To be able to host the perfect Thanksgiving dinner, you need a plan. Use this step by step guide to help you pull off an amazing and stress-free holiday feast!
Thanksgiving dinner is one of my most favorite holiday meals to host. Over the years I have learned that planning ahead is key to making this special meal a success. Since I love to make lists, I made one for EVERY aspect of this meal; a guest list, menu, food shopping, tablescape shopping, prep sorted by day and type, and of course, the “day of” timeline. A bit excessive, I know, but these lists helped me stay organized and on task. Hosting Thanksgiving, especially for the first time, can be stressful. Today I want to share the Thanksgiving prep timeline I used to help me have a delightful and relaxing holiday. And this timeline coordinates perfectly with my Best Thanksgiving Dinner Menu blog post. Enjoy!
The Ultimate Thanksgiving Prep Timeline
1 Month Ahead
- Create your guest list. Plan how many people are going to come so you can begin to figure out the quantity of things you will need.
2 Weeks Ahead
- Order your pies. Pies sell out fast so it is best to order these well in advance from your local bakery.
- Order your turkey. This is especially important if you need a particular size or type of turkey.
1 Week Ahead
- Buy your non-perishable items. This also includes any serving pieces, table decor, linens, or platters you may need.
- Wash & iron your table linens. No one wants to be doing laundry on Thanksgiving morning.
- Create your grocery list. I like to organize mine by categories; dairy, produce, bakery, etc. This saves a lot of time because you wont need to retrace your steps or meander in the grocery aisles while getting your ingredients.
- Defrost your turkey. If you are using a frozen turkey, now is the time to move it to the refrigerator.
2 Days Ahead
- Go grocery shopping. When you get home, organize your items in the fridge.
- Clean house. This part is no fun but it has to be done!
1 Day Ahead
This is the busiest day because all the meal prep work needs to get done. Chopping, dicing, sautéing, simmering and any other make-ahead components of your recipes need to be completed today.
- Assemble the Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms. Prep and stuff the mushrooms so they are ready to go in the oven for tomorrow.
- Prepare the Cranberry Crostini. Make the cranberry topping. Toast the crostini and store in a ziplock bag for them to stay fresh.
- Make the mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, and corn casserole.
- Assemble the Mixed Greens salad. Wash the lettuce and pears. Dice the red onion and crumble the goat cheese.
- Prepare the Roasted Carrots and Parsnips. Follow the recipe so the carrot mixture will be ready to roast tomorrow.
- Run the dishwasher.
The Day Of
I am listing the times I used for our meal. To make your own timeline, start backwards. Write down when you want to eat and go back from there. It may seem silly to list every single thing like I did, but there is so much to coordinate that day so listing each detail really does help.
10:00 am
- Prep the turkey
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Set the table
- Chill the white wine
11:00 am
- Put the turkey in the oven
11:30 am
- Baste the turkey
12:00 pm
- Baste the turkey
12:30 pm
- Baste the turkey
- Take the cranberry crostini topping out of the fridge
- Take the stuffed mushrooms out of the fridge
1:00 pm
- Put the stuffed mushrooms in the oven
- Remove foil from the turkey
- Wrap the turkey legs in foil (if needed)
- Baste the turkey
- Take cornbread stuffing, potatoes, carrots, and corn casserole out of the fridge
- Open the red wine
1:30 pm
- Baste turkey
- Put the cornbread stuffing in the oven
1:45 pm
- Make the Pomfresca cocktails
- Assemble the Cranberry Crostini
- Top the mushrooms with marscapone cheese
2:00 pm
- Take turkey out of the oven and tent with foil
- Put the carrots, corn casserole, and mashed potatoes in the oven
- Remove the vegetables from the turkey cavity
- Take the cranberry sauce out of the fridge
- Serve the appetizers and cocktails
2:15 pm
- Toss the carrots then put them back in the oven
- Take the stuffing out of the oven and cover with foil
- Cut up the pears and prepare the salad
- Carve the turkey
- Heat up the gravy
2:20 pm
- Take the corn, carrots, and potatoes out of the oven
2:30 pm
- EAT! Sit down and enjoy your perfectly planned and deliciously tasty Thanksgiving dinner!
Get your free downloadable version of my Thanksgiving Day prep timeline here.
