The Countdown: How to Plan a Stress-Free Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving dinner can be a daunting task for anyone; especially if you’ve never cooked a Thanksgiving dinner on your own. This is where I was just a few years ago when my husband and I decided not to drive the thousand miles to be with family for the holiday. But with a large family of our own we still wanted to keep the Thanksgiving traditions we had. So I planned a menu, went shopping, and cooked an entire Thanksgiving dinner myself.
Our previous tradition had been a potluck Thanksgiving dinner, where everyone was responsible for different parts of the meal. (Between my parents, sisters, and nieces and nephews my family is very large. The potluck tradition helped take the burden off any one particular person to feed everyone.) I had never been in charge of anything other than a side and dessert. Needless to say, I was constantly on the phone with my mom trying to figure out what in the world I was doing with my own dinner.
Luckily over the last several years that we’ve done our own Thanksgiving I’ve learned a lot: about planning, about shopping, and about organizing my time well. You can be a great cook, but if you don’t organize your time well things can start to go downhill fast!
These tips will help you save time, money, and stress when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner.
Getting Ready for Your Holiday Season Now
Thanksgiving Countdown Time
1 Month Before Thanksgiving
Finalize your guest list.
Maybe you have friends who are spending Thanksgiving alone this year. Or friends who have their dinner on the weekend instead and are free for Thanksgiving Day. Now is the time to invite them.
Even if it’s just a family event and you don’t send formal invites you will probably still want to get RSVPs from everyone who plans to attend. Many people end up with multiple places to go on Thanksgiving Day so making sure your family members will actually be able to make it will be important for planning the menu.
Plan the menu.
A lot of people put this off for too long. There are a few reasons you’ll want to plan your Thanksgiving menu now. First, by planning your menu now you can also make a grocery list and be on the lookout for any great sales or coupons throughout the month of November. Be smart and save your money.
Secondly, the number of people switching to more restrictive diets for health purposes are increasing. It’s likely that someone in your dinner party will be restricted from one or more food groups. There are many gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and vegan options out there but you’ll want to have a plan well in advance of Thanksgiving Day. Plan now.
3 Weeks Before
Get the tools you need.
Make sure you have the tools you need to make the Thanksgiving dinner you want. Whether you need a new hand mixer because yours broke or you want an extra crockpot to keep food warm, you’ll want to figure it out now. This includes kitchen equipment, cookware, servingware, and linens. If you plan on borrowing anything make arrangements to pick it up 3-5 days before Thanksgiving.
Create your shopping list.
If you haven’t made a grocery list based on your menu yet this is your last best chance. Can you make your list the week of Thanksgiving? Sure… but I guarantee it won’t be a stress-free experience. Do it now and save yourself the headache.
Clean out the freezer.
Reorganize your freezer and throw out anything that isn’t good. Cook what you can for dinners throughout November so nothing is wasted. You’re going to need the room for food both before and after Thanksgiving.
2 Weeks Before
Make freeze ahead desserts.
There are many desserts you can make in advance and keep in the freezer until the day of (or day before) your dinner. This will help you spread the work of Thanksgiving dinner over a couple weeks. Instant win!
How To Make Holiday Desserts That Freeze Well
Decide on any special decor.
If you want to have a special table setting or you plan on decorating multiple areas of the house for Thanksgiving you’ll want to get your items now. The Thanksgiving rush will be on from now until the day of the dinner and every day you wait will leave you with fewer options. Make your decisions and purchases now.
Make and freeze homemade stock and rolls.
This isn’t absolutely necesary as many people use store bought stock and rolls, but if you plan to make any of these items from scratch you can absolutely make them now and freeze them for later. The more work you get done now the less you’ll have to do later. (Just give yourself ample time for thawing.)
Pick up your turkey and nonperishables.
If you made your grocery list you might already have a headstart on the nonperishables. Now is the time to pick up the rest. Like decorations, the rush is on for Thanksgiving groceries, too. Shopping now will ensure you get everything you need for the big day.
