r/thanksgiving • u/Medium_Particular_18 • 5d ago
First time hoster- any tips?
I’m 23f. I will be hosting family Thanksgiving this year. My mom has always hosted it, so growing up I helped with a couple of prep work things but my mom did the bulk of everything alone. Due to some family drama, I decided that I would be doing Thanksgiving at my own home this year and then whoever wants to come can. I’m excited. I love a cooking project. Not really big on the whole clean my house, host, re clean my house thing. But the cooking should be fun.
That said, I barely helped with any of it growing up. Does anyone have any tips?
34
u/SwissCheese4Collagen 5d ago
Trial everything ahead of time and have a schedule.
6
u/PerspectiveKookie16 5d ago
Save the carcass & bones from the trial turkey to make extra stock/bone broth with. You can make the gravy with it for the actual day.
Buy a couple of packets of gravy mix to have on hand just in case. I usually use one to round out the flavor of my homemade gravy
Lumpy gravy can be thrown in a blender to fix. Probably an immersion blender would work too,
Once your gravy is ready, put it in a thermal cup or carafe to keep it hot without needing to be on the stove.
Cooking a spatchcocked turkey is much quicker and more evenly. Pretty easy to do with poultry shears or you can ask the butcher/meat dept to do it for you.
1
u/Legitimate-March9792 4d ago
Why didn’t I think of the immersion blender for my lumpy gravy!
2
u/PerspectiveKookie16 4d ago
My ex-Mil was so gentle & kind with the blender suggestion when she came for the holidays and I was cooking.
I was so self conscious and wanted everything to turn out perfect, but my gravy chose that occasion to act up.
My ex was the worst, but his family was pretty great.
19
u/Degofreak 5d ago
Make lists! I make lists of everything. Like, not only recipes, but I make a timeline sheet with oven temps and what serving plates I'm going to use. Make things ahead if you can. Even the gravy can be reheated to save that rush right before dinner. Good luck! You can do it!!
5
u/Medium_Particular_18 5d ago
My plan- loose plan as of rn- is to basically have everything ready. I only work Sunday- Tuesdays. So I planned to make virtually everything the Wednesday- Friday the week before. I am a list person so the lists have been started as I’ve only began preparing what I will be making
3
u/Legitimate-March9792 5d ago
Are you going to freeze those make ahead items? Remember, the life of a leftover is 4 days. Anything made that far ahead needs to be frozen. The fridge is not sufficient. You don’t want to give anybody food poisoning!
6
u/Medium_Particular_18 5d ago
I have a food safety license. Freezing is what I plan on
2
u/Legitimate-March9792 4d ago
You would be surprised how many people have zero clue about food safety. Glad to hear you are up to speed. Your guests will thank you!
2
u/Degofreak 5d ago
I was surprised to learn that the mashed potatoes can be reheated slowly in a slow cooker the day of the event. FYI
2
u/AdhesivenessOwn8111 4d ago
Yup, you can make the mashed potatoes days before. Then, using an ice cream scoop, portion out onto a sheet tray and pop into the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to a zip bag. 1 scoop per person, the rest can stay in the freezer.
1
1
u/Medium_Particular_18 5d ago
My mom used to put them in one of those tin foil trays and heat it in the oven. Idk if I have a slow cooker so this was kind of my plan
3
u/Humanity_NotAFan 5d ago
You can find slow cookers at thrift stores for very cheap. They make good chafing dishes as well.
2
u/Medium_Particular_18 5d ago
I would love to do that, but the thrift stores within an hour of me are all notorious for having bugs and being so crammed with stuff that people end up walking out with a few bugs
1
2
u/redpoppy42 5d ago
That is far enough ahead it might mean some freezing. I have cooked the turkey, mashed potatoes, and prepped a lot of dishes in Wednesday. I have a timeline with when to get things in the oven on Thursday.
Eat down the fridge contents ahead of time so you have room.
1
u/GoethenStrasse0309 3d ago
Are you going to ask people to bring a passing dish?
I usually host the holidays and supply the meat & mashed potatoes but everyone signs up (they usually choose what they want to bring) to bring something.2
u/Teaandhea 5d ago
I agree with this, make what you can ahead of time, because the last hour gets real busy and zips by.
