Preparing your Thanksgiving dinner takes a lot of planning. It can be stressful, to say the least! How can you make your dinner successful, especially when you have a large group? By laying out a planning strategy that works, of course. Let’s look at some ideas and tips for planning your holiday meal:
10 Days Before Thanksgiving:
A week to 10 days before Thanksgiving, make your guest list. If there are any friends or family members you have not yet contacted, do so now to give them and yourself plenty of time to prepare. If any of your guests will be bringing a special dish, add it to your menu.
Plan the size of your turkey once you have your guest list made. You will want about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of turkey for each guest. Choose a bit larger turkey if you want a lot of leftovers. Decide now whether you want to buy a fresh turkey or a frozen turkey. You may want to order a deep fried or smoked turkey from a market or club.
Deciding upon your final menu should be completed at least a week before the big day. Consider the number of people you will be entertaining and if you have children on your guest list, try to plan a couple of special dishes or treats especially for them.
Week of Thanksgiving:
Coming into the week of Thanksgiving, you want to prepare your pantry. Stock up on paper supplies or additional cutlery, or anything you may need for serving or preparing dinner. Buy food items that will store until Thanksgiving and bake any bread, rolls, or muffins now and freeze them until Thanksgiving day.
The Days Leading Up To Thanksgiving:
With just a few days before Thanksgiving, prepare some items beforehand to save a bit of time during the final rush.
Things like cranberry sauce or relish can be stored in your refrigerator for a few days. You may want to cut up onions, celery, and any like items and store them in plastic ware to save time on Thanksgiving morning. You may want to prepare some side dishes the night before Thanksgiving; items like Green Bean Casserole store just fine overnight. Prepare your pies and cakes now, as well. If you have items in the freezer, they should come out now and go in the refrigerator.
Double check your Thanksgiving menu shopping list and make sure everything on it is ready and waiting in your kitchen during these last two or three days before Thanksgiving.
If you have children, involve them in the planning. They can help organize games for the younger guests, assist with decorations, and can even help out in the kitchen if you desire. Bring your special Thanksgiving serving platters down from storage now. If you will need to wash and iron table linens, now is the time.
If you have purchased a frozen turkey, take it out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator 3 days prior to cooking to give it plenty of time to thaw. Following the thawing instructions on the turkey to the letter.
The Morning of Thanksgiving:
On Thanksgiving morning, stuff your thawed turkey and get it ready to place in the oven. Use the time table on your turkey and place your turkey in the oven at the time necessary. Prepare any side dishes now that you were unable to prepare last night; things like peeling potatoes, for instance. Schedule your side dishes in their cooking order. Prepare any desserts that you were unable to prepare the night before.
Now it’s time to set the table, and take a break! Enjoy the aromas already wafting through your house… that is the smell of a wonderfully planned and prepared Thanksgiving dinner. Good for you! You have successfully created a memorable Thanksgiving without all the stress. Go light the candles and relax with your guests!
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