Ultimate Foolproof Thanksgiving Game Plan

Transcription

1 Ultimate Foolproof Thanksgiving Game Plan For many of us, Thanksgiving is the most extravagant meal that we will make all year. Whether you're serving up classic family recipes, or trying a new dish this year, this simple Thanksgiving game plan will give you all of the tips and tricks you need to make your Thanksgiving foolproof. Traditional Thanksgiving Menu Herb Roasted Turkey Mashed Potatoes Turkey Gravy Green Bean Casserole with Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Butter and Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots Homemade Cranberry Sauce Corn Bread and Sausage Stuffing Sweet Potato Pie Planning ahead for Thanksgiving is essential to a stress-free day. That is why the first step in any holiday menu planning is to take inventory of everything. Keep track of your cooking equipment, dishes, bakeware and appliances while keeping your kitchens layout in mind. For instance, it might be a little difficult to roast a turkey, bake your sweet potato pie and brown dinner rolls if all of your recipes require different cooking times and temperatures and you only have one oven. The recipes that I have included in this Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Menu take all of this into consideration, and include a lot of planning ahead so that when it comes time to cook dinner, you won't even have to think about it and you can spend your day with your family, instead of in the kitchen, sweating and cooking. Two Weeks Ahead Invite Your Guests Be sure to send your invites at least two weeks before Thanksgiving, if not earlier. This will give guests sufficient time to plan their holiday. If you're having a potluck Thanksgiving dinner, discuss the dishes each guest will bring so that you can share oven and counter space accordingly.

2 Plan Your Menu Know how many people are coming and plan a menu based around your number of guests. This Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Menu, like mentioned above is perfect for a simple, small Thanksgiving, but might not be ideal for you. Add in your favorite family recipes or try something new. Create A Grocery List Again, if you're following my November Menu, and this Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Menu that I have already planned, this grocery list includes everything you need to make Thanksgiving Dinner. If you're adding other recipes like Sweet Potato Pie or Butternut Squash Soup, be sure to add those ingredients to this list. Otherwise, if your family likes leftovers, make sure to account for that when making your grocery list. Follow the steps in this post for the best way to plan your menu and save some money while doing so. Pull out all of your recipes, and write down the ingredients of the recipes that are already in your head (just a basic list like; potatoes, onions, salt etc.). Use one of these FREE Printable Grocery Lists and write down all of the ingredients for your recipes on this shopping list included at the back of this package. Next, go shopping in your fridge, freezer and pantry. Cross off all of the ingredients that you already have on hand, and make sure to include the staple ingredients you're running low on. Also make sure to include the extras on your shopping list like; ziplock bags, cups, paper plates, linens, plastic forks, napkins, etc. Going Fresh? Order Your Turkey or Get Your Frozen Bird If you're ordering a fresh turkey from your grocery store, place your order now as fresh birds tend to go quickly. If you want to save some money, get a frozen turkey. Local grocery stores start putting Thanksgiving turkeys on sale a couple weeks before Thanksgiving with prices ranging anywhere from $0.19 to $2.99 a pound - depending on if your bird is organic or not. Get Cleaning and Decorating Pull out all of your Thanksgiving decorations and dishes and give them a once over to make sure that everything is in tip-top shape. Even run them through the dishwasher to make sure that they are sparkling clean. If your linens are smelling a little musty, toss them in the washing machine now. Also, give your house a good scrubbing this week so that you're not cleaning like crazy the day before Thanksgiving. Cook Ahead Cook anything that can be frozen. Some of the essentials that you'll use for Thanksgiving Dinner like Homemade Chicken Broth and Foolproof Pie Dough can be made ahead of time and frozen so that you can just defrost them before the big day.

3 One Week Ahead Polish Up If you're breaking out the fine china, crystal and silver, polish it up and dust off the cobwebs to get it ready for Thanksgiving Day. Clean Out Your Fridge Finding room for a weeks worth of groceries AND Thanksgiving Dinner groceries can be tough, so be sure to optimize space in your fridge. Be sure to save some room on the bottom shelf for your turkey too! Get Wine and Beer Not all states allow you to purchase booze anywhere so if you're going to be drinking, get your wine and beer now and start chilling it in the fridge. Be sure to check your grocery list for any alcohol that might be included in your recipes so that you can purchase that too. 5 Days Before - Saturday Start Defrosting Your Turkey and Other Frozen Items If you bought a frozen turkey, take it out of the freezer and start defrosting it on the bottom shelf of your fridge in its original packaging. If you made soups, chicken broth or pie dough ahead of time, take that out of the freezer now too. Go Shopping Get the groceries on the shopping list you created. Be sure to check your local sales flyers and shop around to make sure that you're getting the best deal on all of your ingredients. When you get home from shopping, wash and divide items into labeled ziplock bags according to each dish. Sort Your Dishes Figure out what dishes you'll be using to serve each recipe. Consider dishes that go straight from the oven to the table to save on clean up. Label each dish with a sticky note for what you're going to serve in it. 4 Days Before - Sunday Cook, Chop, Slice and Dice Prepare all of the veggies that you washed and put away yesterday. Take today as an opportunity to get everything you'll need ready so that when it comes time to cook all you have to do is grab your labeled bags and start cooking. Prepare every vegetable today EXCEPT your potatoes. Potatoes oxidize too quickly and will turn brown and mushy.

