Things You'll Need:
- Turkey
- Side dishes
- Roasting pan
- Serving plates
- Serving utensils
- Electric mixer/potato masher
- Electric knife/carving knife
- Wine/other beverages
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Step 1
Plan early. Get a head count as soon as you can—no later than Halloween is ideal. For people who are hesitating on confirming their appearance, remind them that you need to plan early to have the appropriate amount of food.
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Step 2
Buy your turkey early, no later than two weeks before. If you wait until it’s too close to Thanksgiving, you’ll have to pick through the leftover turkeys, and you may not get one as big as you need. A rule of thumb is that you want 1 to 1.5 pounds of turkey per person.
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Step 3
Write your shopping list, and determine what kind of side dishes you want with the turkey. Also, figure out desserts and beverages. Write the ingredients of each dish on your shopping list and then go back and cross out any you already have in the house. This will ensure that you don’t forget any important ingredients.
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Step 4
Ensure that you have all the cooking utensils you will need. At the very least, you will need a roasting pan for the turkey, an electric mixer or potato masher for mashed potatoes, and several serving plates and/or dishes, as well as serving utensils. Be sure that you have either an electric knife or a sturdy carving knife to carve the turkey.
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Step 5
Go shopping at least one week before Thanksgiving to buy any frozen or refrigerated foods. You can buy your produce and bread the day before the holiday to ensure freshness. Also use this shopping trip to buy any wine and other beverages.
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Step 6
On the Monday before Thanksgiving, take your turkey out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator.
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Step 7
On the day and night before Thanksgiving, prepare any foods that can be refrigerated for one day, such as cranberry sauce.
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Step 8
Make place cards for your table to eliminate any last-minute seating-arrangement confusion. If you have children, this is a great activity for them to do.
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Step 9
On Thanksgiving morning, preheat your oven. Appropriate cooking times will vary depending on the size of the turkey. A link below has a helpful chart to determine how long you should cook.
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Step 10
Chill any wine you’ll be serving and refrigerate any other beverages.
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Step 11
Prepare the remainder of your side dishes and salads. Slice bread and take butter out of the fridge so it will be easy to spread.
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Step 12
Take the turkey out of the oven approximately 30 minutes before you want to eat in order to have enough time for carving.