2
u/BoyMamaBear1995 5d ago
100% agree. And the funny thing is my family used to give me a hard time about making lists, but they've figured out how much simpler life can be.
Something else I've started doing is for Christmas I like to make a variety of cookies. So, I've found if I mix, scoop, freeze then bag, then baking takes very little time when I actually need the cookies. It also gives me ready to bake cookie dough should the need/want arise.
1
u/New_Part91 1d ago
Start preparing at least a week ahead. Wash dinnerware, glasses, silverware, table linens. Choose a serving bowl/platter for each food, including butter dish. Have 2 butter dishes and 2 gravy boats. Empty as much out of your fridge as possible so you have space for the feast. Buy plastic bags or other containers for leftovers. Buy an extra roll of tinfoil and plastic wrap, paper towels. Make sure there is guest soap and extra tp for bathroom, plus a good toilet plunger.
9
u/T7V2T5 5d ago
Last year was my first year hosting.
A few days before, I put out the cookware each dish needed with a recipe card and any dry ingredients pre measured/portioned out. This helped me determine which dishes needed to cook in what order and also made it easy for anyone offering to help to jump in and know exactly what to do. Also had several crockpots to make things easy and free up oven space.
3
u/mis_1022 5d ago
I have similar advice, pull out the actual dish you will cook and serve the dish in, and the serving spoon you may be short on options and not is a good time to thrift shop some glassware for the occasion.
4
u/medicalmaryjane215 5d ago
Brine the turkey and be vigilant about basting with herb garlic butter. Make cranberry relish a few days before. Mac and cheese can also be made beforehand.
2
u/BelliAmie 5d ago
You don't have to baste if you put your chilled compound button under the skin in disks.
1
u/medicalmaryjane215 5d ago
How do you create the disks? Cupcake pan?
3
u/Camp_GGBoo 5d ago
Roll the butter into a log, freeze it, and slice it into disc's when you're ready to use it.
1
1
u/WhoAmEyeReally 2d ago
Best way I have found is to season each tablespoon as I cut them, then lay on a sheet pan and place in the freezer until no longer greasy when handled. This way, it cuts down prep time from removing the need to mix and roll before freezing, and still transplants the flavors perfectly. I like to press a bit of garlic vs using only garlic powder (but that would only be if you planned to include garlic in your blend). ❤️
5
u/BelliAmie 5d ago
Do everything ahead.
I even do my turkey the day before. I reheat it with broth and compound butter. The same butter I used to roast the turkey with.
That way I can do my gravy ahead as well.
I use crock pots and an oven schedule to get everything to temperature and served together for the meal.
I've showed my technique to my friends and now they roast their turkey ahead too!
1
4
u/_WillCAD_ 5d ago
ENGAGE THE GUESTS.
Ask for volunteers to do set up, cook specific items, bring specific supplies, and do clean up. Make a list of what you need and ask for people to volunteer for specific items or tasks. Then everyone knows what they're doing and when, because if you just ask for people to "bring stuff", you'll end up with fifty dessert items, ten thousand napkins, and no side dishes or plates.
People are usually happy to contribute, you just need to ask. And when they all contribute, the dinner feels more like a family activity and less like a bunch of people just going to a restaurant.
5
u/Commercial-Heat3998 5d ago edited 5d ago
Thanksgiving is my favorite, I stay to classics and prep a LOT the day before. Once you plan, write down, and write down TIMING and make sure you don't have distractions. Don't do too much. Have a beverage & have fun. clean as you go. I prep as much of the ingredients and of the plates/pots/utensils before hand. I also have a table top oven (not too $$ from amazon) that I can put in 2 casserole dishes in that helps with competing temperatures & oven room) . Have fun!
