5 Secrets to a Successful Thanksgiving
Bookmark this for your Thanksgiving planning!
Hi friends,
We’re in the final countdown to Thanksgiving, and I wanted to share some of my favorite tips I’ve collected over the years to ensure the day is a success.
P.S. For those of you living outside of the US/not celebrating the holiday, I apologize for all of the Thanksgiving content. Rest assured, this will be my last e-mail in the series!
1. Make a Schedule and Start Backwards
Many of you are probably accustomed to planning your schedule in the days leading up to and on Thanksgiving, but I wanted to share my family’s approach—it might resonate with you!
This process comes courtesy of my dad, an engineer and the most organized person I know. I have to give him full credit for this method!
Print out your recipes. For easy access, tape them to your kitchen cabinets or walls. That way, they’re always within sight.
Read each recipe — twice. Read the recipe from start to finish at least two times. You don’t want to disrupt your schedule because of an overlooked detail! As you read, mark up each recipe: note prep-ahead times, inactive times, baking times, and any specific equipment needed.
Determine your schedule. Grab a blank sheet of paper and create a column labeled "Dish Name." Look at your recipes and figure out the timing for each dish, from the earliest prep step to the latest serving time. For example:
If the first step is to brine the turkey 24 hours in advance and the last step is to serve pumpkin pie, divide that 24 hour period into manageable chunks.
If you’re hosting a large gathering with many dishes, your schedule may need to start days earlier—one sheet for each day works well. Create columns for specific time periods to organize tasks easily (see my diagram for more details).
Schedule out the work. Go recipe by recipe and assign tasks to time slots. Starting backward can make this easier:
If dinner is at 5 PM and the green bean casserole takes 30 minutes to bake, it needs to go in the oven by 4:30 PM. With 30 minutes of prep, you’ll need to start it at 4 PM.
Write this down in pencil or use a computer so you can adjust as needed. For example, if the casserole requires the oven at 375°F while the turkey needs 325°F, you’ll need to adjust the schedule accordingly so that you can accommodate both dishes. Remember, most dishes can be baked well in advance and reheated!
Check your equipment and tools: After planning your schedule, list all necessary equipment, including things like graters, zesters, and baking pans. There is nothing worse than realizing you don't have a roasting pan on Wednesday night!
2. Prep as Much as Possible in Advance
Sharpen your knives: You will be doing a lot of chopping, so be sure to sharpen (either with an electric knife sharpener or a sharpening stone) and hone your knives in advance.
Clean your kitchen: Clean your kitchen to ensure an efficient, organized workspace.
Take out the non-perishables: The night before you start cooking, take out all non-perishable items and arrange them by recipe. You can even pre-measure some of your perishable ingredients and store them in the fridge.
Prep components early: Nuts can be toasted, salad dressing can be mixed, and certain casseroles can be prepped and placed in the fridge in advance.
Set the table: If you have a separate dining room, I highly recommend setting the table the night before. That way, you don’t have to worry about it at all on Thanksgiving.
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
On the day of, enlist help from family members and break up the menu into smaller tasks.
I personally like breaking up tasks into specific categories. For example, one family member can be assigned to vegetable prep (washing, cutting, and slicing), while another can handle dishwashing.
Cleaning as you go is really important for big dinners like this, so don’t be afraid to ask for help and assign someone to dish duty!
To make the process more enjoyable for everyone, choose a fun playlist and take breaks every so often.
4. Triple-Check Ingredients
I’ve been guilty of this myself, but I recommend triple-checking your recipes and ensuring you have all the ingredients you need! Depending on your state, all grocery and liquor stores could be closed on Thanksgiving day.
That said, small convenience stores/gas stations are often open if you need something quick!
5. Always Keep A Store-Bought Crust Handy
Pie dough can be finicky! An important lesson I learned from Stella Parks, a master pastry chef, is that temperature can significantly affect the dough's texture. Pie dough can feel too sticky or wet when too warm or dry and crumbly when too cold.
Use chilled butter and keep the formed dough at room temperature. If your house runs warm, don't be afraid to stick the dough in the fridge as needed to cool it down. If it runs cool, use warmer water to make the pie dough.
If your dough is not coming together correctly, first assess the temperature instead of adding more flour or water according to the above rules.
How to fix a dry or crumbly pie dough:
Is the dough too cold? Let it sit in a warm spot until it comes back up to room temperature. Then proceed to the next step of the recipe.
If the dough still feels too dry, use a spray bottle to moisten it slightly.
If the dough still feels too dry, add a teaspoon of ice water at a time to bring it together.
How to fix a sticky or wet pie dough:
Is the dough too warm? Stick it in the fridge for ten minutes to chill, then proceed to the next step of the recipe.
If the dough still feels too wet and you need to roll it out, generously dust with flour. You can always wipe off any excess flour.
If the dough still feels too wet as you roll it out, you can add a teaspoon of flour at a time to the dough to bring it together.
If all else fails, I always recommend keeping a store-bought crust in your freezer. It’s a great back-up in case something goes wrong.
I hope these tips help! For more of your questions answered, check out my Thanksgiving Q&A from a few years ago.
If you have any questions on how to make your Thanksgiving a success, don’t be afraid to reach out. I’ll be available all day today!
Happy holidays everyone!
P.S. Looking for a last minute recipe? Browse my full list of Thanksgiving recipes.
-Karishma
Especially love the suggestion of spraying dry dough with water - brilliant!!