Cooking Thanksgiving dinner is a high-stakes endeavor that has caused many a seasoned cook to crack under the pressure.

Award-winning chef Ricardo Jarquin was quoted by Southern Living as saying of Thanksgiving: “It’s totally fine to cheat a little on Thanksgiving. ... Over time, I’ve learned that some shortcuts don’t take away from the experience, they just allow you to spend more time focusing on what really matters.”

With that in mind and just days before the Super Bowl of family dinners, here are some of the most common Thanksgiving cooking emergencies, and how to fix them. 

The Prep Work 

Teamwork may make the dreamwork, but prep work makes the finished product flawless.

In addition to buying the major ingredients for your recipes, make sure you check which of your spices and herbs are low or expired.

Some staples, such as baking powder, can lose their efficacy if they’re past their expiration date, and olive oil can go rancid if it’s been hanging around the kitchen for a while. Broth and stocks are also often forgotten ingredients that many recipes can’t go without.

Don’t forget to ensure you have plenty of foil, parchment paper, pie plates, and a good, working thermometer for checking your meat. Also, make sure to clear space in your refrigerator for the cool items and leftovers, if you’re hosting on the big day.

Making desserts a day or two ahead is also a great way to lower stress when crucial cooking and oven time are valuable. Home chefs can also chop aromatics such as onions, celery, and carrots ahead of time and seal them in an airtight container.

Additionally, many casserole sides can be prepped and refrigerated, then baked the day they are meant to be consumed.  

The Turkey 

Making a good Thanksgiving turkey starts days ahead of Thanksgiving, with buying and defrosting the turkey.

If defrosting a turkey in the refrigerator, plan 24 hours of thaw time for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. This is considered the safest method and should be done with the bird in its original wrapper, on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator.

Cold-water thawing is a faster method that takes about 30 minutes per pound, but it requires careful attention. It needs to be in leak-proof packaging. If the original packaging is torn, place it in a sealed bag.

Then, submerge the turkey in cold tap water at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, and change the water every 30 minutes. It should be cooked immediately after thawing.

Should things not go as planned, and the microwave is your only option, understand that it only works for smaller turkeys. All wrapping and metal clips must be removed, and the bird should be put in a microwave-safe dish. Use the defrost setting, and rotate the bird regularly.

As with the water method, the turkey should be cooked immediately after defrosting, as some parts will begin to cook in the microwave.

A frozen turkey can be cooked safely, but it will take at least 50 percent longer than a thawed bird. When cooked, the internal temperature must be 165 degrees Fahrenheit at three places: thigh, wing, and breast.

Because a turkey is bigger than what many home chefs typically cook, ensure that you have a roasting pan big enough for any main dishes you’re providing.

If your everyday baking dishes aren’t big enough for the turkey or ham of your Thanksgiving dreams, a heavy-duty disposable foil roaster pan is a good, cheap option.

Should all else fail, and you’re really stumped, the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line at 1-800-BUTTERBALL is a toll-free hotline that offers expert advice on cooking any turkey, even non-Butterball brands. The line is staffed through November and December and available by phone and text.

The late chef and cookbook author Anthony Bourdain once said: “Thanksgiving is not the time for innovation… Give the people what they want, and make sure it’s consistent with what they remember.”

All Sides Welcomed

The Thanksgiving turkey may get the limelight, but the sides are many Americans’ favorites, and ruining them would be a major faux pas. 

Potatoes 

For potatoes that came out gluey, gummy, or pasty, overmixing or using the wrong tool, like a food processor, could be the culprit. Making a new batch and mixing with the objectionably textured spuds should help, as well as adding more butter or warm cream.

If the glueness can’t be overcome, turn them into a loaded baked potato casserole with cheese, sour cream, bacon, and bake for 20 minutes.

If they’re too thin and runny, adding instant mashed potatoes a tablespoon at a time helps soak up the wet ingredients. Additionally, folding in cream cheese or sour cream can add structure.

If you’re working with sweet potatoes as a filling and they’re too watery, stirring in 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and baking them uncovered can help them reach the desired stiffness.

Dressings and Gravy

For stuffing that’s too dry, try adding some warm broth or melted butter, then cover with foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. Conversely, if it’s too soggy, bake it uncovered for 10 to 20 minutes at around 400 degrees Farhenheit to crisp it.

The cornstarch hack mentioned above also works for soupy green bean casserole. Once mixed, bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, and add extra fried onions on top to help absorb moisture.

For gravy, if it’s too thin, mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with cold water and whisk it in, and simmer for another 5 minutes. If it’s too salty, use unsalted broth to dilute, or add a spoonful of mashed potatoes to absorb the salt. 

Just Desserts 

Desserts are the last thing your guests will remember from the holiday meal, and getting them right could make you a Thanksgiving legend.

A pie crust stretched too thin or not chilled long enough could shrink in the oven. If this happens, cover the exposed edges with whipped cream, or a decorative rim of crushed cookies, or something that looks intentional. 

Avoid this altogether by freezing the pie crust for around 15 minutes before baking.

For a pumpkin pie that cracked at the top, again, whipped cream will cover the unsightly opening. But that is usually due to cooling too quickly. To avoid the problem, when baking is complete, turn the oven off and leave the door slightly ajar, allowing the pie to cool slowly in the oven.

For no-bake desserts like pudding, if it’s too loose, chill it for another hour. For chocolate that has seized or turned grainy, whisk in 1 teaspoon of hot water at a time until it loosens. Alternatively, heavy cream can smooth it out.

But most importantly, as cooking legend Martha Stewart is fond of saying: “So the pie isn’t perfect? Cut it into wedges. Stay in control, and never panic.”

Substitutions for the Win

Even with the best laid plans, accidents happen. A dish is dropped, a bagger forgot to add something to your order, or you discover another would-be-chef used up what you needed.

Here are some handy substitutions if you find yourself elbow-deep in a recipe and without a crucial ingredient.

For buttermilk, 14 tablespoons of whole milk and 2 tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice will replace 1 cup of buttermilk.

Baking powder can lose its effectiveness over time. Test it by touching a bit to your tongue; if it tingles, it’s good, and if not, you need a substitute. For 1 teaspoon of baking powder, substitute 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Run out of brown sugar? One cup of regular sugar and 2 tablespoons of molasses will make 1 cup of brown sugar.

One teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice can be replaced with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger, ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

Evaporated milk is common in holiday recipes. If you run out, for every cup of evaporated milk, substitute 2 and 1/4 cups whole milk, simmered and reduced down to 1 cup.

For sweet chocolate, 4 ounces of sweet baking chocolate can be replaced with 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon butter. Unsweetened, 1 ounce of chocolate is equal to 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, plus 1 tablespoon of butter.

Corn syrup can be replaced cup-for-cup with sugar, adding 1/4 cup of water for every cup of sugar.

Salted versus unsalted butter: This can feel like a bigger problem than it is, but if your recipe calls for salted butter and you only have unsalted, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup (or two sticks) of butter. Conversely, if it calls for unsalted and you only have salted butter, hold back 1/2 teaspoon of the recipe’s salt.

For any dish that gets out of hand, always remember that culinary educator Julia Child famously advised, “With enough butter, anything is good.”