Although Thanksgiving is about time with family and being grateful, it often becomes a time of stress and overwhelm if you’re the one hosting. There can be so many things to do to prepare for so many people to come over, and it can be a lot of pressure to get everything just right. Thanksgiving only comes around once a year after all! This article has some of our top tips for taking the stress out of turkey day and enjoying time with family and friends.
● Thaw the turkey. It sounds simple, but all too often, people forget to take the turkey out in time or buy it frozen right before they need to cook it. You don’t want to stress yourself out over whether the turkey will be thawed or how long it will take to cook, and you certainly don’t want to send your guests home with food poisoning. That means you need to thaw your turkey out in the refrigerator, not the counter, and not the sink. Thawing a turkey the proper way can take days, which means planning ahead on your part. A good way to estimate how long it may take is one day per every five pounds. Set a reminder on your phone or make a note in your planner five to six days before your Thanksgiving get-together to either go out and buy your turkey or get it out of the freezer.
● Beware of deep frying. This doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t deep fry your turkey, but just be careful and do your research. There are more fires on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year, and that is certainly not how you want to spend the holiday. One of the most crucial steps in avoiding a deep fryer turkey fire is simple: make sure the bird is completely thawed.
● Keep the classics. Every family has their Thanksgiving staples, and that’s what everyone is looking for. Whether it’s your grandmother’s famous yeast rolls, your great-aunt’s mac and cheese, or even the cranberry sauce straight out of the can, make sure you have your family’s classics. Now is not the time to try a new twist on mac and cheese or do a brisket instead of turkey.
● Keep it simple. Once you’ve established your classics, it can be easy to want to add lots of new and complicated dishes. While there’s nothing wrong with filling out the menu with some of your own dishes, you don’t want to have too many things to cook or lots of new recipes you’re not familiar with. It will just stress you out and overwhelm you.
● Share the load. While we all want to be the hostess with the mostess, it’s okay to ask for help. Thanksgiving can be a lot on one person so don’t hesitate to make it a little easier on yourself. Whether it’s something like using grocery pickup instead of doing the shopping yourself, paying someone to clean your house, or hosting a potluck dinner, don’t be afraid to share the load and outsource what you can.
● Plan and pre-cook. Even with outsourcing or hosting potluck style, Thanksgiving can still be a lot to accomplish in one day. Take the time now to plan your menu ahead of time and establish what everyone’s role is. Make sure you go grocery shopping several days in advance, thaw your turkey out ahead of time, and prep whatever you can in advance.