How to Thanksgiving 101
How to Thanksgiving 101 has it all: a traditional menu, recipe links, ideas, cheat sheet, decorations and tips to help you plan and enjoy your best Thanksgiving ever. Whether this is your first time hosting or 50th.
If this is your first-ever foray into making the best meal of the year and you want to take it a little easier on yourself, or if you have a smaller group than usual, check out our
Novice Thanksgiving – Small Batch and Easy
For tips, hints and a slightly pared down dinner that still covers all the basics using useful hacks.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, bar none. Is there anything better than getting together with friends and family over a delicious meal to celebrate what we are most grateful for?
I’m not going to bore you with details on how to roast the best turkey – you can check out Butterball or look for deets on how long to roast your bird.
But. If you think your turkey is cooking too fast, whatever you do, be careful you
don’t turn the new oven off instead of down.
Many years ago, we took the bird out of the oven at dinner time and discovered it was still raw. A perfect example of why you serve an appetizer and wine at Thanksgiving.
Plenty of wine.
The meal itself is actually pretty simple – we have a traditional menu this year. Actually, we almost always have a traditional menu. One or two switch-ups a year is about all I can handle. None is a-okay with me too.
RECIPE LINKS
THANKSGIVING TURKEY CHEESE BALL
TWICE BAKED SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH GINGERSNAP CRUST
How cute is this cheese ball?
Bert is in charge of decorating all the food. He has a knack for it.
The Twice Baked Sweet Potato Casserole is a savory dish;
But, to keep Bert happy, we’re serving it with a Pecan Praline Sauce (how good does that sound?).
If you want a different sweet side dish, the Brown Sugar Acorn Squash fits the bill and makes a pretty presentation:
Pies, Pies, Pies seem to be the order of the day, but this Rustic Apple Galette is ridiculously easy and pretty:
You want to know the secret?
The secret to a well-executed Thanksgiving is two-fold: plan and delegate.
If someone asks you if they can bring something, SAY YES!! Don’t be a hero. Have them bring a dessert, or an appetizer. Or rolls. Or the mashed potatoes. Even wine and beer are a huge help.
Here’s the part that confounds people:
You absolutely CAN NOT do it all on Thursday.
I like to get going on the Friday or Saturday before Thanksgiving. The turkey needs to be moved into the refrigerator, and you can get to the grocery store early to avoid the crowds. Here’s a daily checklist, followed by a list. You can copy and print the “Cheat Sheet” to keep on hand.
Saturday
- Prep the grocery list. Go through each recipe, from the beginning, and write down everything you need. For a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, I like to pick up the oddball stuff that really adds up, costwise. I keep it all together in one place so I can find it when we are ready for it the week of Thanksgiving.
- Go shopping. Ugh. Try to go really early (or really late) to avoid the crowds.
- If you are using a frozen turkey, put it in the fridge to allow it to thaw.
Sunday
- Check the guest list against available seating, and make plans accordingly. If we don’t have a table big enough for our group, I set up multiple tables.
- Think on decorating scheme.
Monday
- Clean
- Make sure table linens are ready to go
- Clean and polish any silver, brass, etc. if using.
Tuesday
- Make cheese ball body
- Prep blue cheese stuffing for celery
- Make cranberry sauce
- Prep cornbread for stuffing
- Prep Cheesecake
- Buy Pumpkin and Pecan pies if not making (seriously consider not making)
Wednesday
- Prep turkey stock using wings and drumsticks
- Prep gravy with turkey stock; refrigerate in pan with lid to be ready for warming
- Prep mashed potatoes; use cream cheese to make creamy; dot with butter and refrigerate in Crock Pot (affiliate link) liner
- Bake Sweet Potatoes, make casserole
- Make Pies
Thursday (Happy Thanksgiving!)
- Bake turkey
- Cook sausage, onions, celery, and make stuffing
- Set tables, place chairs
- Put beer and pop in coolers or tubs (affiliate link)
- Set out cider and whiskey with glasses and ice
- Decorate cheese ball, plate pretzels and crackers
- Make Praline Pecan Sauce
- Stuff celery
- Put store bought Chex Mix in serving bowl (affiliate link). I love this wooden salad bowl – I use it for everything.
- Have the kids make the Pilgrim Hat Cookies (without eating them all)
Remember: delegate, delegate, delegate.
Decorations
Keep it simple. The prettiest table I ever set had brown kraft paper on top of white tablecloths. Burlap is a neat touch too.
Check this one out from kitchn
Keep it uniform. If you have multiple tables, try to make them all look alike.
Keep it easy. I use high-end plastic disposable plates (affiliate link) for both the main course and dessert, and I use Dollar Tree foil cooking pans wherever possible. Nobody wants to do all those dishes after this meal. Make sure you have trash and recycling bags. Grab some inexpensive to-go containers from Dollar Tree, too. There’s no way you can eat it all!
Add a pop of color with pumpkins, gourds, and fall mums. Add some fun color with printed paper napkins from The Christmas Tree Store or the Dollar Store.
Use plenty of candles. Seasonal items are everywhere (even in the backyard)! Hollowed-out gourds and pumpkins look cute with a tea light inside, and apples do, too!
Keep a sense of humor about foibles – remember:
“It isn’t so much what’s on the table that matters as what’s on the chairs.” W. S. Gilbert
Happy Thanksgiving. ♥
AFFILIATE LINKS FOR HOW TO THANKSGIVING 101
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