1 Week Before
Create a cooking schedule.
There are things you’ll want to cook on Thanksgiving Day, but there are many things you can cook a day or two ahead of time. Sides that can be reheated or served cold can be made in advance.
Also look at your recipes and see what the prep and cooking times look like for the things you want to cook on Thanksgiving Day. You’ll want to try to have everything done and heated at around the same time so the turkey isn’t getting cold while you’re waiting on something else.
Pick up any borrowed tables and/or chairs.
Seating for Thanksgiving dinner can be a real problem. If you’re borrowing tables or chairs you’ll want to pick them up the week before. At this point we don’t want anything to be last minute!
5 Days Before Thanksgiving
Pick up perishables.
Many people will tell you to pick up your perishables just 3 days before the big day. I’ve run into problems with the local stores being out of the traditional produce you might want for a “from sctratch” Thanksgiving side. I recommend getting these items 5 days out. Stored properly, your produce should have no problem staying fresh until you cook it.
3 Days Before
Defrost the turkey.
The easiest way to defrost your turkey is in the refrigerator. Count on about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. Meaning if you have a much bigger bird, you’ll want to start the process a little earlier.
Below are the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommendations for thawing in the fridge.
In the Refrigerator (40 °F or below)
Allow approximately 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds.
4 to 12 pounds – 1 to 3 days
12 to 16 pounds – 3 to 4 days
16 to 20 pounds – 4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds – 5 to 6 days
If you find that your turkey is still frozen (or partially frozen) you can thaw it breast-side down in a sink of cold water. Do not unwrap it. Make sure there is enough cold water to cover the turkey and change the water frequently. This will take about 30 minutes for each pound of turkey so you won’t be able to use the sink for a while.
Below are the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommendations for thawing in cold water.
In Cold Water
Allow approximately 30 minutes per pound
4 to 12 pounds – 2 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds – 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds – 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds – 10 to 12 hours
Never thaw your turkey with hot/warm water or by leaving it out on the counter. This will encourage bacteria growth and one thing you don’t want for Thanksgiving dinner is salmonella!
2 Days Before
Make cranberry sauce.
If you’re making cranberry sauce from scratch this is the time. Because it needs time to cool it’s really a pain to make on Thanksgiving Day, but it also tastes better after it’s been in the fridge for a day or two.
Make your pie crust or pies.
If you didn’t make and freeze your pies ahead of time you can make those today. Pumpkin and pecan pies will keep great in the fridge. If you plan on making fresh fruit pies the day of you can make the pie crust now and put it in the fridge. One less thing to do on Turkey Day.
1 Day Before
Prep your reheatable side dishes.
You can put everything together for your side dishes now and reheat them on Thanksgiving Day. This will save you time and sanity in the long run.
Thanksgiving Day
Roast the turkey.
You’ll want to start the turkey early. Between prepping the bird for the pan, prepping the bird for the oven, and actually roasting it you’ve got a long road ahead. It can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours to roast a turkey depending on its size so make sure to give yourself an ample amount of time.
Chill the drinks.
If you have drinks that need to be chilled be sure to put them into the fridge (or a cooler) early enough that they’ll be cold when your guests arrive.
Defrost the rolls.
If you made your own rolls and stored them in the freezer make sure to thaw them before baking. Most store-bought frozen rolls can go straight from the freezer to the oven, but check the packaging to make sure.
Reheat the sides while your turkey rests.
Don’t forget the very important step of letting your turkey rest. You should generally let it rest for about 45 minutes before carving, which gives you a perfect amount of time to reheat any sides you prepared in advance.
Thanksgiving Perfection!
Now that you’ve planned well and prepared for your day in advance you can enjoy Thanksgiving dinner instead of frustrating yourself in the kitchen. You’ll have more time to spend with your friends and family, and that’s what really matters.
Click here for a free Thanksgiving Countdown printable to keep you on track!
I hope you have a wonderful (and a stress-free) Thanksgiving season.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 16.34