One of the most stressful parts of Thanksgiving is figuring the timing of the whole day. After years of experience (both good and bad), I have created Thanksgiving timelines to set you up for success. I’ve included a prep list that starts a few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and another “day of” Thanksgiving timeline. This should be used as a general guideline and will vary depending on your dishes, oven space, turkey sizes, etc. I hope this helps you feel a little more calm and organized on the big day!Week of Thanksgiving Prep Timeline
This was created to start checking items off your list way in advance. For instance, you can make your turkey stock, prep breads and pie crusts weeks in advance. Just get them out of the way!
The week of Thanksgiving there are a lot items that can be prepped in advance. My biggest tip is to make the gravy ahead of time and then the day of Thanksgiving you can add in any pan drippings to enhance the gravy.
Before you start prepping, take a look at your fridge to see how much you actually store. That will honestly dictate how much you on do ahead of time. Also, think of other storage spaces. Can you use your friend’s fridge? Do you have a deep freezer? Is it cold enough outside to utilize coolers? Sometimes we have to get creative!
My goal is to ultimate prepare as much as possible, so on the day of Thanksgiving your prep is list is concise and orderly!
**I forgot to include taking out pots/pan that you will be using (to make sure you have enough) AND pulling out the serving dishes and serving utensils. This is key and will save you so much time and aggravation on Thanksgiving. I like to do this 1-2 days in advance and if you want to get super detailed–use post-its to label your serving platters. It will make serving the meal go so much smoother!
The Day of Thanksgiving Timeline
This is where planning really comes in to play! You may think it’s crazy but we make a timeline every year (and we save our Thanksgiving timelines from previous years) because it really helps to make your day go smoother, to stay on track and serve the main meal (almost) on time. I mean let’s be real. No one ever really serves exactly on time. And if you do, please email ASAP and let me know your secret.
Some key take aways:
- Start backwards from when you ideally want serve your Thanksgiving meal
- Then figure out when you want the turkey to come out of the oven and allow at least 30 minutes for resting and at least 15 minutes for carving
- Don’t forget to think about oven space! For example, in this instance I am putting in the cornbread dressing when the turkey comes out of the oven (because I only have one oven)
- If you are short on oven space don’t forget to utilize other equipment like a grill (can be used like a big oven), slow cooker or instant pot to keep items warm.
- Also think about how many burners you have on the stovetop and if you have room for all of your pots
- Lastly, don’t forget to allow the turkey to come to room temperature before roasting it! I like to give it at least 1-2 hours before cooking it
I’ll be there
If you need any help on this holiday, please feel to reach out via Instagram @forkmylifechi, email me at morgan@forkmylifechicago.com or leave a comment below! Wishing everyone a very healthy, safe and yummy Thanksgiving!
