10 Things You Need for Hosting an Epic Thanksgiving!

There’s a lot that goes into this day, especially this dinner. It’s a day dedicated to cooking, eating, and watching football with a crowd. It could be a one-way ticket to Anxietyville with all the planning and prepping. The easiest way to get through Thursday is to have the right Thanksgiving Day must-haves to make everything from the prepping to the cooking, carving, eating, and clean-up as efficient as possible.

Here are my top 10 Thanksgiving Day essential items to help you host an epic holiday!

A good roasting pan

A quality roasting pan is essential for roasting a turkey to ensure even and high-quality cooking. I’ve been using this Calphalon roaster for my turkey because of its durability and lasting quality. Also, it’s dishwasher-safe!

Carving tools

Having the right tools can make all the difference when cutting into the meat. You want juicy cuts of turkey to make your Thanksgiving dinner epic!

• Carving board AND cutting board. A carving board is thicker than a regular cutting board with grooves bordering to catch the juices of the meat. Carving boards are designed to be durable enough to handle meats. A cutting board is more for basic slicing and dicing fruits, veggies, etc. But, both are very important Thanksgiving must haves!
• Turkey lifters. These are so helpful in transporting the turkey from the roasting pan to the cutting board or serving dish safely and keeping the turkey in one piece
  
• Sharp knife and a carving fork. The carving fork will stabilize the turkey while you are carving making it easier to slice into and cut up. Having a good quality SHARP knife is the safest to use. Investing in a knife sharpener can improve your knife skills and provide you with smoother cuts.
  

Oven-proof thermometer

When I say this is life-changing I mean it! One of the most important Thanksgiving Day must-haves is a leave-in oven-proof thermometer! Turkey math is confusing! Those pop-up timers that come with the turkey aren’t always accurate. The regular digital meat thermometers are accurate but having to open the oven door and remove aluminum foil to check the temp is a hassle and could lead to uneven cooking. I’ve tried a few different brands of oven-proof thermometers, and the one I found most easy to use is the Oxo leave-in thermometer. 

Coffee urn

Having a 30-cup or larger coffee urn speeds up the coffee-making process, especially for larger gatherings. I used to rely on my 12-cup coffee pot for big dinners, making my guests wait for a new pot to be ready. Let’s just say those were the amateur days, and we don’t need to discuss this any further.

Foldable tables and chairs

These not only provide extra seating, but can also be used for other display options like a dessert table, coffee station, or buffet table.

Clorox wipes

Essential for disinfecting the kitchen after working with poultry to eliminate any trace of salmonella. I prefer wipes over sponges or kitchen towels because they can be disposed of after use.

Industrial garbage bags

Dealing with turkey mess requires a reliable way to dispose of the carcass without leaks. Additionally, larger gatherings generate more trash, making these bags essential for keeping everything contained until garbage pick-up. Not to mention, you will use fewer industrial garbage bags than if you were to use regular ones. I go more into detail here.

Containers for leftover food.

Thanksgiving dinner essential a thousand times over! I am very passionate about this. Giving away stacks of leftovers in paper plates covered with aluminum foil, or in zip lock bags (ew) just doesn’t work. It just doesn’t. Things leak. Things. Leak. Invest in reusable containers to give away leftovers, as they are more practical, durable and prevent leaks. 

The small things

Sometimes we forget the little things that are also Thanksgiving must haves and help make all the work easier!

• quality baster and basting brush
• measuring cups and spoons
• whisks
• strainer (small, medium and large)
• potato peeler and masher
• food processor, electric mixer
• oven mits (I love the Food Network brand because they have rubber grips that provide extra protection from heat and also a more sturdy hold)

Refrigerator space!

And last but not least, you will need to make a lot of room in the refrigerator for all of the food. Thanksgiving dinner is the meal you want to make plenty of and have leftovers! Turkey sandwiches with all the trimmings (thank you, Monica Geller!) the next day are well-deserved for all the hard work that has been put in.