Thanksgiving No Stress Prep 101
I remember the very first time I hosted Thanksgiving solo—no longer the backup to my mom, but the host. It was daunting. Although it is true Thanksgiving recipes are typically easy to make (at least mine are because I stick with classics over trendy: get all my recipes here), the daunting part is timing of all the components. No one wants guests filled with gratitude when the host leaves the room to cool down. No host wants to spend the day beating down growing panic or fury desperately looking for a few minutes to escape and breathe into a paper bag or to cry it out in privacy. And, who wants to collapse in exhaustion after hours of cooking? Especially if your Thanksgiving guests consists of many children who complain about having to eat turkey (when turkey is literally the only sandwich they will consume), refuse to eat anything besides a store-bought dinner roll, and then beg to leave the table in under 10 minutes proclaiming “I’m done” with a plateful of uneaten hours of labor.
So, today’s blog post is a bit like a Thanksgiving prep recipe. Basically, tackling the feast one bite at a time so no one day is overwhelming.
PREP WEEK
MONDAY
complete grocery shopping (I grocery shop once, but you can buy all your non-perishables earlier to make this day even easier. Monday can just be for turkey and perishables
go through all of your recipes and create a “day of” game plan (all the oven temperatures, cooking times, if guests are bringing foods that require stovetop or oven time) this is a necessity so you can work around a turkey that gobbles up all your oven space (see what I did there)
make any side dishes that benefit from a few days in the refrigerator (eg. cranberry and apple sauces)
if your turkey is frozen, check defrost times. Most frozen turkeys require 24-48 hours to fully defrost. If you are brining your bird, then you are already 48 hours out from needing it to be defrosted
TUESDAY
make your brine (you can leave brine covered on stovetop until needed tomorrow)
if making homemade cornbread, biscuits, or bread for dressing, then make it today. When cooled, break it or crumble it up and spread on cookie sheets to get stale. If not making any breads or biscuits, take the bread you are using and prep it to get stale
make your “make-ahead” gravy (yes, you can still opt to make day of gravy because no one ever complains about too much gravy, but this gives you the option to not have to stress about “time crunch, make my makeup run, are there any burners available on the stove top, can’t fix it if it is lumpy” gravy crunch time (also, many brine recipes make the drippings far too salty so this avoids that potential travesty as well)
WEDNESDAY (this is actually your busiest day of cooking)
make all the desserts
make all the side dishes: dressings, casseroles, macaroni and cheese, etc. Cover each and refrigerate overnight
make appetizers or dips can be made ahead
its turkey bath time! Right before bed: remove giblets from turkey, rinse, and submerge it fully in the completely cooled brine (I use a brining bag and then set inside a cooler with ice packs and ice. If you live somewhere cold this is a no hassle process because cooler can stay outside. If your bird is smaller (10-12 lbs) chances are it will fit snugly in a bin drawer of your refrigerator. If you celebrate in warm places with a larger bird and available refrigerator space is already dicey, then two options: ditch a brining recipe or buy a high quality cooler that will keep your turkey chilly
pro tip: its a good day to make an overnight egg casserole or have a breakfast plan in mind (cereal for all in the morning works); you don’t want people needing your kitchen, making lots of mess (can I give you the gift suggestion of paper plates for all meals prior to Thanksgiving meal), and generally making you reconsider your decision to love these people
TURKEY DAY:
obviously every one has their own Thanksgiving meal schedule so this is a unique day, but do you remember that Monday game plan? Well, get it out and reverse engineer from your serving time (don’t gloss over prep time prior to oven time. Eg: buttering turkey and stuffing with aromatics, topping a casserole if that needs to be done day of, etc).
if you did all the prep week stuff, then today all you really have to do is get the turkey in the oven, make mashed potatoes (if having), and any fresh veggies or salads you want. If you didn’t make the “make-ahead” gravy, then you have that on your plate as well.
Some timing tips:
remove turkey from brine in the morning (rinse the bird inside and out) and set at room temperature for as long as your comfort level/safety precautions allow so that you can prep for roasting and it isn’t cold (again, a straight out of the refrigerator/ice pack cooler bird will take longer to cook then planned for)
remove dressings and casseroles from refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to cooking time so they are not chilly and demand increased cooking time (note: most turkeys require up to 45 mins of rest time, most dressings and casserole bake for 30-45 minutes. This is fantastic because you can take everything out of fridge 30 minutes before turkey is done and bake them while Mr. Turkey rests)
remove cranberry and apple sauces (make ahead gravy too, but I cover that next) from refrigerator when turkey comes out of oven. Again, this allows chill to back off and flavors to develop more fully
put “make ahead” gravy in saucepan and keep on a low simmer, stirring occasionally while turkey rests
take any refrigerated desserts out right before you carve the turkey
Just a few more to decrease stress tips:
I make my mashed potatoes in the morning. When finished, I generously butter the inside of a slow cooker, drizzle in a bit of half and half (or milk), put all the mashies in, cover top with butter wrappers or buttered wax paper, then set slow cooker to warm (low is still too hot and forms a crust or browns sides, yuck). Sometimes I remember to give the potatoes a stir, sometimes not. I’ve held my mashed potatoes this way for four hours with complete success! When I take turkey out of oven, I check the temperature of the potatoes, give it a good stir, and either leave until serving time on warm or set to low to get a bit more heat through
I set any bites or appetizers in an area that keeps my cooking zone clear of company; a kitchen is the heart of the home and it is normal and lovely to gather there, but having people underfoot in the thick of cooking can, well, turn even a Mary into a Martha (and turn a Martha like me, into a not lovely hostess)
I went the day of gravy route and now its lumpy (immersion blender, voila, no lumps)
you cooked, don’t clean up
I pray this helps make your Thanksgiving day less stressful, encourages and equips you to consider hosting Thanksgiving if you never have, and plants the seed of wanting your home to be a constant gathering spot. Hospitality is to love as you are loved, but often we don’t invite people over because of self-imposed pressure. I promise you don’t have to have chef-level cuisine—I promise you can even serve a Sharon level completely burnt Marie Callender pie or have to order take-out because your oven stops working—to be abundantly blessed by a day set aside to give thanks for God’s provision, enjoy fellowship, and be filled with gratitude (maybe mixed with a bit of family drama annoyance, but mostly love).
Let’s not let the enemy convince us hosting others is too overwhelming, but choose to take celebratory feasts one bite at a time, so we have a day where we are overwhelmed by His goodness.
Happy Thanksgiving!