One of the most important elements of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner is freshly baked dinner rolls. If you have an automatic bread machine, you can make your own in very little hands-on time. I offer two ways to make your rolls a day or so ahead without ruining the freshly baked texture.  
 
If you want to make them up to a week ahead: after they are baked (make sure they are just lightly browned), cool them, then immediately wrap them in plastic wrap. Place them in the freezer until 2 hours before your dinner. Bake them about 10 minutes at 350°, which will warm them and brown them a little more.
 
What follows are three recipes for great dinner rolls; by using the dough setting on the automatic bread machine, you will spend only about 10 minutes hands-on time on the dough; when the cycle is finished, it will take about 15 more minutes to shape the dough.  I have made all three of the recipes the night before my dinner and stored them in the refrigerator until about an hour before I want to serve them; they rise very slowly in the fridge and will finish rising as they sit on the counter before baking. By using this method, you have no stress because your rolls are already made. A bonus is that you get the wonderful smell of baking dinner rolls.

To prepare the dough: Choose which recipe you want, then place the ingredients in the order given into the pan of the automatic bread machine. Set the machine to the dough setting. Check the dough after about 10 minutes to make sure there is enough liquid or flour to make a soft dough; you may have to scrape the sides down.
 
When the dough cycle is finished, transfer the dough to a lightly floured pastry cloth to shape the rolls.

The link for instructions to easily shape and bake the rolls is at the bottom of this article.

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Basic Dinner Rolls

1 cup water
2 eggs
1/3 cup dry milk
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon yeast

1/4 cup melted butter

Amount Per Serving
Calories 127 Calories from Fat 44
Percent Total Calories From:
Fat 35% Protein 10%  Carb. 55%
 
Nutrient Amount per
Serving
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 156 mg
Total Carbohydrate 18 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 3 g
 
Vitamin A 5% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 2%

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Bran Dinner Rolls

1 cup water
3/4 cup All-Bran Cereal
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon yeast

1/4 cup melted butter

Amount Per Serving
Calories 142 Calories from Fat 65
Percent Total Calories From:
Fat 46% Protein 7% Carb. 47%
 
Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 7 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 23 mg
Sodium 123 mg
Total Carbohydrate 17 g Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 2 g
 
Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 2%

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Quick & Easy Sweet Potato Rolls

1 cup water
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup mashed sweet potatoes, (from a can or baked and mashed)
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon dry yeast

1/4 cup melted butter

Sweet Potato Rolls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 126 Calories from Fat 46
Percent Total Calories From:
Fat 36% Protein 8% Carb. 56%
 
Nutrient Amount per
Serving
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 149 mg
Total Carbohydrate 18 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 3 g
 
Vitamin A 19% Vitamin C 1% Calcium 0% Iron 2%

Purchase a Black and Decker Automatic Bread Machine from Amazon
Purchase a Cuisinart Automatic Bread Machine from Amazon