I would consider making the green bean casserole the day or night before instead. The cream soup with mushrooms may taste better a little fresher. I know you want to save on time but it really only takes about five minutes to throw it altogether. For the stuffing, I'd do all the chopping and cubing but probably keep the onions and stuff separate from the bread and just assemble it all when you bake it. Again, it should only take a couple extra minutes to assemble it. Here's a recipe for the mashed potatoes you may be interested in. I never tried it, but I hate having to do the potatoes last minute; it may help you out even being able to do them the day before. Here is a link that might be useful: Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

Guess because of the farm and time being a premium as well as oven space we got use to a lot of things made ahead. We usually have 12-15 people. I make my desserts (cakes, pies but not the Pistachio Salad) ahead and freeze them. Definitely make the cranberry relish ahead and after letting it set a day freeze it. It gets better with time.(Usually make several gallons for the rest of the year.) Sometimes I'll make up my crescent rolls and freeze them before baking but they are better fresh Then the night before I make up all my casseroles, (squash, sweet potatoes, onion, etc._ and get them ready and in the dishes. Cover them with foil and mark the temp and cooking time on them and put them in the frig. On TD I start at about 4 am. I mix up my stuffing, and get the turkey going. I cook my ham in my roaster, the turkey in the gas oven and the last 2 hours I'll use the electric oven to cook the casseroles. Veggies like corn, peas, mashed potatoes are last minute. Mom makes her Waldorf salad :-/ last minute usually so it doesn't get watery. Some of the family and friends I don't get to see very often so I'd rather be visiting with them instead of trying not to miss something in a recipe listening into all the fun in the other room or measuring while trying to have a conversation. (Not one of my strong suits. I always leave something out when I'm talking to somebody and cooking) It's not all fresh but a lot of the folks that come fix dinner out of a TV dinner box so they're always happy and stuffed with the fare that's put on the table. And I get to spend time with everyone.

I regularly caramelize onions in my crockpot. I slice enough onions to fill it, which is about 5 lbs or so. I get a bag from Costco and do the whole lot, sometimes in 2 batches. I add a stick of butter and turn it on. At the start the onions give off liquid so you get a soupy mix, but as the liquid is cooked off, you'll see the onions caramelize in their own sugars. I don't add anything, no sugar, no salt. I don't find it necessary but your taste may not be the same as mine. Once it's deeply caramelized (for me it takes most of a day), you can do whatever you like. We freeze in portions to be put on pizza, or eaten with tortillas, or added to soups, stews or sauces. Cheryl

My favorite, for what it is worth Caramel Apple Cocktail 6 servings 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar 1 lemon wedge 1 1/2 cups apple cider 6 tablespoons butterscotch schnapps 1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling wine, chilled 6 maraschino cherries Spread cinnamon sugar onto a small plate or saucer. Run the lemon wedge along the rim of 6 champagne glasses, then dip the rims into the cinnamon sugar. Combine apple cider and schnapps in a measuring cup. Divide evenly among prepared glasses. Divide sparkling wine among glassses. Garnish with cherry.