Thanksgiving Made Easy
Thanksgiving, a day to reflect on the positive things in our lives and spend time with our friends or families, enjoying good foods and reminiscing on all of the things that we are grateful for. Thanksgiving has been an annual holiday in the United States since 1863, but the truth is, it doesn’t always feel like a holiday! To make a wonderful dinner, sometimes means not-so-wonderful stress! But I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Let me help you avoid the stress of rushing to make absolutely everything on the day of Thanksgiving. I did this ONE time and learned my lesson! It was absolutely exhausting and to be honest, nearly impossible.
So, here’s the Make-Head Thanksgiving Timeline that I use and recommend to you to ensure thanksgiving is a STRESS-FREE, FUN and RELAXING day!
In Advance…
Spend one evening preparing for the week of Thanksgiving by completing some small tasks that I promise will help you in the long run!
Decide on your Thanksgiving menu and make your grocery list…
(if you’re only cooking for 2, check out this menu I created for a small Thanksgiving dinner:)
Iron the Napkins if using cloth! (or do what I do and DON’T iron them and add a napkin ring;)
In the Week Before…
Fridge Clean Out - It feels great to start the week with a totally clean fridge slate. And, this way, you will be able to make space for all of the yummy holiday foods AND the leftovers!
Set out Serving Plates – Choose and wash serving plates for EVERYTHING you plan to cook. I keep most of these larger dishes in the basement, and so I make a sticky note for each dish and then carry the pile of stickies around with me as I track down the dishes. These stickies help me be sure that I have a plate for everything and that I know which dish needs to be served on each one!
Set the Table – Now, it doesn’t need to be fancy, but you DO need to have a clear surface. Check out this article for some of my tips.
Grocery Run – I like to do a big grocery run on Sunday before the holidays. There may always be a few things you need to get later in the week, but most of the big items can be purchased over the weekend.
Make & Freeze the Gravy – Or add it to your grocery list, depending on what you choose. Remember many grocery stores have amazing homemade gravy, so don’t feel like you HAVE to make it.
Make & Freeze Pies – Again, I know that life can get super busy! So, if you don’t have time to make a pie or just don’t want to, just buy one! (I do!) Here’s how.
5 Days Before…
Thaw the Turkey! (One day of thawing for every 4lbs of turkey).
SEE CHART BELOW
3 Days Before…
It’s time to sort the sides!
Make Mashed Potatoes cover and refrigerate.
Make the Sweet Potatoes, cover and refrigerate. See link for instructions.
Make the Southern Green Beans, cover and refrigerate.
Make the Stuffing.
Make Cranberries.
If making Brussel Sprouts (or any other roasted veggies), wash, chop and wrap in damp paper towels so that they are ready for roasting!
Wash and chop veggies for salads, and other dishes. Put in baggies in your fridge ready to go!
1 Day Before…
Brine your turkey or turkey breast - Click here for the WHY and HOW of Brining.
Make a Holiday Sangria - Check out my blog post Holiday Sangria for the PERFECTTTTT thanksgiving sangria!
THANKSGIVING DAY…
Roast or Deep Fry the Turkey – While the bird is resting, move on to baking your stuffing and roasting your vegetables or heating the casseroles.
NOTE: You don’t need to serve roasted vegetables piping hot out of the oven; they taste JUST as good at room temperature.
Assemble and bake the stuffing. This can be done in a slow cooker to save space.
Bake or Reheat the Casseroles and Pies.
Heat the Gravy. If the Gravy is hot, it makes alllll the other dishes the right temperature. Also consider warming your gravy boat with hot water or a warming drawer to help it stay warm on the table.
Now turn on your holiday playlist, pour some sangria, ring that dinner bell and ENJOY
After Thanksgiving…
Leftovers, when kept in the fridge, will last you up to the next five days – if they’re not all eaten up before then.
Or make this leftover Thanksgiving dinner frittata for brunch the next day! Or check out these recipes for The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey & Leftover Recipes.
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I hope you have a truly wonderful Thanksgiving day, full of love, laughter, and a whole load of yummy food!
See you in a food coma ;)
Lauren xx
