnight doughs
• A holiday morning plan for what’s truly better fresh
• A quick gut check before you add one more dish to the menu

It’s two pages, prints on regular letter-size paper and has checkboxes so you can mark things off as you go. No sign-up needed. Just download it and print.

Fresh milled recipes to fit the plan

If you need something for the bake-ahead list or holiday breakfast, here are a few from the blog:

• Fresh Milled Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
• Old Fashioned Banana Bread with Fresh Milled Flour
• Soft Fresh Milled Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
• Fresh Milled Southern Cornbread
• Buttermilk Tangzhong Sandwich Bread (shape the dough into rolls for the holiday table)

Make ahead what keeps well, bake fresh what’s better fresh and skip what nobody really cares about. Happy holidays from my kitchen to yours.