This post has been edited from the original which was published on November 17, 2011.
It’s always hard to accomplish your Thanksgiving tasks when you don’t know how many people you’re having over! I think I have the final count and we’re only going to be 22 people this year, including my two daughters who will be home from college. I am so excited to have all my kids in the kitchen this year prepping and cooking with me. I had a stroke of genius six years ago, which was to tack my Thanksgiving to-do list on the refrigerator and have everyone sign up for three tasks. Even my husband helps out!
My last class is today, but I have a few fun things to keep my busy until Thanksgiving. Today at 2:30 pm PST/5:30 pm EST, I will be making a green bean casserole on Town & Country’s Facebook Live. Please join me! Friday, my friend John from the Preppy Kitchen and I will do a Facebook Live together around 10:00 am PST. Then I am working on a special project with a great company and shooting some videos for them, so lots to do! I’ll be getting busy on Sunday when I start making applesauce and cranberry sauce. I always plan Thanksgiving day down to the last detail because I don’t like forgetting things and a schedule makes me feel more relaxed, which equals more fun for me! But just because Thanksgiving is the star of the show this week doesn’t mean that I can forget about normal life on very other day. So I think about regular meals and activities, too. Here’s what my schedule will look like from Sunday until we eat on Thursday at 4:00 pm (-ish). This shouldn’t make you feel exhausted, but merely show you what you can do ahead for your own Thanksgiving! The Chalkboard Mag published a really great blogpost last year with tons of tips from lots of food experts (including me!) I highly recommend giving it a quick read.
My Thanksgiving ebook is now available! This PDF contains all my Thanksgiving recipes, tips and tricks, in one document! You will have everything you need to plan and execute your best Thanksgiving ever. Click here to access the Thanksgiving ebook.
Here’s my menu for Thursday and after that is my timeline so you can see how everything can get done.
BREAKFAST
Struesel coffee cake (I’ve been making this for 20 years, but it’s from an old, out-of-print book. It’s not healthy. Not even a little.)
Vegan coffee cake from the Vegan for Everyone cookbook
LUNCH
HORS D’OEUVRES
Small cheese board (blog post coming soon!)
DINNER
2 Whole Roast Turkeys and Gravy (14 pounds each)
Cranberry Sauce (x2)
Applesauce (x1)
Mashed yukon gold potatoes (7 pounds)
Sweet potato casserole (x 1 1/2)
Stuffing (mushroom and leek) (x1)
Stuffing (sourdough, chicken sausage, apple, fennel)(x1)
Delicata Squash Salad with Roasted Apples (x3)
Stovetop Brussels Sprouts (x3) from my cookbook
Green Bean Casserole (x3)
Creamy Corn Pudding (I’ll let you know if The Chalkboard or Jenni Kayne decide to share my recipe.)
DESSERT
Whipped Cream
Fresh Fruit Platter
Schedule:
Sunday
Grocery shop for everything other than turkeys and produce
Arrange tables & chairs
Make cranberry sauce and applesauce
Write placecards
Monday
Make salad vinaigrette for salad
Make 2 qts. ice cream
Dry mix for sweet potato casserole with a note about adding butter
Make pumpkin bread
Make pastry dough for all pies (watch this how-to video)
Dinner: naan pizzas, salad
Tuesday
Parent-Teacher Conferences at Mr. Picky’s school
Pick up turkeys and produce
Buy and arrange flowers (last year I made arrangements with white hydrangeas, flowering kale, roses, and snapdragons)
Brine turkey for 24 hours
Set tables
Wash and dry greens
Shred cheese for tart, salad
Toast pumpkin seeds for salad
Dry bread cubes for stuffing
Chop onions for soup, stuffings, gratin
Defrost spinach for gratin
Defrost turkey stock and chicken stocks
Make apple caramel sauce
Dinner: slow cooker chicken tacos (aka, the easiest dinner on the planet!)
Wednesday
Make butternut squash soup
Steam cauliflower; bread and refrigerate
Make sweet potato casserole
Clean mushrooms and slice for bean casserole
Make stuffings
Prep Brussels sprouts
Prep zucchini
Blind bake tart crust
Prep delicata squash for salad
Blanche green beans
Blanche Brussels sprouts
Make pumpkin pies
Make pecan pies
Defrost corn for pudding
Assemble bread pudding
Make vegan coffee cake
Set up coffee and tea service
Check powder room
Uncover turkeys
Leave butter, eggs and sour cream out for cake
Dinner: spice-rubbed salmon, brown rice, broccoli with garlic and crushed red pepper
Before bed: make sure garage refrigerator door is closed! (Seven years ago, I left the door open to my extra fridge in the garage all night long. OMG. Disaster! Needed to buy two new turkeys on Thanksgiving morning!)
Thursday
6 am Wake and shower
Make coffee cake
Make decaf coffee
Make cornbread
Make apple pies – All pies must be out by 10:45AM
10:00 Take turkey out of refrigerator
Roast delicata squash and apples for salad
Prep turkeys
Get dressed and do hair
Bake bread pudding in small oven
Make crispy onions for bean casserole
Prep coffee machine for after dinner
12:00 Put turkeys in oven
Reheat soup
Herb oil for tart
1:15 bake corn pudding in small oven
Remove sweet potato casserole, stuffings, salad dressing and Brussels sprouts from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temp
Prep gravy ingredients
Add melted butter to sweet potato topping
Assemble fruit platter and cheese board
2:00 Peel potatoes; make mashed potatoes; keep in bowl over simmering water
Prep tart
2:15 Bake tart in small oven
2:30 make cauliflower and serve hot
3:00 sweet potato casserole in small oven
start green bean casserole
3:15 Take turkey out to rest, oven to 350
Reheat stuffings at 450
Make gravy
3:30 remove foil and add topping to sweet potatoes
Add green bean casserole to oven
Sear Brussels sprouts
Light candles, water, butter, cranberry sauce, applesauce, assemble salad
3:45/4:00 Carve turkeys
After dinner: whip cream, coffee and tea, sparkling water
After everyone leaves, write notes for next year!
Friday
Make turkey stock
Start holiday shopping!
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