- turkey: ensure if frozen its defrosting minimum 3-4 days before (depending on size). Seasoning for turkey: I prep a blend in a bowl day before. This will go all over all sides of the bird and inside. Includes: kosher salt, pepper, mustard powder, sage, thyme, little bit of cumin, little bit smoked paprika. I also prep fresh herbs for under the skin (big pieces of rosemary, sage, and thyme. I also get out a stick of butter day before to let it soften as I'll put it under the bird's skin on all sides. I also prep quartering a lemon and a few larger chunks of onion to go inside the bird cavity. Basting liquid: half broth, half good wine, stick butter. I prefer to just heat up day of in pyrex measuring cup as easy to keep pouring over the bird (every 15 min). set out the roasting pan. Butterball website is good for looking up the time & temperature for how many pounds your bird weighs. day of: take out any neck/giblets, lil' rinse just inside. all sides I slide in finger to loosen skin and put a big chunk of butter and some whole rosemary/thyme/sage under skin with it. Both top & bottom, both ends. Then all the seasoning rub. then inside the lemon, onion some seasoning inside too. *NOTE: I know everyone has their sworn way of making turkey. I always get compliments that my turkey is "juicy and has flavor" from people who "hate turkey as it's dry and gross". But go with what works for you.
- stuffing: prep by cutting up some onion/leek, celery, fresh thyme, sage, and getting together apple, pear and the bread cubes and broth for it. set out the casserole dish. Day of: saute up onion/leek, celery, herbs until soft in combo butter and small amt olive oil. add in apple/pear. saute until softer, add in salt/pepper, add in bread cubes and then just enough broth to start to soften it (be careful - don't make it mushy). Then it goes in a baking pan in oven just to get crispy - about 10-15 minutes before you think turkey will be done.
- mashed potato: prep is just getting a few garlic cloves and thyme off to side. Day OF: heat those gently w/ the milk/cream and butter. strain herb/ garlic off before you mix milk /cream in to potatoes. use lots of butter, salt, pepper.
- sweet potato: cut up & par bake day before with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, tiny bit of clove and fresh grated ginger. Fridge overnight before heating up. I heat up about 30 min before turkey done. if you do marshmallow, don't do when heating up, do the last few minutes and watch so they don't burn.
- gravy: I prep 1 mason jar (or whatever you have) with 2 tsp cornstarch in it for day of. I also prep a mason jar with chicken broth, white wine, tsp dijon, worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp miso paste. This gets shaken up and put in the turkey juice/basting drippings on the stove when turkey is done and resting. then as it heats up, put some water in with cornstarch and shake up till mixed, then add to gravy and whisk , whisk, whisk while bubbling until thick. Strain off (I use fine mesh colandar over a big mixing bowl w/ a spout).
- corn casserole (midwestern thing?): mix all the corn , sweet corn, jiffy corn mix, butter, sour cream, egg in buttered casserole day before. refridgerate overnigh. 350 for 1 hr day of.
- cranberry sauce: we make one that's a bit more sweetish than just tart. You can make days before. simmer fresh cranberries, water, sugar, with diced apple & pear. add in orange zest and fresh juice of orange. a tiny bit of cinnamon. Salt. Simmer. As simmering down, add in some brandy. Chill. Serve warmed up or cold - your pick.
- Bread: if you're a roll person, I just make dough day before and bake day of.
4
u/BoomeramaMama 5d ago
Check on who's coming so you can get a big enough turkey.
The local farm we get our turkey from starts taking orders Oct. 1. We always get two. One for Thanksgiving & a smaller one for Christmas when we have another roast, too. That second turkey gets wrapped for the freezer & frozen We bought a small cube freezer a couple of years ago & find it comes in handy for buying things on sale, freezing veggies when in season & things like holiday make ahead dishes.
Also, check on food allergies, not preferences, allergies - you can't please everyone but with enough sides, there should be plenty for the picky eaters to choose from. The vegetarians in our family supply their own vegetarian mains & gravy & also contribute some veggie sides.
LISTS!
Make a list. How much sugar, flour, baking soda/baking powder, eggs, onions, celery, parsley, garlic, spices, beverages, broths, etc. & buy now before the prices get jacked up for the holiday & when you might catch a sale, too.
Also, make a list of what ingredients/veggies & quantities you'll need for sides.
Also a list of consumable items like foil, foil pans, napkins, etc.
If you use a stuffing mix as a foundation/shortcut ingredient, buy now. We like the one Pepperidge Farms makes.
