So you’ve committed yourself to hosting Thanksgiving dinner.  How cool, how scary!  Am I right?!  I mean, this is the dinner party of dinner parties.  How can you possibly pull off this monumental dinner with so many dishes, for so many people?  Ok, so if you weren’t scared before, I’m sure the opening lines of this post did it for ya!  🙂  No worries.  You will be fine.  In many ways, it is just like other dinner party you have hosted, with a few more moving pieces.

There are lots of tips that I have shared with you, to help you have a successful Thanksgiving, but these are specific to those who are hosting for the first time.

1. Decide on whether it will be potluck style or you will make everything.

I prefer to serve everything out of my kitchen because through careful planning and time management, it causes me less stress than waiting for my guests to bring side dishes and wondering if they made enough.  Also, one of the things that can cause a traffic jam in the kitchen, is someone bringing something cold or that needs re-heating.  Oven space is premium real estate on Thanksgiving day and having to constantly place and remove things from the oven can cause you more stress than what you originally saved by not making the dish yourself.

Should you choose to do it potluck style, you can avoid that madness by politely asking guests to bring things already hot or in an insulated bag.  Also, who you decide to assign dishes to is really important.  Don’t assign the appetizers to your favorite aunt who is usually late – let her bring dessert.  One more tip, don’t serve too many appetizers since this is such a big and filling meal.

Which brings me to a third option and it’s usually what I opt for.  I make all the main and side dishes and I delegate the desserts.  I will usually make one or two pies and my guests bring the rest.   I only make pies because there a few that I enjoy making, otherwise I would skip making any dessert and delegate it entirely.  I usually set up my buffet table, allowing for the size serving dishes that I will use, but the dessert table isn’t as orderly, it’s just an empty table with a few decorations and some serving utensils.  As the guests arrive they can place their dessert on that table.

2.  Choose dishes that you can make ahead of time.

When choosing your dishes, keep in mind how much oven space you have.  Also, look at their cooking temperature, as they will have to be in the same oven.  Something that cooks at 375 deg and something that cooks at 350 deg, can usually be in the same oven if you set it somewhere in between.  However, something that has to cook at 425 deg. cannot be in an oven with something that cooks at 325 deg – keep that in mind when choosing your dishes.  Another thing to consider is avoiding too many dishes that have to be made at the last-minute.  There is always a bit of a frenzy on Thanksgiving, no matter how much you plan, so last-minute sautéing and bruleing is not going to help.

Most of the dishes that I make are completely prepped the night before and will just heat them up in the oven the following day.  Lastly, dont experiment with new recipes as there are too many variables to control on such a busy cooking day.

3. Order another rack for your oven.

This one didn’t occur to me until last year.  Considering that so many Thanksgiving dishes are casseroles that are baked in standard 9×13, you can usually fit another rack into your oven.  Admittedly, after using it for Thanksgiving and my Christmas brunch, I have not had a need for it and had to store it, but it was helpful enough during the holidays to justify buying it.  I purchased this one through my Amazon store but you will have to search for one specific to your oven dimensions.  It will allow you to place an additional 2 casseroles in the oven.  Note that adding more dishes to your oven may mean that things cook slower, as the heat distribution is altered.  I don’t actually cook 6 casseroles at once anyway but I will re-heat and keep 6 casseroles in there until it’s time to serve.

4. Don’t set up any food stations inside the kitchen.

You will thank me for this one.  The kitchen is always the hub of the action during dinner parties but it can be the eye of the storm during Thanksgiving.  If possible, avoid setting up tables right next to areas that you will need to be doing all your last-minute prep and cooking.  Setting a buffet table in another room, can make it more comfortable for you to work and for your guests to have ample room to move.  Also, after dinner, the kitchen will inevitably look pretty messy, so it is best to have the fun in another room anyway.  It’s more relaxing to be in a room separate from stacked dishes.

5.  Have a schedule.

This should be number 1 and it’s my favorite tip for people hosting Thanksgiving for the first or fifteenth time.  I write down a schedule, counting backwards on when I want to serve dinner, that has a ridiculous amount of detail as to when to put things in the oven, when to remove them, when to serve water in the water glasses, when to set the coffee maker, turn on the candles, everything.  This timeline will take you a while to put together but it will keep you so calm that it will become indispensable.  Also, you can use the same timeline year after year.  No more stressing wondering if you are forgetting something important.  There are just too many things to juggle on that day and winging it won’t carve cut it.

Above all, know that are these tips are geared towards one goal – you having fun!  Yes, it’s also about your guests, but they won’t have fun if you look stressed out.  When you are the host/hostess, you set the pace.  If you are relaxed, they will be relaxed and have fun, too!

