Getting Ready for Thanksgiving Ahead of Time

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, and I don’t want to pressure you, but here’s the deal: There are plenty of things you can prepare the day before the feast, and there are numerous tasks you can check off your lengthy to-do list this weekend, or even right now. Here are nine suggestions…

1. Contact the Team: In my household — or more accurately, my sister’s place — the Thanksgiving celebration is always a community effort. Each family member has a role, whether it’s acquiring the turkey and cooking it, or ordering two dozen oysters, or…

…creating place cards for the dining table (shout out to Phoebe). If you’re the one coordinating this ensemble of contributors, like I am, one thing you can do weeks in advance is distribute everyone’s responsibilities. The great advantage of this task is that it prompts you to start planning precisely what you want to prepare.

2. Address the Easy Wins: When hosting, there are numerous Thanksgiving tasks that demand genuine effort and focus (gravy, I’m looking at you), but there are also countless tasks that are only challenging because we tend to overlook them until the last minute. The solution: start checking off the non-cooking items from the list now. For example, ensure you have sufficient place settings, including napkins, wine glasses, tumblers, and dessert forks; if you’re short, order or borrow additional supplies as necessary. Review your menu to confirm you have enough serving platters, salad bowls, pitchers, baking pans, roasting pans, frying pans, cutting boards, and more. Stock up on drinks: wine, non-alcoholic beverages, and seltzer, and prepare your shopping list. And the day prior to the feast, if you have the space, set the dining table so it’s ready to go.

3. Prepare Your Pie Dough: Even if you’re uncertain about which pie you’ll be making — pictured here, apple-berry, bourbon-pecan, pumpkin, cranberry-lime — it’s likely that one will perfectly utilize a pâte brisée. This recipe yields 1 double-crust or 2 single-crusts for 9- to 10-inch pies. Freeze, then allow to thaw at room temperature for approximately an hour prior to rolling out. (Dough remains viable for three months; in other words, you can prepare it anytime between now and baking day.)

4. Prepare Your Gravy: Yes, you can grab a pre-packaged gravy from nearly any grocery store, but here’s the honest truth: homemade gravy is always superior. Especially when it’s not whipped up during the most frantic moments of the day, i.e., the half hour between when the turkey comes out of the oven (when the essential pan juices become available) and when everyone sits down to dine. Why put yourself through that stress when you can do it weeks earlier in a calm, quiet kitchen? I don’t have a foolproof gravy recipe — to me, it’s one of those instinctive preparations I’ve never been able to translate into words — but Claire Saffitz has a solid one (NYTimes gift link), which can be frozen for up to three months.

5. Clear Your Refrigerator: One thing I miss about my previous house is that I had a basement, which meant I had a basement refrigerator. (Did I realize how fortunate I was? I did, right?) In the weeks leading up to the holiday, I viewed it as a bank account where I would consistently make delicious deposits. Now that we’ve relocated, I have one small fridge, so I have to remind myself to stay on top of grocery shopping the week before Thanksgiving and to make space for the gravy, wine, and pies.

6. Prepare Mashed Potatoes: When it comes to what I believe is the most crucial dish on the Thanksgiving table, I do not want to compromise on creaminess and warmth. (Are they even mashed potatoes if they aren’t steaming hot with butter cascading down a river before your eyes?) I was doubtful when I first heard about the casserole method, where you prepare them ahead of time and reheat in a casserole dish, but it actually works. The instructions: Make mashed potatoes as you usually would. Place them in a casserole dish, tightly cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight or up to two days in advance. When you’re ready to reheat: preheat the oven to 400°F. Grate Parm or sharp cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10, until golden and crisp on top.

7. Par-Boil Your Vegetables: On Thanksgiving, I nearly always sauté Brussels sprouts instead of roasting them, because, once again: oven space. The risk with sautéing, however, is undercooking the little things, so I eliminate this risk by prepping and par-boiling them in advance. When they enter the pan for frying, it’s merely a matter of heating them through and browning if the recipe calls for it. The instructions: Trim and halve Brussels sprouts, then simmer in salted water for 3 minutes, immediately plunging into an ice bath when done. Store in a ziptop bag in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before proceeding with sautéing.

8. Bake Those Pies: Check the particular recipes you are following, but most pies can be prepared up to two days in advance. And good news, you’ve already made the crusts, so you might even be halfway there. The day before Thanksgiving usually sees both of our daughters home, making pie-baking day a cherished ritual within the holiday. That’s my daughter applying milk to the crust of her apple pie — neither of us remembers why there are blackberries included, but it does look scrumptious.

9. Anticipate Chaos Anyway: Regardless of how prepared you are, don’t fret if your kitchen ends up looking like this on feast day. Ours always does. Keep in mind my primary Thanksgiving rule: Chaos is the essence.

When do you start your holiday preparations? Please share any tips! And you can sign up for Jenny’s newsletter Dinner: A Love Story, if you’re interested.

P.S. Three strongly held Thanksgiving rules, and what’s your Thanksgiving specialty?

(Photo by Curated Lifestyle/Unsplash. This post was initially published by Jenny on Dinner: A Love Story in 2023.)