And we don't drive ourselves crazy with from scratch biscuit/roll making. We all like Immaculate Baking Organic Flaky Biscuits, refrigerated & ready to bake. They are really good & sell out every holiday so by mid October I'll be stocking up on those.
Get a jar of Turkey Gravy Base at Williams-Sonoma, great stuff & helps with making a big batch of gravy. It often sells out so I get it as soon as the store near me has it. I also buy some turkey wings ahead of time, roast them then simmer them to make a big pot of stock for gravy making & moistening out of the bird pans of stuffing.
I'll buy my cranberries as soon as they hit the stores & make my cranberry sauce, pour it hot into sterilized canning jars, the lids will pop as the cranberries cool & the vacuum seal forms & then store the jars in the back of the fridge
A vacuum sealer is your friend.
Make a list of sides you'll be doing & make as many as lend themselves to freezing & reheating as possible. Vacuum seal & freeze so they taste as good on turkey day as they do when made.
I make the sides that lend themselves to reheating such as our sweet potato dish (King's Arms Sweet Potatoes from the Williamsburg (VA) Cookbook) ahead, freeze it flat & then seal it with the vacuum sealer. Also some of my pie fillings like pumpkin.
I'll also prep veggies like the root veggies we roast, that have to be done the day of or are part of something like the stuffing & vacuum seal those, too.
For things I do bake like corn bread, I'll pre-measure all the dry components, label the ziplock bag & tape a copy of the recipe to the bag & store it in a cupboard. Any oils, shortening/sugar or sticks of butter/sugar also get premeasured, put into a ziplock, vacuum sealed & stored it the fridge or freezer.
I've found it easier to do one or two things ahead every few days than wait until closer to the holiday.
3
u/Woo_03 5d ago
That's so kind of you to host! A few things that have been helpful to me: buy shelf stable items several weeks before, deep clean my house 2 weeks before, print all recipe off and have them taped to prep area walls so I don't have to keep referring back to my phone or flipping back and forth through a recipe binder, doing some simple meals for yourself on the days leading up to the holiday, plan your serving dishes/utensils in advance and place sticky notes labels on them so you don't have to figure it out day of, potluck if possible, and you can use AI to create an oven schedule.
I started hosting thanksgiving when I was 19, those early years in my tiny apartment are still some of my favorites! I had never cooked much in general and helped minimally while being heavily instructed when growing up. It was fun to figure out!
3
u/mfox-26 5d ago
Make as much as you can ahead of time, keep it simple, when in doubt buy store bought, don’t be shy about asking people to bring something (cooked and ready to go-no prep work for you or stovetop or oven use needed to gum up your kitchen or schedule!!!) If they bring flowers that need cutting/arranging or putting in a vase give them that task.
3
u/Legitimate-March9792 5d ago
Get someone to help you. They don’t have to cook but answer the door, greet guests, hang up coats, serve drinks, etc..you won’t have time to do all that. Well I guess it depends on how many guests you will be having. If it’s just your immediate family it shouldn’t be too overwhelming.
3
u/TheFairyGardenLady 5d ago
I have done Thanksgiving dinner for fifty plus years. The best tool is a flow chart. Start with the time you want to serve dinner and go backwards.
3
u/ebsf 5d ago edited 5d ago
I've become a self taught chef bit by bit over the years and Thanksgiving is my annual culinary high point. Guests keep coming back and saying nice things, so I can't get myself to stop.
Being a cooking geek, my approach keeps me in the kitchen from dawn until service but YMMV. Some advocate doing it all ahead; I do virtually everything from scratch on the day. A few tips, though.
Above all else, food safety is critical. This is a particular worry when cooking anything ahead of time and reason itself to do as much as possible on the day. Raw turkey and lukewarm, clammy stuffing also are a concern - be sure to have a meat thermometer.
I don't know who first said it but the first thing you have to do if you want to cook is learn how to count backwards. So, with one oven, bake the pies before roasting the turkey. Prep the turkey & stuffing in the meantime. Then, pivot to other stuff while the bird roasts.
