How to Host Thanksgiving
It's our 14th year doing it!
The very first time Dan and I decided to take on hosting Thanksgiving, we were absolutely clueless, so I’m hoping this handy dandy guide might help anyone out who is thinking about taking the plunge, but doesn’t know where to start.
Start Early:
Begin thinking about the menu 2-3 weeks in advance. This gives you plenty of time to talk to anyone else who might be bringing dishes. You can build menu inspiration using Pinterest (feel free to borrow from mine!) and experiment with different combinations of dishes until you get just the right amount and combination for what you’re looking for.
Use spreadsheets and calendars to get it all on paper:
As with most things in my life, I start with a spreadsheet. Nothing too complicated, but it keeps us all organized and ensures we have a complete list of our menu plus timing for when ingredients need to be decided upon, procured and prepped. At this point, we’ve all done it so many times that we don’t really need to create a calendar, but that’s a helpful tip for anyone who is new. People will be fighting for stove and oven space all day and you DO NOT want to be at the grocery store on Wednesday or Thursday, so please please please calendar in all your tasks (including any cleaning you need to do) and share these calendar invites with ANYONE else who will be involved with hosting your Thanksgiving. That will ensure no one ends up with a cold dish or no time to roast their taters.
I’ve become a lot more lax since the first year, where my spreadsheet looked like this:
Use ChatGPT:
Nowadays, you could just throw the contents of the above spreadsheet into ChatGPT and ask it to make a grocery list, divided up by parts of the store, and voila. I will be doing a grocery order on Monday evening for Tuesday pickup.
Buy the right size turkey:
There are tons of turkey calculators online, but I always take whatever the recommendation is and buy just a smidge larger than that. I love turkey leftovers and worst case scenario: you freeze a little. But we’ll make turkey omelets, turkey tacos, turkey pot pie for days after Thanksgiving. Also, in the past few years, we’ve had to reserve our turkey a few weeks in advance, so make sure you do so in order to get the kind you want (heritage, organic, etc.).
Plan the right size meal:
Over the years, our menu has shrunk a little. It’s awesome to have a ton of food/leftovers, but our fridge is only so big and we only have a certain amount of time before food goes bad. I think we’ve really honed in the meal at this point. You can see our menu in the spreadsheet above - that’s basically the amount of dishes we’ve determined to be optimal for our group.
Don’t forget about snacks and drinks!
We love a festive beverage in our house. Sarah put together this awesome guide to holiday mocktails, and I have been pinning ideas on my Pinterest board as well.
(I was pregnant on Thanksgiving with both my kids - the above picture was with my second).
When cleaning, clean the fridge:
There’s nothing worse than searching high and low for places to stuff your Thanksgiving leftovers in a disorganized fridge. Make it a priority when cleaning your house before Thanksgiving (we do this on Tuesday!) to include a deep clean of the fridge, making plenty of room and throwing out anything you don’t want shoved to the back for a week and a half.
Make sure you have all the tools you need:
There are a few things you need when making a turkey that you don’t generally use in the kitchen, so be sure to be prepared. Here are a few suggestions:
Roasting Pan
Baster
Needle and Thread (or floss!)
Meat Thermometer
Containers of all sizes for leftovers (especially if you will send some home with guests!)
Those are for if you’re roasting the turkey in an oven. Smoking it or deep frying? That’s a whole ‘nother story! And perhaps a different blog post, as we have moved into the deep frying realm these past couple of years and I highly recommend it!
Leave time to defrost:
Depending on where you get your turkey, you may need to build extra time in your schedule to defrost it beforehand. Ask when ordering if the turkey will be frozen and then determine how much time will be needed to defrost based on the weight of your bird.
BRINE THE TURKEY:
This makes all the difference. We use a five gallon bucket full of water and an entire container of Morton Salt. Soak for 12-18 hours ahead of cooking. It adds a lot more moisture and flavor to the bird.
Time things just right:
Some people love to have an early Thanksgiving dinner. This is not my jam. Here is what our day looks like on turkey day:
7am: Everyone up, breakfast - eggs and toast - something light but protein filled.
8am: Parade time!
10am: Turkey Burn Ride Live on Peloton (for mom, everyone else is still usually watching the parade)
12pm: Time to get outside! Walk the dog, play outside, get some fresh air and get moving.
2pm: Serve appetizers as a “late lunch” - leave out for the next couple of hours. Our charcuterie board filled with cheese and meat is particularly “filling”
4pm: Remove snacks from the area
5pm: Time for dinner!
7pm: Desserts and Christmas movie (the first pick of the holiday season is SO KEY)
Clean as you go:
On holidays, we run our dishwasher two or three times a day. So start early, and clean often. Keep counters as clean as possible, wash dishes you’re no longer using and as soon as the dishwasher is full, RUN IT on the short cycle. You’ll probably need more prep bowls, utensils, plates, etc. as the day goes on.
Enjoy!
Once you get the hang of things, you’ll have it down in no time with your own rituals and rhythms. Anyone have any other tips? Share in the comments!