Buzz
1. Utilize a Printable Calendar
Grab a blank November calendar to help you organize your tasks. As you plan your feast, note down key dates for shopping, preparing make-ahead dishes, and receiving deliveries. Seeing everything mapped out makes staying on track a breeze.
2. Finalize Your Menu by November 1
Don’t wait until the last minute to finalize your Thanksgiving menu. Aim to have it set by November 1 so you're ahead of the game.
As you plan, avoid the temptation to try complicated new recipes or tackle dishes you’ve never prepared before. Include some make-ahead options and consider using store-bought items to keep the stress low in those final days.
3. Stick with Tradition
Feel free to get creative with appetizers, but when it comes to the main meal, stick to the classics. Some dishes are sacred (like grandma's cranberry mold), and changing them might not go over well. If you're opting for a non-traditional spread, give everyone a heads-up so they’re not expecting the usual sides like stuffing, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce.
4. Shop in Advance
Once your menu is finalized, create a shopping list that includes all the ingredients you'll need. Organize the list into perishables and non-perishables to help you prioritize what can be bought right away (such as spices and canned goods) and what needs to wait (like dairy and fresh produce).
Shopping early ensures your grocery store doesn’t run out of essentials. Plus, it gives you enough time to adjust your menu if a crucial ingredient is out of stock.
5. Choose a Large Enough Turkey
Here’s a handy rule to remember: plan for ¾ to 1 pound of turkey per person. This includes the bones and other inedible parts. If you’re anticipating leftovers, consider increasing that to 1 to 1½ pounds per person.
6. Check Your Utensils Inventory
Don't wait until the day before or the morning of to find out you're short three soup spoons or don't have a gravy ladle. Make sure there's plenty of flatware for everyone on your guest list and that you have all the serving utensils you'll need. The same goes for cookware, serving dishes, and dinnerware.
7. Stock Up on Stain Busters
Yes, someone will spill red wine on a white shirt. For that, plus other inevitable messes, stock cotton cloths, dish soap, white vinegar (for coffee stains), and pretreat sticks (like Tide To Go). You might even want to print out, save, or bookmark a complete stain removal chart.
8. Delegate Dishes
Be prepared for guests that ask if they can bring something, and jump on it! Designate items on your menu that can be subcontracted—like dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, dessert, or even the turkey—and take guests up on their offer. Consider giving them the recipe you were planning to use: They might appreciate not having to come up with something themselves.
9. Order Takeout the Day Before
No matter how much you prepare for Thanksgiving, things can still go awry. Treat yourself to a break on the Wednesday before the big day. Skip cooking, order some pizzas for your guests, use paper plates, and simplify things so you can focus on the more important tasks ahead.
10. Allow Ample Time for Defrosting
Be sure to fully defrost your turkey in the refrigerator. Waking up on Thanksgiving to a frozen turkey might not ruin your day, but it will definitely throw off your carefully planned schedule.
And whatever you do, don’t even consider thawing a turkey at room temperature! It's a food safety disaster waiting to happen.
11. Prepare Dishes Ahead of Time
In addition to preparing full dishes in advance, look for other ways to get a jumpstart, such as making gravy early and freezing it or cooking vegetables and storing them in the fridge for up to two days. For dishes that can’t be prepped entirely, at least do some of the work ahead, like washing and peeling vegetables, so they’re ready to roast.
12. Set the Table the Night Before
Setting the table may seem like a small task, but it’s one less thing to think about on Thanksgiving Day. It’s also a perfect way for kids to get involved and help out.
13. Empty the Dishwasher and Trash the Night Before
Kick off your Thanksgiving Day by starting fresh with an empty dishwasher and a trash can ready for use. To make things even smoother, line your bins with extra garbage bags so you won’t have to search for a new one when the trash begins to accumulate.
14. Opt for Dried Herbs
Did you just realize you don’t have the "fresh basil" your recipe calls for? Don’t worry, if you’ve got dried basil in your pantry, use this simple swap: 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs. Crisis averted.