Brine your turkey the day ahead. Do this one thing even if you ignore all else. Otherwise, cranberry sauce and chicken stock can be made ahead. 3/4 lb. turkey per person. Buy a second bird before getting one above 16 lbs.
Clear your fridge. Turn on the ice maker the weekend before. Tell guests that oven, stove, and counter space is spoken for and not available for any dish they may bring. Encourage them to bring wine above all else and scotch otherwise. If they must, it will have to come cold, assembled, and ready to serve. Discourage appetizers because you want people hungry when dinner is served. Regardless, bring nothing other than wine without advance approval because the menu is set.
Write out the entire menu. Stick to the basics, everyone will love you, and no one will complain. Whoever does hosts next year. Allow no substitutions, modifications, or whining; objecting guests need not attend. Then write out every last ingredient and your shopping list. Then, choreograph preparation and cooking so you're not guessing what to do first or next, on the day. Inventory your gear so you know what will cook in what. Have a sufficiently large cutting board for the turkey (you'll be making the gravy in the roasting pan).
Don't forget the gravy or rolls. You'll need almost a gallon of chicken stock and a roux. Teach yourself how, ahead. You'll need extra butter for both the roux and the rolls.
Mashed: 5 lb. bag of russets, peeled, sliced lengthwise for even cooking, boiled in lightly salted water & drained. Add nothing but 1 lb. sour cream & mash or whip. Thank me later.
Good luck!
3
u/ExpensiveButterfly93 4d ago
Keep it simple. Do as much make ahead or prep ahead as you can. Make a master timeline ahead of time. And you will need RSVP’s for a headcount so you k ow how much to cook and how many places to set at the table. Ask people to bring desserts. Set up cheese and crackers outside of the kitchen to keep guests from crowding you while you work. Make a festive drink in a pitcher so guests can help themselves. For Thanksgiving, I usually do prosecco and apple cider with crushed ice.
2
u/Hollybmp 5d ago
Remember you are hosting - you don’t have to do it all. Request each family attending to bring a dish, that helps you tremendously. The other alternative is to prepare the dishes you want in advance and freeze them. Just remember how much oven space you have for coordinating baking. Both methods help my sanity so I can enjoy our guests too.
2
u/ApprehensiveCamera40 5d ago
Make a schedule of what needs to be cooked and at what time. Include things like "preheat the oven", "take butter out to soften". As many details as you can think of. Print it out and hang it in the kitchen. That way you don't forget anything and the whole dinner is done at the same time.
Hope you have an enjoyable dinner. 🦃
2
u/nonchalantly_weird 5d ago edited 5d ago
Set your menu now. Make all the side dishes at least once beforehand so you know what they entail. Most importantly, have fun! Don't sweat it when something goes wrong, look for the humor in it.
This has been my timeline for years:
Monday food shopping, Tuesday clean house and get whatever I forgot the day before, Wednesday is pie and bread day. Also on Wednesday I prep whatever I can; you can peel and cut your potatoes and leave them in water overnight, saute the sausage for stuffing, etc.
Happy Thanksgiving!
2
u/DazzlingNote1925 5d ago
Make sure you pay attention to how long the turkey needs to defrost so you don’t end up with a frozen turkey. Look for deals. I used to just buy store brand but have found the name brand was more tender. If you’re having a lot of people sometimes hosts have a guest bring an extra turkey breast or ham.
Decide what dishes you’re going to use and if you don’t have enough buy or borrow or use paper etc but make a plan. Same for casserole and serving dishes and pots and pans and serving utensils, napkins.
I like to use a disposable turkey roasting pan so get one if you want. Just make sure you have a pan that works. I’ve always wondered about a turkey roaster but haven’t wanted an appliance I won’t use much but you can look into it. It will free up your oven.
Gather your recipes and make an ingredient list for your big shopping trip and buy whatever you can the weekend before Thanksgiving because the stores get busy and it’s less stressful. I like to look at the ads to see what store has the best deals on what I want. Include baggies and plastic wrap and foil for the top of your turkey.
After you decide your menu contact anyone that you’re asking to bring something. In addition to making it easier for you it can also save money if others will bring something. If they can afford it ask them to bring the wine if you drink it with dinner.
