When you should start cooking every dish for Thanksgiving, according to a chef

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Making a Thanksgiving dinner can be stressful, even if you're only cooking for a few people. Plus, you want to leave time to enjoy yourself.

To help relieve a bit of stress, Insider spoke with Dan Holzman, chef and co-owner of The Meatball Shop in New York City, about the best timeline for your Thanksgiving menu.

When you should start cooking: Cranberry sauce will last up to a week and a half in the refrigerator, so it's the perfect dish to prepare in advance.

Plus, making cranberry sauce requires giving it several hours to cool down to achieve the right texture, as "the thickening process happens when [cranberry sauce] cools," according to Holzman.

When you should start cooking: You can make stock a week before Thanksgiving and then heat it up on the day to add to dishes as needed.

"Homemade stock makes the difference between good and great cooking," chef Brad Leone wrote for Bon Appetit.

"It's true all year but especially at Thanksgiving, when a flavorful, full-bodied stock can upgrade everything from gravy to stuffing."

It can also be used to create soft mashed potatoes packed with flavor, or it can be added to the turkey roasting pan.

When you should start cooking: The day before Thanksgiving. Pies may be the last dish that you'll eat on Thanksgiving, but they can be one of the first menu items that you prepare.

Baking pies the night before Thanksgiving is an easy way to get ahead and avoid stress on Thanksgiving day. "The oven space on Thanksgiving is the number one commodity," Holzman said.

Since pies require precious oven space and very specific temperatures, it's best to prepare desserts ahead of time.

When you should start cooking: Season the turkey the night before and start cooking it Thanksgiving morning. While it's best to actually cook your turkey on Thanksgiving day, Holzman recommends seasoning your turkey the night before.

While it's best to actually cook your turkey on Thanksgiving day, Holzman recommends seasoning your turkey the night before. Since it's the main event, the turkey should be the first dish you start cooking in the morning.

"The resting process is an absolutely imperative part of the cooking process," Holzman said. Many people overcook their turkeys in the oven and overlook letting them rest, rendering the final product dry and rubbery.

By taking your turkey out of the oven before it is fully cooked, you'll allow the heat to redistribute, allowing heat from the outside to seep in, leaving you with a perfectly cooked, juicy turkey, Holzman explained.

To finish off the process, Holzman suggests carving the turkey, and then broiling it in the oven to complete cooking and crisp the skin.

When you should start cooking: The same time you start cooking your turkey. Roasting bones and vegetables that you'll be using for gravy early on Thanksgiving day is a good way to get ahead of the game.

When you should start cooking: Prepare bread in the days before and then start cooking it at midday on Thanksgiving.

When you should start cooking: While your turkey and stuffing are in the oven. Chopping and assembling salad is a great way to use downtime while other dishes are in the oven.

When dinnertime arrives, all you'll have to do is throw together the ingredients and add dressing.

When you should start cooking: In the afternoon, while other dishes are in the oven. Various side dishes, such as green bean casserole, are best when served fresh. After salads have been prepped and other dishes are in the oven, you can get started on more of your family's favorite side dishes.

Green bean casserole takes about an hour to make, including prep and cook time, so it's best when made no more than a few hours before dinnertime.

When you should start cooking: In the afternoon, while other dishes are in the oven. Sweet potato casserole is another dish that takes about an hour to make, so it can be prepared closer to dinnertime.

When you should start cooking: A couple of hours before dinnertime. Once more complicated and prep-heavy dishes are in the oven, you can start roasting vegetables like green beans or Brussels sprouts, neither of which should take very long.

When you should start cooking: A couple hours before dinnertime. "Mashed potatoes are best served when they're hot and just made," Holzman said. To keep them hot until dinner is served, put them in a dish on a low flame on the stove or on low heat in the oven.

Plus, if you do all the cooking, you can ask others to do all the dishes.

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