15. Create a "Make-Your-Own-Breakfast" Rule
When you have a house full of overnight guests, let them take care of their own breakfast. By implementing a ‘serve yourself’ rule in the morning, you’ll free up time to focus on preparing the main feast.
Keep some grab-and-go snacks like muffins, granola bars, and cereal within easy reach, and lay out essentials like milk, spoons, bowls, and napkins. Also, make sure someone is in charge of brewing the coffee.
16. Have Guests Bring Ice
Ice always seems to disappear faster than you can make it. If a guest asks what they can bring on the big day and everything else is taken care of, ask them to bring a bag of ice.
With your fridge packed full of perishables, you can use the ice to fill ice buckets, coolers, or even the washing machine to keep drinks chilled. This way, even if your fridge is full (though, of course, it’s packed), providing drinks elsewhere helps keep guests out of the kitchen.
17. Use Square and Rectangular Pans for Baking
Although it might sound trivial, opting for square or rectangular cookware can actually maximize the space in your oven, whether you're baking or simply reheating food. This concept extends to organizing your fridge for prepped meals or leftovers too.
18. Reserve Simple Tasks for Early Arrivals
It's likely that one or more of your guests will show up ahead of time. Instead of panicking to finish everything, save a few easy tasks for early birds or restless kids, like filling the breadbasket or setting out the water.
19. Quick Wine Chilling Trick
If your guests arrive too soon or you need wine fast, here’s a quick solution: Wrap the bottle in a damp towel (or paper towel) and place it in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to chill it quickly.
Alternatively, place your bottle in an ice bath with salt. This method chills a bottle in just 25 to 30 minutes.
20. Serve a Large-Scale Cocktail
Instead of managing individual cocktail orders, try preparing a big-batch cocktail or spiked punch for guests to enjoy. This can help keep impatient guests satisfied while they wait for dinner, especially if you're dealing with any delays.
21. Keep Food Out of Harm's Way
Make sure that perishable foods—particularly those with eggs or dairy—don’t sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours, both before and after dinner. If left out too long, they enter what the USDA refers to as the Danger Zone, between 40 and 140 degrees F, where bacteria can grow quickly. Once the time is up, store the food in the fridge or freezer.
22. Print a Turkey Cooking Chart
Say goodbye to turkey cooking math. With a convenient turkey timer chart based on USDA guidelines, you can easily determine the exact cooking time for turkeys of any size.
23. Take the Temperature Like a Professional
Always, without fail, use a meat thermometer to check your turkey's doneness. Make sure you don't insert the thermometer too close to the bone, as this can cause an inaccurate reading. If the thermometer touches bone, it will show a higher temperature. Measuring near the bone can result in a reading that is up to 10 degrees lower. Instead, insert it into the center of the breast and aim for the perfect temperature: 165 degrees F.
24. Keep Kids Occupied
To prevent kids from complaining about hunger before dinner, create edible napkin rings for them to snack on while they wait. (This also works wonders for restless adults.) The trick? Form pre-made crescent or pizza dough into 4-inch rings, then bake according to the package instructions.
For more ways to keep the kids entertained at the table:
- Print coloring sheets for the kids.
- Have them write down what they're thankful for on a memo pad that gets passed around.
- Offer a simple but fancy mocktail.
- Give them a plate of easy appetizers to pass around.
25. Utilize All Available Appliances
Make-ahead meals are fantastic, but with limited burners and oven space, keeping everything warm until it's time to serve can be tricky. This is when it's time to bring every available kitchen appliance into play.
Put your slow cooker or Instant Pot to work for warming, even if you're not using it to slow-cook anything. Use that bottom drawer of the oven for keeping food warm (its intended purpose) instead of as storage for bakeware. Don't forget to plug in the toaster oven, utilize the microwave, and even fire up the grill to help with all those last-minute warm-ups.
26. Plan for Leftovers in Advance
After a satisfying Thanksgiving feast, the last thing you want to do is spend time sorting leftovers for everyone. Make it easier on yourself by having take-home containers ready so you can quickly pack up portions and send guests home with them. Even better, ask your guests to bring their own containers—but keep a few extra on hand for those who forget.
