Thanksgiving Prep

Thanksgiving kitchen tips that will make you thankful and not troubled.

Thanksgiving in our household growing up was a gigantic affair. Not only did we have the aunts, uncles, and cousins, but it also brought in the great aunts and out-of-towners. There was no way everyone could fit at the dining room table, so there would be fold out tables and chairs in the living room, kitchen, and if my memory serves me correctly one time in the bedroom as well. Of course, the “adult table” was in the dining room. However, the kids never minded being in the kitchen because that meant direct access to the freshest rolls piping hot out of the oven.

While there are many great memories from Thanksgiving past, the traditions have morphed as I have gotten older. The biggest shift occurred in 2020 when we were not able to gather as big of a group. I am sure this happened for many of you during the holiday season of 2020. We ended up dividing the households with my immediate family hosting my great aunt. This was the first year of Fold Out Foods and I was feeling particularly ambitious. I decided that I wanted to be the person to cook Thanksgiving dinner and handle EVERYTHING. In reality, I couldn’t have done it without my mom keeping an eye on the sink to make sure the dishes didn’t pile up to a ridiculous amount. Knowing myself, the kitchen would have been a wreck if it weren’t for her.

Overall, I was extremely proud of making a complete meal; however, that didn’t come without a few flaws. First off, we ate an hour and a half later than intended. Being a person who is obsessed with being chronically on time, this stressed me out way more than it did everyone else. In addition, while the meal was delicious I did not have a handle making homemade rolls nor correct portion sizes at the time. We ended up with a ridiculous amount of leftover food and took plates to drop off on extended relative’s porches. Better to have too much than too little, right? Moving forward with Thanksgiving 2021 and 2022 I learned from these mistakes and would love to share what I have learned for prepping the coveted Thanksgiving meal.

Tip 1: Plan out your menu at least three weeks in advance. Make sure you know how many people, dietary restrictions, and what sort of help you will have. A good rule of thumb for serving sizes is one pound of meat per person, half a cup of dressing per person, and one fourth a cup of gravy/ cranberry sauce per person. If you have a smaller group of people (4-10) about 6-7 sides should suffice with 2 dessert options. When it comes to a larger group of people (10+), 8-9 sides will be needed with 3-4 dessert options.

Tip 2: When planning out your menu, make sure that not everything requires oven time. All dishes needing oven time is the easiest way to accidentally get the kitchen backed up and serve the meal later than expected (I know from experience). Try to have some dishes that can be prepped ahead of time like dressing and casseroles.  These can be warmed in the oven while the bird is resting. Have some side items be made on the stove top or crock pot like mashed potatoes or green beans. In addition, having a salad or appetizers that require no cooking is great because you can make it ahead of time and have your guests snack. This keeps people from getting hangry before the meal.

Tip 3: Make a cooking schedule. Knowing what has to go into the oven at a certain time, as well as the temperature required, can help ensure dishes are not over or undercooked. You can also save yourself stress by making dessert and items that reheat well a day before so you aren’t mixing everything together at the same time. I think dressing taste better if it is twice baked anyways!

Tip 4: Don’t be afraid to try something new, but also have those classic dishes that remind you of your childhood. I like to try one or two new, different dishes but then keep the most important childhood staples. For our family, the staple is “Granny John’s Sweet Spaghetti”. My great grandmother made fantastic stewed tomatoes and would serve it over spaghetti noodles. It may not be a tradition for other families, but there isn’t a big gathering without it. New recipes I have tried in recent years have been dressing made with croissants, honey glazed carrots and parsnips, and pumpkin chai cupcakes. 

Tip 5: Give the turkey plenty of time to thaw! I have messed this up with Friendsgiving before when I was in college and ended up having to go buy a rotisserie chicken. (Actually it was my husband Drew, but don’t tell him I told you.) It is the most safe to thaw the big bird in the fridge. Allow one day per 4 pounds. If you are on more of a time crunch, submerge it in ice water for about 12 hours.

Tip 6: Don’t be afraid to ask for help! It is great to have family members bring sides so the responsibility is shared. But, if you want to tackle the whole menu, don’t be afraid to have friends and family hop in to help cook. Giving people tasks can make them feel welcomed and included and make the kitchen more fun! I remember always wanting to go early to my grandmother’s house on Thanksgiving so that I could help make the rolls.

Tip 7: Though it is easy to remember to buy the turkey, cranberries, or sweet potatoes, I often findmyself running to the store for other items. Many ingredients go in several dishes, so stock up! Here is a short list of ingredients you should make sure to have an excess of:

Vegetable, Chicken, and/or Turkey Broth

Sticks of Butter

Fresh Herbs (Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, and Parsley)

Garlic

Onions

Lemons

Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, dried sage, salt, pepper)

Brown Sugar

Heavy Cream

…and more butter, seriously go buy more 

Tip 8: Make sure you have enough dishes before and after the big meal. It is a good idea to make sure you have the table prepared days, if not a week, before having your guests over. Likewise, I would also make sure to have plenty of Tupperware for everyone to bring home leftovers. At the very least, make sure they bring some. We had super fancy Tupperware growing up. It was blue and white and had the name “Cool Whip” on the side.

I hope you find these tips useful and make your holiday more memorable than manic!