A few days ago, I shared Part One of my Foolproof Thanksgiving Plan that centered around the week prior to Thanksgiving.  Today we are talking about the week of…crunch time and soon munch time!

My first tip in Part One was making a list (of the menu) and my first tip of this post is also a list.  Being organized on a hectic holiday can make a difference between having fun and being exhausted and running around finding items on the day of your party.

Create a timeline of your dinner preparation

I write down a timeline, working backwards of when items need to go into the oven and when they need to come out.  Every detail goes into this timeline.  I write down when to turn on candles when to turn on music, when to pour water into the goblets…everything.  This list can be a little tedious to put together, but I use it every year so it was worth the work.  Also, when you have a lot of things on your mind, you start to wonder if you are forgetting something.  I am relaxed when I follow this list because I know that I am right on track to everything being made in a timely manner.  I actually enjoy the prep work before my guests arrive because I feel more confident about my time-keeping.  This is the best tip I can give you!

Use multiple timers to keep track of dishes

I have about 5 timers and I use them all on Thanksgiving day.  I place a post-it in front of the timer with the name of the dish that it pertains to, that way I know when to pull it out of the oven.  Also, when I am cooking casseroles that say “cook at 375” and another that says “cook at 325”, I usually cook them both at 350 to maximize my oven use.  I do this with dishes that I know will be fine with the slight temperature change.

Use a cooler as a warmer to conserve oven space

This is the time to pull out all the stops when it comes to conserving oven space.  A good cooler can also serve as a warmer for your casseroles that need to be kept warm.  Just be sure to clean your cooler, place a folded towel in the bottom and then the casserole (covered in foil) on top of the towel.  You can cover that with another towel and make sure that you don’t peek, as the heat will quickly escape.  Of course, keeping the food warm in the oven is ideal, but this is another option.

Also, to conserve oven space, you can place the mashed potatoes over a double boiler or inside a crockpot.

Chop your onions, celery and garlic

A few days before Thanksgiving, you can chop up your onions, celery and garlic and place them inside an airtight container.

Set your table

Not sure what it is about the table setting but I am so relieved once that is done, plus I enjoy it so much!  I set the table a day or two before my dinner party.  I recently posted about setting a proper table and you can read about it here.  Although if you are having a lot of guests over for Thanksgiving, you may not want to mess with so many utensils.  Keep it pretty, simple and fun.

Make your sides the day before

I purposely choose side dishes that can be made ahead of time.  If I can make them all the day before, even better.  I love waking up on Thanksgiving day knowing that most of my meal is ready to go!

Purchase containers for left-overs

I love to send my guests home with left-overs!  It also clears out my kitchen and fridge, so it’s a win-win.  Most of my food containers are glass and I prefer not to give those out, so I purchase disposable ones to give out after big meals.  I take them out of the wrapper and have them in a corner ready to go.  I try to think of as many details as possible before the dinner.

Set-up coffeemaker 

Once dinner is over, I like to hang out with my guests.  When it’s time for coffee, I like the convenience of pressing the “on” button instead of starting to grind coffee beans.  Sometimes, I make the coffee ahead of time and place it inside an insulated thermal coffee carafe, which keeps coffee hot for hours.

You can also set aside little bowls of different sugars and a pitcher of creamer inside the fridge to serve with your coffee.

Keep the kitchen free of crowds

Of course my family is free to roam around our home, but placing a drink station in the kitchen can make for some real rush hour traffic.  You will need your space to move around, and it is best to set up stations elsewhere.

Place extra garbage bags inside the trash can

You will definitely have more garbage during big gatherings than usual, so place a few extra garbage bags at the bottom of your trash can, so that you don’t have to go looking for them in the middle of the party.

Empty dishwasher before the dinner

This is a great tip for any dinner party.  Chances are that you won’t be able to fit everything into the dishwasher after a huge dinner, but even clearing out half the items is a big help.  You don’t want to deal with emptying your dishwasher after working so hard during the day.  An empty dishwasher will be waiting for you.  Let’s hear it for dishwashers!

Have fun!

All the planning in the world cannot produce a glitch-free event and honestly, that shouldn’t be our goal.  I make lists and check them twice so that I can enjoy the party along with my guests.  The lists are not meant to control you, quite the opposite.  Once the guests arrive, whatever is not done – go with it and just have fun.  People will always remember how you made them feel way more than whether the pie crust got a little burnt.  Seeing that their hostess is having fun is the best gift you can give your guests.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving with your family and friends and know that I am thankful for all of you!

xo,

Maria

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