4 If you're following my Traditional Thanksgiving Menu Plan, prepare the Cranberry Sauce and Corn Bread for the Corn Bread and Sausage Stuffing today as you prepare your other ingredients. You can also prepare all of the other meats that your recipes call for - like bacon and sausage. Cook meats according to recipe directions, drain the fat and allow to cool completely to room temperature before placing in the fridge. If you're making a traditional stuffing, cube and toast any breads. Store in a labeled ziplock bag. Make sure to prepare any ingredients for the appetizers that you will be serving today too. Tidy Up So all this cooking, your kitchen, and I'm sure the rest of your house is bound to get messy. Since you did a deep clean last week, give the house a quick 10 minute tidy and if you can get your hubby away from the TV, send him outside to tidy up, especially if the weather is going to be nice on Thanksgiving Day. 3 Days Before - Monday Prepare Your Pies If you have any pies that require blind baking, bake the dough tonight after you make dinner. Prepare any fillings for your pies, like this Sweet Potato Pie filling and keep them in the fridge. 2 Days Before - Tuesday Bake Your Pie Since you did the assembly last night, bake your pie today according to the recipe directions. Some people prefer to bake their pies after dinner, but you really just need to warm them up. And in my humble opinion, it's better to spend less time in the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day and more time with family. Last Call Check your fridge, the freezer and your pantry for ANYTHING you think you'll need or have forgotten for Thanksgiving Dinner. You won't even want to see the lineups at the stores tomorrow! Day Before - Wednesday Make Ahead and Assemble Casseroles Make anything that can be made ahead today and just warmed up tomorrow.

5 Also, take today as an opportunity to assemble any casseroles without their toppings so that tomorrow all you have to do is top and bake. Also blanch any veggies that you'll be roasting like Brussels Sprouts and Bacon for quicker day of cooking. Set The Table Or have your kids do it. Today is the perfect time to set the table. Get creative and have fun doing it. This is also a great opportunity to teach your kiddos how to properly set a table. Tidy Up Again Get that last minute cleaning done. Vacuum, swiffer, clean the toilets and give everything a quick dust. Have your kids clean their rooms and also think of a good spot for your guests to leave their coats and shoes. Day Of - Happy Thanksgiving In The Morning Peel and chop your potatoes. Toss them in a big pot of salted water on the stove and cover with a lid. Take the turkey out of the fridge and remove all of its guts. Place on a roasting rack and bring it up to room temperature. Count on your turkey taking about 20 minutes to cook per pound at a 425 degree oven. So if you want to eat at 5 PM, you'll need to get your turkey in the oven by noon so that it has time to rest before carving. Put on all of the finishing touches, and make sure that everything is in place. Place fresh hand towels in the bathroom, and make sure that their is plenty of toilet paper and soap. Consider running a load of dishes in the dishwasher and emptying it before your guests arrive for easy clean up after dinner. In Early Afternoon As your guests start to arrive, pull out your appetizers and offer your guests a beverage. In The Late Afternoon Pull casserole dishes out of the oven and bring up to room temperature. Add any toppings. Pull out any other side dishes and start preparing them for dinner. 1 Hour Before Start boiling potatoes over high heat. Drain and follow directions in mashed potatoes recipe for mashing them. Mash potatoes in the pot you cooked them in. Start baking any casseroles and stuffings now.

6 30 Minutes Before Take turkey out of the oven and let it rest. Place any other sides that need to be cooked in the oven and warm up any rolls. Use the drippings from your turkey to make a turkey gravy like this on in my Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Menu. Finish up any other recipes. Game Time Carve your turkey. Alton Brown has a fantastic YouTube video about How To Carve A Turkey. Just before serving, take your pies out of the fridge and warm up if they need it and start the coffee and tea for after dinner. Place all of the amazing dishes that you have cooked on the table and enjoy your friends and family.

7 Thanksgiving Day Grocery List Produce Dairy & Deli Grocery Meat & Seafood Frozen Bulk Paper Products Misc.