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Hosting Thanksgiving with a bit of thoughtful planning can be stress-free! The key? Below I detail how to schedule Thanksgiving week to allow for a relaxed and manageable holiday. If you’re trying to figure out how to plan Thanksgiving–you’ve come to the right place! I love a good schedule and an organized plan for a holiday meal. Thanksgiving or any holiday meal can be executed with ease if you are well organized.
How to Schedule Thanksgiving Week: A Simple Guide
By breaking down Thanksgiving tasks into smaller, daily goals, you can enjoy the day without overwhelming chaos. Plan ahead, delegate wisely, and create a simple yet festive feast for everyone to enjoy.
Days Needed: 5 days
Plan Ahead:
Start by outlining your menu for the big day. Think through and list dishes that can be made in advance and those best cooked the day of. Once you know your menu, ensure you have the space to have dishes in the refrigerator in advance.
Delegate Wisely:
Americans love to ask, “What can I bring?” when invited to a meal. Embrace the spirit of Thanksgiving and allow others to contribute. Identify dishes that should be prepared at the host’s house versus those suitable for guests to manage with their travel. Clearly communicate kitchen space and appliance limitations up-front with those contributing dishes.
Work Backwards:
Take your menu and work backward. Start with what time you want to sit down to eat. Next, detail what needs to be finished last and calculate (based on prep and cook time) when the dish needs to start to be completed in time. Keep doing this with each dish until you have a schedule created. Don’t forget that the turkey will need to rest! And don’t forget about the dishes that others are providing.
Daily Goals:
Assign tasks to each day leading up to Thanksgiving, ensuring the workload is manageable and stress-free. And don’t forget that you need to eat dinner the night before and breakfast the morning of, so plan that into your schedule as well!
Additional Tips & Tricks on How To Plan Thanksgiving
- Clean as you go: There’s nothing worse than having a counter full of mess and chaos and a sink of dishes that will take hours to finish after the meal. Keep your workspace tidy and put things away as you finish.
- Delegate tasks: Don’t feel obligated to do everything yourself. Encourage guests to bring dishes or accept help with smaller tasks. This lessens the load and makes the gathering more communal.
- Make-ahead recipes: Choose recipes you can prepare in advance, like desserts, sauces, and side dishes. This reduces the workload on the big day.
- Organization is key: Keep lists of ingredients, recipes, and tasks handy. Consider using a planner or a spreadsheet with 15-30 minute time-frames to stay organized and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
- Prep ingredients: Chop vegetables, measure dry ingredients, and even assemble casseroles or components of dishes a day or two before. This streamlines the cooking process on Thanksgiving Day.
- Set the table early: Arrange the table settings a day ahead to avoid last-minute stress. This also adds to the festive ambiance in the home.
- Keep it simple: While it’s tempting to prepare an elaborate spread, focusing on a few well-executed dishes often leads to a more enjoyable experience.
- Plan for downtime: Schedule some time for relaxation amidst the preparations. Take breaks, go for a walk, or simply sit and enjoy a moment of peace. It’s a holiday, after all!
Sample Thanksgiving Week Schedule
Week Before:
- Do you need to defrost the turkey? Figure out which day to start defrosting.
- Make Homemade Yogurt for an easy breakfast on the day of Thanksgiving and either buy or make granola to serve alongside.
- Make a Homemade Butter Wheat Pie Crust and refrigerate for Thursday’s pie (freeze if before Sunday).
- Prepare the Make-Ahead Green Bean Bundles with Bacon, assemble, and freeze them.
- Pickle some cranberries.
Monday:
- Make Minestrone to reheat for a healthy dinner the night before Thanksgiving and store in the refrigerator.
- Make the Quick Pickling solution and pickle vegetables for an appetizer spread.
- Defrost the pie crust.
Tuesday:
- Begin prepping Cornbread Dressing by baking the cornbread.
- Make a pie.
- Defrost Green Bean Bundles and any other frozen dishes.
- Create a written/printed plan or spreadsheet for Thursday with times (eg: 8 am: remove Turkey from the refrigerator, 8:30 am: get the roasting pan ready, 9 am: pre-heat oven, etc.). You can mark things off of this list as you go on Thanksgiving without having to try to remember every detail while guests arrive etc.
Wednesday:
- Continue the Cornbread Dressing by sauteing and mixing ingredients and storing it covered in the refrigerator until ready for baking.
- Assemble Green Bean Bundles with sauce and pre-bake. Cool and store in the refrigerator until ready to reheat.
- Prepare the Turkey Brine and brine the turkey according to the recipe instructions.
- Pre-cut the vegetables for the roast turkey’s base.
- Make a simple salad like a French Carrot Salad.
- Cut cheesecloth for the turkey.
Thursday (Thanksgiving Day):
- Roast the turkey using the Brine and Butter Cheesecloth method per the recipe guidelines.
- Prepare a quick side dish like an Easy Holiday Turnip Gratin, slice the turnips, and assemble the dish.
- Pull the dressing from the refrigerator, allowing it to reach room temperature.
- Set the table.
- Rest the turkey after roasting and make the gravy.
- Cook the Turnip Gratin and Cornbread Dressing while the turkey rests.
- Reheat the Make-Ahead Green Bean Bundles while the turkey and other dishes rest and cool.
- Retrieve any additional side dishes or desserts and arrange your feast.
Relax and Enjoy the Feast!
Once you’ve made it through your tasks, it’s time to savor the fruits of your labor. Remember, the goal is to create a warm and welcoming environment for everyone, including yourself. Prioritize what matters most and enjoy the Thanksgiving festivities. Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m thankful you visited. If you have any tips or tricks for planning a successful Thanksgiving I’d love to read your comments below.
Suggested Recipes for Thanksgiving
