Thanksgiving is a massive feast. In my house, I traditionally prepare it single-handedly, and helplessly slip into unconsiousness as soon as the last guest leaves. Over the years, I’ve worked to find ways to make the whole experience more palatable, while still producing a kick-ass, guest-worthy meal. The main keys are advanced planning, and knowing how to shift from making things happen, into management.
Advance Planning
Here’s how I deal with groceries.
- I gather up all the recipes I need, and give some serious thought to including any ancillary items that might not appear in one of them (for instance, soft butter for the table, or wine for dinner).
- Then, I copy-and-paste all the ingredient lists into a single list, which I ask AI to amalgomate.
- Next, I ask AI to split this into multiple lists: things that can be purchased months in advance, weeks in advance, days in advance, and things that are best if purchased as close as possible to go-time.
- Finally, I ask AI to create subheading within each list, organizing the items by grocery store section.
- Then I fine-tune the lists by hand.
Have your knives professionally sharpened. Don’t roll your eyes at me. It’s an inexpensive thing to have done, and carving a turkey with a professionally-honed, razor-sharp knife is a flat-out pleasure.
Management
Do not shop the weekend before Thanksgiving. What are you, nuts? Pro move: do your “weekend before Thanksgiving” shopping on the weekdays that precede that weekend, before or after work. Do this over multiple days, if that makes it more manageable.
Use the weekend before Thanksgiving for intensive cooking and cooking prep.
Depending on your situation, you may also be able to dedicate the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week to to prep and cooking. I am grateful beyond words to work in an extraordinarily civilized environment; we get the day before Thanksgiving completely off, and I use that as my prime, workhorse prep day.
If you don’t feel you have enough prep time, consider this: it is highly unlikely that you can bake dinner rolls as well as your local bakery does. If you know an utterly fantastic pie shop, buy the pies. Many high-end groceries and restaurants offer ready-to-heat Thanksgiving dishes. Consider buying some of your sides instead of making them. A lot of my friends and relatives do this. Of course it’s expensive; that’s the trade-off.
How to Thanksgiving without Spiraling
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! Thank you, Kesor and Proper Circle. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything.
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I see you’re great at planning! I am not. Well, technically I can follow the planned scenario
/ list, and it works pretty well…until I decide to make little (or not so little) tweaks, or even dramatically change, the last moment LOL
Yes, I’m such a planner!
Now THAT my dear is a true Thanksgiving Feast. And what an organizational chart! I’m never that organized for the holidays. If I start planning 2 weeks in advanced, then I’m doing pretty good. Looks like y’all are going to have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thank you!
Again, amazing. I’m a super planner as well, but I could never put a whole dinner in a post!!!
Yes, I might very well have spent too much time putting this post together, 🙂 but I always find Thanksgiving dinner to be stressful. Fun, but stressful. The planning reduces the stress.
What a wonderful gift to everyone! This reminds me of my aunt, who was famous for a meticulous plan before Thanksgiving dinner. She was brilliant at it, just as you are!
P. S. — I am incredibly grateful that my husband is like yours, and cleans up after me as I go along. I’ve been known to make quite the mess!
High five!
Thank you so much, David – what a sweet thing to say.
Jeff, I like this post. I do. But I think your timeline needs some slight tweaking. If I purchase 3 bottles of wine months before Thanksgiving, I can give you the exact percentage chance that they are still around by Turkey Day. 🙂
Excellent point, my friend. Excellent point.
Though I had commented on this, but obviously not! Anyway, love Thanksgiving, and it’s my favorite meal to prepare. When I worked I usually took the day before off, just because. I like a 12 pound turkey too, although agree 14 is much more available. And after years of doing fresh turkeys, heritage turkeys, really expensive all natural turkeys, I’ve finally settled on frozen Butterballs as my turkey of choice. Good flavor, good price, and I can discern very little difference between a Butterball and a more expensive whatever turkey. VERY little. As in none. 🙂
Completely agreed! Thanks, John!
This is such a smart idea Jeff, perfectly planned and described! Thanksgiving day can be so stressful, but you’ve solved that problem with this delicious meal and plan. I need to follow this so I can actually enjoy Thanksgiving day! 😄
That was my hope in putting that post together. Thanks!