Don’t panic, but there’s less than a week before Thanksgiving. For those of you in charge of the feast, that means the countdown to logging some serious hours in the kitchen has begun. Of course, Thanksgiving prep takes much longer than a day. So in the interest of simplifying the process as much as possible, these apps could be your ticket to a smoother culinary experience.
Appetites’ Easy as Pie, iOS
Recipe apps are a dime a dozen, and most of them have a similar UI and features. But the Appetites team’s striking design, video tutorials, and personal chefs have made it easily one of favorite cooking tools. And from the same creators comes its Easy as Pie app. Chef Evan Kleiman walks you step-by-step through the pie-making process. There are a variety of recipes to choose from and the formatting makes it easy to not destroy your kitchen in the process.
Cost: $4.99
Thanksgiving Menu Maker, iOS
Tackling Thanksgiving dinner is no small feat. This app has you covered, providing recipes for everything from side dishes to desserts. After deciding what to make, it curates a shopping list for you and even provides a schedule of what you should cook and when to avoid kitchen-area disasters.
Cost: Free
Thanksgiving Planner, Android
This Android app provides a virtual timeline of everything you’re going to need to do in preparation for the big day. Type As out there will love the fact that it details what you should do and how far out, depending on the size of your party.
Cost: $0.99
How to cook everything, iOS
Much of this app is similar to what you’ll find in recipe apps from culinary whiz Mark Bittman. But a few noteworthy features, like a built-in timer than runs in the background and temperature and metric conversion capabilities, set it apart and could make Thursday a little less stressful.
Cost: $4.99
Hello Vino, Android
If you’re planning on serving wine with dinner, don’t figure that the first house red to catch your eye will suffice. Hello Vino offers recommendations based on your meal as well as personal preference. WineStein Pro (free) is a good iOS option.
Cost: Free
CHOW Thanksgiving Dinner Coach, iOS
CHOW Thanksgiving Dinner Coach is your run of the mill cooking app, but it is all things Thanksgiving. Like many of these, it helps you create and cross off your shopping list, and then turns all of its attention toward the minute details of constructing your meal. A turkey alone is a huge undertaking, and the apps eye-pleasing design and straight talk will get you through it without pulling your hair out.
Cost: Free
Harvest, iOS
Good luck trying to pull together a delicious dinner when you’ve chosen poor ingredients. The Harvest app offers tips and tricks for determining how ripe certain food items are and also lets you know the pesticide risk you run for specific produce. If you’re into the idea of knowing your food, the HarvestMark Food Traceability app for iOS (free) and Seasonal Harvest for Android ($0.99) each help you find local foods and trace your ingredients origins.
Cost: $1.99
Love food hate waste, iOS
The best part of Thanksgiving may very well be the leftovers. Heaven forbid any of them get thrown out or worse—go bad. This app keeps you from wasting food and can turn all of your remaining items into various dishes. The BigOven app for iOS and Android (free) also has a similar function.
Cost: Free