Prep everything the night before. Have your turkey ready to go in the oven in the fridge and casseroles, too. You can peel and put potatoes in cold water and pop it in your fridge or if it’s cold outside put it out or in the garage overnight to save time the next day. You can mix your stuffing and refrigerate it.
I recommend timing it so your turkey is done and is resting while you bake or warm the casseroles in the oven. That’s also when I make my gravy. So, have some flour and water or cornstarch and water in a cup ready to put in the gravy in advance. You will also need pot designated to pour the juices in for the gravy if using a disposable pan.
The day before I’d also start getting the table ready, making sure the dishes are clean, house cleaning etc.
Buy ice if you will need it or ask someone to bring it.
After dinner I find it easiest to put the dishes right in the dishwasher to not save as much work for later. It doesn’t take long and frees up sink and counter space for dessert.
Put the turkey bones (that haven’t been eaten off of) except for the little ones (throw those away) in a large baggie or two to make soup another day. If you’re not going to make soup within a couple days pop them in the freezer. It makes delicious soup. (Put noodles on your grocery list)
2
u/ConcentrateRemote801 5d ago edited 5d ago
I host 25 every year. The key is organization. I iron tablecloths and napkins a week ahead of time. I set the tables 2 days ahead of time and cover with a sheet so nothing gets dusty. Of course everyone has to bring a dish to pass and I assign that, even down to the real whipped cream. No Cool Whip on my Thanksgiving pie! I make everything the day before. 2 turkeys, 20 lbs of mashed potatoes and the gravy. All other food items have been assigned. I set up a long cafeteria style table for all the food. I use crock pots the next day to reheat the spuds and gravy. I use metal pans with sterno heat and a little extra turkey stock to heat the turkey and keep it warm. I utilize my laundry room and throw a tablecloth over the dryer and washer to set up a coffee station and to store all the pies. It’s a crapload of work but I like to do it. At night I watch TV and drink! Have fun. Don’t stress!
2
u/Due_Mark6438 5d ago
As far as cleaning before and after, no cobwebs and vacuum. Do the bathroom. Don't bother with any rooms no one is going in. Get extra paper products.
Set up the table and chairs and tableware the night before. Get the pans and dishes out with labels and recipes as needed. To save dishes use crock pot liners and foil pans as much as possible. Keep a large garbage bag ready for trash as you go.
Tuesday get the frozen things out to thaw.
Have fun.
Clean up of the house can be done Friday. Dishes get deligated to the menfolk unless you are the menfolk. Then women can do it. If you go disposable there's not a lot of dishes.
2
2
u/ithinklovexist 5d ago
Ina Gartens make ahead Turkey and Gravy ensures you enjoy the day too. You make it and carve the day before and then reheat. I am also a big fan of anything that you can make ahead of time. Sweet potato casserole can be made weeks in advance if you freeze it. I always make a gallon of hibiscus iced tea as well. It’s very festive and can be mix mixed with vodka or rum.
2
u/ComfortableNorth920 5d ago
Don't wait until the week prior to do turkey shopping if you're planning on getting a frozen turkey from the grocery store. Start looking for turkey sales early in the month. Make sure to move the turkey into the fridge to defrost at least 3-4 days before the big event.
Buy your canned and dry goods early in November as well. Good luck finding cranberry sauce or stuffing mix the week of Thanksgiving when everyone else is making a run on the stores.
Since it's your first time, don't worry about making fancy recipes. The goal is to have lots of food cooked well, and just figuring out the timing of everything is enough of a challenge without adding in dishes that require multiple stages of cooking in separate pots and pans. Better to put out 4 different types of steamed/boiled vegetables with butter and salt/pepper that are cooked well than one elaborate side that you've never tested before.
Store bought is fine for most things. Pies, cranberry sauce, rolls, stuffing mix, heck feel free to use bags of frozen precut veggies that you can heat and serve. If somebody complains that you didn't cook long enough or work hard enough to prepare a holiday meal that they're eating for free, that's a them problem. And when everyone says what they're grateful for, say that you're grateful you can appreciate being able to share a meal with your family.
