Truth be told, I have never, me myself, cooked a Thanksgiving dinner for a group of people other than my husband and kids in my own house. The key there is “in my own house.” You see, because I like to cook and my mom decidedly does not, she left a lot of that to me, as her eldest daughter. Which means not only have I cooked Thanksgiving for my four younger siblings and my parents, but that Thanksgiving dinner extends to my mom’s sisters, her brother and their families, putting us somewhere around 23 dinner guests. I tell you this only to emphasize one thing: I have been in that harried kitchen with five frantic women where each of them has a different idea on how long green bean casserole bakes for and at what temperature. I feel your pain.
The answer to preventing this mad house of kitchen chaos is simple: plan ahead. Even if you have multiple people bring multiple side dishes, there will inevitably be the question of baking times and temperatures and figuring out what time the turkey will be ready to go. Here are a few simple things you can do to keep the commotion in front of the football game or in the conversations about what Aunt Martha’s been up to when Uncle Marty’s not looking.
1. Make a grocery list.
Obviously you’ll make one, right? The food doesn’t come from the sky. What I’m referring to here is to make your list and check it just one more time than you think you need to. Are you doing a lot of baking? Sure, you have flour, but do you have the 7 cups of flour you’re planning on using. Making sure you have the “pantry” items on your list that you think may be a given but aren’t can save you from a last-minute trip to the grocery store amidst the long lines at the register.
2. If you can do it ahead, DO IT AHEAD.
This may seem like a simple task, but it is the one that is most often missed. While in your head you justify that all you’re doing is mixing cream of mushroom soup and green beans in a casserole dish and popping it in the oven, suddenly it’s 30 minutes to turkey time and the green beans are still in the can, except now there’s not an inch of counter space open and the dishes are piled in the sink.
Instead of waiting until the last minute, take care of these simple tasks beforehand. Mix together casseroles and desserts the day before your Thanksgiving dinner. If they have a topping, store it in a separate container and simply top right before you pop it in the oven. This eliminates prep dishes when there’s already a lot going on in the kitchen on the day of.
Some great make-aheads: green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, scalloped potatoes, the noodles for macaroni and cheese, Jell-O molds, cranberry sauce, desserts.
3. Create a baking list.
Look at the dishes you have that need to occupy the oven to get to the table. Make a list of times and temperatures for baking and adjust them as necessary. For example, your recipe for green bean casserole might specify baking at 325º F for an hour. Consider baking it at the same temperature as your sweet potato casserole at 350º F for 45 minutes. If you’re unsure of how to adjust the baking time, look online for similar recipes. Try searching “green bean casserole 350″ in Google to find recipes that bake at 350º F.
4. Consider your space.
One thing I’ve learned the hard way is that if you only have one oven that is filled with one 25-pound turkey, you’re going to have a hard time adding casseroles to the party. Plan ahead. Whether it’s fitting all the casserole pans into a cold oven to make sure they’re going to fit or change the menu to a dish that doesn’t require baking or even borrowing a portable roaster to put the turkey in, make sure you’re going to have space to fit it all.
You can also plan ahead in refrigerated section by stocking up on ice and coolers to house beverages and other cold items that may not fit with all gelatin rings and Snickers bar salads you have in there.
5. Relax.
Even the most well thought out and planned for events have some glitches. If you run into any, don’t make them show stoppers. Take a deep breath and roll with the punches. Is the turkey not done on time? No problem. Put out a few more chips, crackers and cheese, pour people some wine and suggest a family game or two. Keep your cool and you’ll find that what you have to be thankful for doesn’t just come from the kitchen.
What do you do to prepare for your Thanksgiving meal?
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I have done Thanksgiving dinner on my own before (with Hubby’s help) and not found it all that difficult.
However, as tradition, my mother-in-law makes most of the meal. I usually provide a side or two and the Pumpkin Pies. (Why does everyone think is it so hard to make a pumpkin pie?) This year, we have 8 – which is large for our family.
Thanks for the great post on less stress for Turkey Day!
@juliebavi
Great Post! Thanks!
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