The turkey is bought, music is selected and silver is polished. Now what?
Right. Thanksgiving is only a couple of days away and if you’re anything like us, there’s often one or two things that get missed pre-Thanksgiving feast. Not that they’re a big deal or anything. Because if you are anything like us, you’re a pro. There’s always a solution and if you have fun with the day, so will your guests.
But to help you get as much in line, prepped, made, dished and ready as possible, here are 10 last minute thanksgiving feast preps to make sure your day is a total, complete and thankful success!
1. Get your vegetables chopped. Today (and tomorrow) are the days for doing any work you can do ahead of time. This will not only free up your schedule to spend time with guests on Thanksgiving day, it’ll also alleviate a lot of the pressure to get it all together at the right time. Keep uncooked, chopped vegetables in cold water in the fridge until ready to use. Dry well before roasting.
2. Make the dessert. Baking your pies or prepping your desserts now will free up your oven for the Turkey on Thursday. No one will know the difference.
3. Count your table settings and add 2. We’re talking plates, napkins, cutlery, place-mats, glasses, mugs – anything that goes on the table. Make sure there’s enough for each course and then add two settings. There’s always an extra plus one or two that show up and this way, you’re covered. They don’t have to match – in fact, it can be great fun to have mis-matched settings. Just make sure you have enough. And then have fun with it!
4. Now count your serving dishes. Does each dish – main, side or otherwise – have a receptacle? Glass, plastic, or otherwise? Cooking in cast iron or oven-proof glassware is great because it doubles for both cooking as well as serving – just make sure your guests know it’s hot! Of course, worst case scenario, you can just leave everything in the pots they were cooked in and have people dish up before they sit down.
5. Make sure you’ve accounted for side dishes. Sure, the turkey is the main event, but the side dishes take up most of the plate. These have a real opportunity to shine (if not steal the show). There’s sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, a mash of sorts, stuffing, dinner wheat rolls, and of course, dessert.Or if these don’t float your gravy boat, Pinch of Yum has 10 more.
6. Aromatics & Seasoning! Stock up on extra herbs, citrus, apples (they’re surprisingly versatile) and even salt and pepper and toss in at the last minute for things like gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes or even whipping cream. These ingredients allow you to be creative on the fly and add an extra dash of something special to any dish they’re incorporated into. Plus they smell amazing.
7. Forgot something? No problem. You can pick up a store bought version and dress it up with various spices, herbs or other additions like caramelized onions or chives to make it extra tasty! WebMD (yes, WebMD) has some pretty creative solutions for dressing up a packaged Thanksgiving dish.
8. Booze. Last but not least, it’s good form to have a cocktail ready and poured to offer your guests when they arrive. You don’t need to drink them through the evening, especially if you ask everyone to bring a bottle of vino. Just something to start them off and help them shake off their inhibitions and rev their appetites. Champagne (or sparkling wine) is very festive, or opt for something a bit more creative like a holiday friendly Cinnamon Apple Whiskey Sour, Bruleed Grapefruit & Gin Fizz, Pomegranate and Rosemary White Sangria or Blood Orange Bourbon Smash. This first in-mouth experience sets the tone for evening – have a good time with it!
9. Shower, get dressed and smile. Or at least, get dressed. Your guests don’t care if you’re showered, they just want to be fed, and fed well. Enjoy the evening.
10. Grab our one comprehensive Thanksgiving Menu Planner (totally free for you!) to make sure these last minute prep things get done. With our planner, you’ve got this in the bag. We know it. Happy holidays!!
Are you ready? What last minute Thanksgiving Ideas do you have for us? Have we missed anything? Mentioned anything you hadn’t thought of? Share your thoughts below or on our Facebook page!
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