Easier Thanksgiving with my 10 Simple Tips

If there is one thing I do right, it’s Thanksgiving. To say it’s my favorite holiday is an understatement. Thanksgiving brings me back to my childhood with instant memories of my gramma, my huge family gathered together laughing and watching football in their most cozy (and giving) outfits waiting to dig into that turkey and sides. I look forward to this Thursday all year long. Seriously, ask anyone who has ever met me. The word Thanksgiving itself coincides with my name and or face. I was born this way, it’s not my fault. 

Through the years I’ve seen the adults cook and stress over the turkey, the sides, who’s bringing what, how many people, etc. Though it always turned out to be a wonderful day, I’ve made mental notes and applied them to when I first started hosting Thanksgiving. 

My husband and I come from huge families so I had to learn this quickly. The rule for Thanksgiving is simple; people are hungry and want to watch football. Ok, note taken!

Invite early!

Make the guest list and send out invitations ahead of time so your guests can plan their day. Will they go to your house for dinner and then somewhere else for dessert? Or the other way around? You need to give them enough time to sort all of this out and get back to you with their RSVP, which will help with your grocery shopping and prep.

Make lists

Making lists will help you stay organized for hosting an easier Thanksgiving. It’s also very satisfying when you’re done with tasks and cross them off your list. The lists I usually have are:

• Grocery list
• Guest lists -who you’re inviting and then who is coming. Two different things.
• Menu list- what you’re making and what your guests are bringing.
• Serveware. Does everything- from the sides to the desserts to cream and sugar- have the correct serving ware?

Get yourself ready first

Work out, shower, hair, makeup, etc first. Once you are ready then you can start the day and this will be one less thing you have to worry about which allow for an easier Thanksgiving Day ahead. People will understand if they’re waiting for last-minute things to come together in the kitchen and might even offer to help, but they’re not going to want to wait for you to get out of the shower or blow dry your hair. 

Prep night.

 Do as much as you can the night before, which will give you a much easier Thanksgiving! A big bonus is you’ll be able to spend more time with your guests and enjoy the holiday. Check out my post all about Thanksgiving prep night here.

Do not try new recipes

Self explanatory. When cooking for guests, always stick to the recipes you have mastered. 

Assign items for guests to bring

Nobody wants to come empty-handed. People want to feel like they’re contributing to the holiday. Allow them to bring a side dish, dessert, or any other item that will give you one less thing to prepare or buy. It’s important to delegate because you could end up with a lot of the same items. This can take some of the workload off you and again, you can enjoy the holiday and your guests more

Clear Up

Clear out the dishwasher, trash, and recycling bins. Having everything emptied out makes clean-up a lot quicker.

Prioritize the cooking

Start by making the sides that hold up and are easier to reheat first. Then, move on to the ones that need to be served immediately, hot and fresh from the oven. For example, you can cook mashed potatoes first because they can be warmed up easily. On the other hand, roasted vegetables should be served right out of the oven and the last thing to go in and come out of the oven.

Bake desserts and start coffee during dinner

For desserts that are to be served hot, put them in the oven as everyone sits to eat the meal. This will give the house a lovely aroma and also make it less of a worry for you. After clearing up, you can quickly set up the dessert table and coffee station. I highly recommend a coffee urn for big holiday parties. I like this one. Bonus tip: designate a small area for the desserts before they’re displayed. There’s always that one pie that’s forgotten in the chaos of setting up dessert.

Enjoy!

This is a big day with a lot to do, but it only comes around once a year, so try to enjoy all of it – the shopping, the cooking, and even the mess. Things won’t go right, and that’s okay. Go with the flow and keep things light. If you’re enjoying yourself, your guests will be too. This day is about making memories. Let’s make them good!