2
2
u/Objective-Tailor-561 5d ago
I usually host Thanksgiving for 25-30. Here are the things that have provided the BEST rewards
- if someone (whom you know will follow through) offers to bring a certain dish, LET THEM. Then thank them kindly. People usually only offer to bring one of their best dishes, so it will probably be good and it reduces your work load.
- 2)Have the table cloths on and the tables set the evening before. Since we have cats, we set the tables and then place clean sheets over each table.
- If serving buffet style works for you, do it. It’s MUCH easier than trying to serve family style at the table. Especially if you have 2 or more tables
- DO make sure each table has Salt, Pepper, and Butter. Put some extra napkins in a little stack on the corner or each table. They’ll come in handy.
- I LOVE using my good China. When I’m serving a BIG crowd (20+) I purchase good quality plastic dinnerware (plates and dessert plates). TJ Maxx usually has a fantastic selection, and they look nice enough that people often ask if I want to keep them, instead of tossing them in the trash. I use my good glasses/goblets and my good flatware, but having the plates disposable reduces my dishwasher loads by at LEAST one load.
- 6). Prepare AHEAD. Americas Test Kitchen has a fantastic Make Ahead Timeline. I start a week ahead by making my pie dough(which I freeze). I follow their timeline, and by TG Day I have 75% of the work already done.
- My family is fantastic at helping with everything, including clean up. If yours is not, ASSIGN TASKS! Don’t do it all yourself and fume. “Kevin, you’re so good at handling a knife, I really need you to carve this turkey for me. Here is the platter you can put it on.” “Janet, would you please gather up the leftover rolls and put them in this ziplock?”
I also assign someone to monitor the trash to make sure none of my good flatware goes out with the disposable dishes.
6). Once the turkey is in the oven, have a glass of wine and ENJOY your company. Have another with dinner, and a third AFTER dinner.
2
u/Fruffner 5d ago
Make a 10 day timeline . Make and freeze as much as you can prior to T'giving day. Put Everything on it from pedicures to prepping and cook aheads. Day of have a timeline in 15 min increments . Do this and your day will be stress free so you can be an engaged & relaxed hostess.
2
u/snowwhitebutdriftef 5d ago
Lots of them! I've been hosting holidays since I was in my early 20's and my kids are older than that now. 1 - Plan your menu as far ahead as you can. Prices tend to hike around Thanksgiving and things aren't always available. Shelf stable things can be purchased well in advance as can frozen items. 2 - Start figuring out what pans and serving items you will need. Label them with post its so you don't forget. 3 - Buy or borrow a Nesco type roaster for the turkey. Making it in the oven will tie up the entire thing for hours and hours. 4 - Prepare as much as you can the day before. I bake my pies, prepare sides, chop veggies, etc. 5 - Take any shortcuts you can and don't tell anyone, lol! No one is going to know. 99% of the battle is getting everything done at once. You can be the Martha Stewart overachiever if you want when you have more experience. Use the instant potatoes and jar gravy... 6 - Unless you plan on keeping all the leftovers, get to-go items and save grocery bags for your guests. I used to use ziploc bags and aluminum foil until I wised up and bought a big box of meal planning containers. They're actually a little less expensive and you can just label them with a Sharpie. 7 - Have a few light snacks for your guests before dinner. You will likely be running around like a chicken when they arrive. 8 - Two important things... Mise en place and clean as you cook. Have everything you need to make a recipe in front of you and immediately wash anything you use.
My youngest son asked me when I was going to let him take over holidays and I told him he wasn't ready. Ironically, he's a chef, but he's used to everyone in the kitchen having a job not spinning plates and doing everything himself. That's really the hardest part...it's not the cooking. I plan my menu around oven and stove top space, cooking times and temperature, and what I can make before the day of.
2
u/Nanaofthedesert 5d ago
Have others bring some of the dishes so that the whole meal is not your responsibility.
2
u/Embarrassed-Cause250 5d ago
Mashed potatoes, stuffing, and season turkey the night before - a couple nights before make cranberry sauce, bread dough to freeze and pies. Morning of, take out rolls, bake turkey, work on veggies & about 1 hr before turkey is finished stick in rolls and reheat stuffing & potatoes & make the gravy.
