Plan Ahead to Simplify Thanksgiving Day

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By November 1, I have already started planning and shopping for Thanksgiving.

It’s not because Thanksgiving is that much work. I’d rather spread the work out over several weeks than worry about it all the week before the holiday.

Joe and I are lousy housekeepers, and it usually takes us several days to get our home into holiday shape. If we also have cooking to do during those days, we will end up being stressed out and irritable. Not a good way to start the Thanksgiving holiday.

Planning ahead makes all the difference in the world.

My recipes are all available here.

One month ahead

• Finalize the menu. Sometimes, I make small changes from one year to the next, and I decide all of that before Halloween.
• If you want a specialty product (special turkey, fancy wine, etc), order it now.

Three weeks ahead

• Make a shopping list.
• Consider how you’re going to cook the turkey. If you’re going to deep fry it, you’ll need special equipment. If you’re going to roast it, but soak it in brine ahead of time, you’ll need to add some time for that process.
• Watch the sales (as seasonal items are sometimes discounted in the days and weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas), and begin picking up nonperishable items from your list.
• Check with family members to see who’s coming.
• Figure out where you’re going to put everyone to eat.

Two weeks ahead

• Make sure all of your dishes and serving pieces are clean. You don’t want to be washing dishes and or polishing silver on the morning of Thanksgiving.
• Dig out your favorite Thanksgiving tablecloth or go buy a new one. Make sure it’s clean and pressed (if you worry about that sort of thing).
• Decide what you’ll need to set the table. Until I bought square plates, I used round chargers. D’oh! I need a new plan now. In addition to things that look nice, consider napkins, platters, serving dishes, and anything else you’ll need to serve the meal. You don’t need to get these things out yet, just plan what you’ll need and buy or borrow the things you don’t have.
• Pick up the last of the nonperishable items that you’ll need, as well as any frozen items. Don’t wait until two days before to go buy Cool Whip. The grocery store won’t have any.
• Buy a loaf or two of stale bread from the day-old section of a bakery. Cut it up into cubes for stuffing, and then let it sit out and get more stale.
• If you’re buying a frozen turkey, get it now. If you’re going to cook a big bird, it will need to defrost for several days.

One week ahead

• Cleaning your house. Mop the floors, clean the mirrors, wash the toilets. You don’t want your guests to think you’re a dirty slob.
• Calculate how long your turkey needs to be in the refrigerator. Check the USDA website for turkey specifics, but in general, a frozen turkey needs to spend 24 hours in the fridge for every 4-5 pounds of weight. If it’s a 20 pound turkey, it will take 4 to 5 days to thaw. Keep your guests safe by keeping the bird refrigerated.

Sunday before Thanksgiving

• Finish your grocery shopping. Unless there’s something that has a very short shelf life, you can buy the produce and other perishable items you’ll need today.
• If your pie crust is frozen, put it in the refrigerator to defrost.

Tuesday before Thanksgiving

• Bake the pies
• Chill the sparkling cider

Wednesday before Thanksgiving (night before)

• Make the mashed potatoes and put them in the crock of a large Crock Pot
• Make stuffing, bake, and store in the refrigerator
• Clean, peel, and cut the sweet potatoes
• Prepare the carrot souffle. Bake, and refrigerate over night.
• If you can, set the table and make everything look nice.
• Prepare and brine the turkey, if you’re going to do that step.

Thanksgiving morning

• Get up early and prepare the turkey (if you aren’t soaking it in brine). A 20-pound turkey will take between 4 and 5 hours to cook; smaller birds require less time. Check the USDA website for turkey specifics.
• Make the cranberry sauce. It needs to cook for about 4 hours.
• Put the olives and pickles onto serving dishes.
• Shortly before dinner, cook the Candied Sweet Potatoes and the Green Bean Casserole in the microwave.
• After the turkey comes out of the oven (it needs some time to rest before you cut it), bake the biscuits.

Sit down and enjoy the meal with your family!

Photo courtesy of Hammer 51012 on Flickr

 

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