Complete Thanksgiving Checklist
With Katie Jacobs, Styling My Everyday
Thanksgiving is almost here! Hard to believe how quickly November is flying by.
Over the years, I’ve learned that the more I do before Thanksgiving, the more I enjoy the day itself. A little careful planning - and a cooking schedule I can actually follow - means less rushing around the kitchen and more time with the people gathered around our table.
Looking back at my Thanksgiving celebrations, I’ve pulled together the preparations that make the biggest difference. If you’re hosting this year, here’s your week-before cheat sheet. Check it twice!
Get Organized
Start with your menu, including any dishes guests are bringing. Then make your grocery list, plan your table, and tackle the cleaning you want finished before everyone arrives.
This is also a good time to get a head start in the kitchen. Homemade chicken stock, bread for stuffing, yeast rolls, and pies that freeze well can all be prepared ahead. Check each recipe for freezing, thawing, and reheating instructions so you know exactly what will need attention on Thanksgiving Day.
Make a Schedule
Write everything down. I keep a Thanksgiving notebook with my menu, recipes, shopping lists, and cooking schedule all in one place. Even the instructions for where to insert the turkey thermometer go in there. No more hunting for that dressing recipe every November—it’s in the notebook!
Make two schedules: one for the days leading up to Thursday and another for Thanksgiving Day. Work backward from the time you want to eat, allowing for oven space, reheating, and the turkey’s resting time.
And yes, I mean specific times. You’re laughing. I know! But writing down when to preheat the oven, put in the turkey, and uncover the stuffing saves so much last-minute guesswork. Use the cooking times and temperatures in your recipes, and keep cooked dishes hot at 140°F or above until serving.
Leave yourself a little breathing room, too. The schedule is there to help you enjoy the day.
Research Your Recipes
If you’ve found a new recipe you’re excited to serve, try it before Thanksgiving. You’ll know how long it takes, which serving dish it needs, and whether you want to make any adjustments.
Thanksgiving morning feels much easier when you already know what to expect from the food you’re making.
Create a Stress-Free Thanksgiving Day
A couple of days before Thanksgiving, lay butcher paper across your buffet and arrange your empty serving dishes on top. Once everything fits, trace around each dish with a pen that shows up on the paper, label what goes where, and set out the serving utensils.
This is one of my favorite hosting tricks. You’ll know you have enough serving pieces and space for everything, and family can help put dishes in their places as food comes out of the kitchen. The labels also become a final checklist, so those deviled eggs don’t get forgotten in the refrigerator!
Keep hot dishes on trivets or warming equipment suitable for your buffet surface. When the meal is over, the paper makes cleanup a little easier, too.
You don’t have to do everything yourself, and Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. Prepare what you can, let people help, and leave yourself time to enjoy the gathering. That’s what all this planning is really for.