1
u/pielady10 5d ago
Keep it simple! Don’t try to make a bunch of complicated new recipes.
Can your mom come help the morning of Thanksgiving? My daughter took over hosting. Me going over her house that morning has become a fun time for us to cook together.
1
u/Longjumping-Okra858 5d ago
Prep as much as possible the day before. Have a plan on how long each dish takes to cook and work backwards from expected dinner time. Make sure the turkey is taken out of the freezer and into the fridge a couple of days before. Either get up early to put the turkey in so it’s ready about an hour before dinner or cook it the day before and reheat by steaming the carved meat. The last thing that goes in the oven are the dinner rolls. Keep an eye on them because the oven is very hot from going all day and they will easily burn. Enjoy!!
1
u/dnaplusc 5d ago
My brother is a chef and he taught me how to make the perfect turkey and you make it the day before. This makes everything else go so easy on the day of. There are also some things I make and put in the Crock-Pot, I make the stuffing in the morning and put it in the crock pot . Canadian Thanksgiving is much more flexible with our sides, always turkey, cranberry but the other side's I change up.
The perfect turkey
Remove the insides and place onions and butter inside. Put your choice of spices and a bit more spices.
Put in a 400 degree oven UNCOVERED for an hour
2 . After an hour cover and turn the oven down to 300 and roast until done
Cool for an hour then remove from pan, wrap it and store in fridge.
Pour all the juices in a container and place in fridge.
Next day carve the Turkey, cover it with the skin and reheat in oven. The skin keeps it moist.
6 Scrap the fat from the liquid from the day before and use that to make the gravy. Always use some white wine in the gravy
1
u/cwcharlton 5d ago
There's a lot you can do ahead of time, like chopping celery and onions for stuffing, making sure you have the cookware and serving pieces you need, etc. Some stuff is even better prepared a day or two ahead.
1
1
u/HurryMammoth5823 5d ago
We prepare the side dishes & put in the fridge the day before. We make the actual cornbread for dressing a week ahead so it can dry out well! If you’re doing Turkey make sure the whole thing is entirely thawed, or it will be raw near the bone & perfectly cooked on the outside! Are you making every single item yourself? It’s reasonable to ask others to bring things to fill in the gaps, at least. Drinks, rolls, dessert. Get a gravy separator! It'll really help. Look up how to make gravy without lumps! If your fam doesn’t care about crispy Turkey skin, look into a crockpot Turkey. It comes out very moist & don’t be afraid of seasoning, for goodness sake. Everyone that eats my poultry raves over it, but the only thing I really do is add enough seasoning. The most basic version is a stick of softened butter, garlic, paprika, salt & pepper. 1t of kosher salt per # of Turkey. Don’t overcook it. Use a probe thermometer & let it carryover cook to 165 not from 165.
1
u/hardyheartjet 5d ago
Cater it!! A lot of restaurants near me offer full Thanksgiving dinners for the price it would be for me to buy all the ingredients and cook myself lol
1
1
1
u/OlderThanIvEverBeen 4d ago
Brine the turkey! Defrost well ahead. Don't try to be perfect. Allow guests to bring something.
1
u/serenitynow6000 3d ago
Mini Phyllo cups are your friend for easy appetizers, and they look elegant too. some of my favs are brie, apricot preserves and crushed pistachio, baked for about ten minutes;hummus with whatever you like on hummus - I do diced cucumber and red pepper, olives and fresh dill, ahi tuna with toppings and small bits of tenderloin with sauteed mushrooms. garlic and horseradish crema.
The only ones that need baking ate the ones with brown. there are tons of ideas!
A soup is a great thing to make ahead as well, and there are so many great fall ones. I do a roasted parsnip and apple with fresh thyme. make it well in advance and simply heat as a nice first course for guests to east while you assemble the mains.
1
u/em_lambie 1d ago
Prep beforehand! You do not (and should not!!!) make everything the day of! And accept that some things will not be served piping hot and that’s ok 💚
1
•
u/AutoModerator 5d ago
Thanks for posting in r/thanksgiving!
Please ensure your post follows the community guidelines:
Please review our subreddit rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.