For many people, Thanksgiving is a relaxing holiday full of delicious food and time with family, but for the cook responsible for preparing the main meal, Turkey Day can be a stressful nightmare. Recipes that require little prep work or can be made in advance are often a godsend, and Ina Garten has a festive dessert that fits the bill.

Pumpkin pie is widely regarded as the official dessert of Thanksgiving, but not everyone is a fan of the gelatinous pumpkin filling. Garten's recipe for Pumpkin Mousse Parfait, a lighter, more visually appealing dessert that really says "Thanksgiving," can be assembled in advance and doesn't take up oven space that you might need for turkey.

Garten makes a pumpkin mousse with autumnal flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, dark rum, and orange zest, then layers it in an elegant parfait glass with crumbled gingersnap cookies and luscious whipped cream. Chill the parfaits for at least 4 hours or overnight, and you have a made-from-scratch pumpkin dessert just like that.