Six Thanksgiving Pitfalls to Avoid

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

If you want to have a smooth Thanksgiving Day experience, be sure you're doing these six things:

Pre-cook and freeze what you can
Plan the menu
Write a timeline for Thanksgiving week
Write a timeline for Thanksgiving day
Plan time to rest
Set the table the night before

1) You're not pre-cooking and freezing your pies

You can cook many Thanksgiving food staples and then freeze them ahead of time.

What are those, you may ask? Whole pies, brownies, bars, cookies, and sweet potato casseroles. I'm sure there are more, but these are foolproof ones. I recommend freezing them solid, putting them in an airtight container such as a large zip lock bag, and squeezing out as much air as possible. If you have a vacuum sealer, use that instead of a bag. As an added layer of protection, carefully wrap it in a layer of foil as well. The extra layer of foil keeps out other flavors and smells.

And please, do not freeze the mashed potatoes. Create those with tender, loving care and serve them hot, with obscene amounts of melted butter.

2) You're not planning a menu

If you are hosting, you need a clear plan on what food and drinks will be served. If it's a potluck style, you must know who is bringing what. If you are doing all the cooking, you need to make sure you have a plan to make it all work. Either way, plan your menu and delegate as needed or desired. If you don't plan a menu, you might overlook a staple or side dish.

One year, Thanksgiving was a loosely coordinated potluck, which resulted in no cranberry sauce or relish. Everyone thought someone else was bringing it, which was a major disappointment. The following year, we had the opposite situation! We ended up with five (yes, five) types of cranberry relish.

Example Menu:

Dinner:

Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Roasted Root Vegetables
Cranberry Sauce
Gravy

Drinks:

Hot Apple Cider
Mocktails (might I suggest my Cranberry Rosemary Mocktail)
Water

Desserts:

Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie
Brownies
Ice Cream

3) You're not writing out a timeline of the week before Thanksgiving

Planning the week will help you feel confident going into the busy holiday. It will help you think through all the steps that need to happen and help you ensure everything that needs to get done does get done.

For example, perhaps you won't forget to get a turkey, but what if you do?! If you buy a frozen one, you need to start thawing it before it's time to start cooking it. If you're going to brine the bird, you must also plan for that.

So, write everything that must be done and start working backward. Doing this will help you determine what you can get done in advance, such as making and freezing pies or chopping vegetables two days in advance. Here is my example:

Week of Thanksgiving Plan:

Monday: Thaw turkey in the fridge. Bake apple and pumpkin pie.
Tuesday: Make sweet potato casserole. Brine Turkey.
Wednesday: Chop root vegetables. Prep mocktail ingredients. Set the table and lay out serving dishes.
Thursday: See Thanksgiving Day Plan

4) You're not writing out a timeline for Thanksgiving Day

If you are hosting Thanksgiving, a timeline for the day is CRUCIAL. Why? Because it will help you take all the mental math out of when to start each task, dish, or drink. Here is my example:

Thanksgiving Day Plan

9 am - take out pre-baked, frozen items to thaw (pies, desserts, other ingredients), and make sauces.
11 am - Turn on the oven
Noon - start turkey
2 pm guests arrive
4 pm dinner served
6 pm Dessert / Watch the game

Pro tip: Make a list of things guests can help with if they ask, "How can I help?" Some of my go-to's are filling the water cups, setting out napkins, and arranging the dessert buffet.

5) You're not setting the table the night before

Setting the table on Wednesday night is one of the easiest yet most overlooked preparations you can do as a host. Deck the table with everything - place settings, glasses and stemware, centerpieces, silverware, and napkins.

Place the cups upside down to prevent dust from settling inside of them. And, if the food will be at the table rather than a buffet, put the empty serving dishes down on the table so you can arrange everything around them, ensuring everything will fit. Then, when it comes time to put the cooked food into their serving dishes, bring them back in.

6) You're not planning enough rest time

Preparing for Thanksgiving, or any holiday, can be exhausting!! If you don't plan time to rest, odds are that you will get to the grand meal feeling miserable.

One of my favorite ways to take a break during the holiday entertaining prep process is to scroll through Pinterest on the couch and add pins to my "fluff" boards. They aren't idea pins; they're just pins of pretty things and beautiful places. It gives my brain and body a break.

When and how you rest is up to you, but planning time for it is necessary.

BONUS: warm up the serving dishes

If your serving dishes are oven-safe and you have oven space, you can keep all your serving dishes in a warm oven. Keeping the serving dishes warm will help the food stay hot longer once it's been transferred to the serving dish.

Thanks for stopping by! I genuinely believe doing these six things will make your Thanksgiving Day a smoother, more enjoyable one. I believe in you!

And remember, I'm here to help you host. So please leave comments or questions on other ways you need help!

Cheers,

Susan