8 Lifesaving Thanksgiving Storage Hacks to Try TODAY!

During the holidays, refrigerator space becomes the hottest real estate in the house. You can make more room in your fridge by emptying it of the condiments and additional items that you might not need for the Thanksgiving meal. You can store these extra condiments safely in a cooler packed with ice while your guests are over. In fact, if you find instead that you need more oven space, or a spot to keep your hot items hot, consider using that cooler as the insulated space that it is and line it with aluminum foil and towels and keep warm items tucked in together until it’s time to serve them.

When the stove top burners are in high demand, get creative and use other methods to keep your food hot. For instance, opt for make-ahead mashed potatoes and keep them fluffy and warm in the slow cooker all day! Or wrap your veggie sides in foil and keep them warm in the slow cooker instead!

One of the hardest parts about finding extra surface area during Thanksgiving is having every inch covered in dirty dishes and extra tools. Try using your kitchen items in a creative manner. For example, we all know the secret to great gravy is the perfect pan drippings. If you’re without a fat separator or you don’t want to add an extra thing to your list to clean, pour your drippings into a large heatproof measuring cup and pop it in the freezer. As the drippings cool, the fat will rise to the top and solidify, making it easy to skim off with a spoon. You can also use a clean glass jar as a safe way to collect and dispose of fat drippings!

Struggling to keep that gravy hot because you’re running low on space? A tall, slim thermos is the perfect secret storage spot! Just simply decant to a gravy boat right before serving.

One genius way to make the most of your storage area this holiday season is to increase the surface area you have in a vertical manner. This means purchasing different trays that allow you to stack and store items on top of them. This can be as simple as purchasing a stand, like this gorgeous stand from Williams Sonoma! Not only will this add depth and intrigue to your food layout, but you get three times the storage area!

We’re all guilty of spilling gravy and mashed potatoes on grandma’s famous recipe cards! Rather than keeping them on the counter where they can get lost and damaged, tape them at eye level on an upper cabinet. They’ll be easy to read and follow, and you can make notes on the fly — you can even arrange them in order of your cooking prep!

Rather than sending the whole family home with your expensive collection of plasticware after scrambling to find the right options when cleaning up piles of Thanksgiving dishes, be prepare ahead of time! Purchase a set of Thanksgiving leftover containers, like THESE! Disposable, transportable, and easy to use!

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention this important thanksgiving storage hack. Put items you will not use into a small 5×5 storage space. Not only will you save time by eliminating the need to sort through unwanted or unneeded items in your kitchen, but you will also simplify your space. This will lead to less time cleaning and, let’s face it, less stress in preparing your home.