Beginner’s Guide to Hosting Thanksgiving

11.16.18

Beginner’s Guide to Hosting Thanksgiving

It’s officially the time of year that is all about family, friends, and food. For many young adults, this will be their first year being in charge of Thanksgiving festivities, and that responsibility can be very overwhelming. Luckily, we here atHappys Appliances Outlet have constructed a beginner’s guide for the holiday that will help keep your stress levels to a minimum.

Make a Plan

The key to pulling off a successful Thanksgiving is being organized. You’ll want to make sure that you follow a set schedule for preparing your food properly. Here’s what your week leading up to Thanksgiving should look like:

Sunday: If you’re using a frozen turkey, put it in your refrigerator to start defrosting. The average 12-to-16 pound turkey takes three to four days to thaw completely.

Tuesday: Make sure that you have all the cookware and utensils you’ll need. Double check your recipes and add any items that you need to your shopping list. Ask your guests if they’ll need any special accommodations.

Wednesday: Do your shopping the day before so that your produce is fresh. The cranberry sauce, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pie can all be made ahead of time. Keep in mind that the turkey will take up the oven for about three hours on Thursday.

Thursday: Roast the turkey in the morning. While it cooks, do your stovetop cooking and setup. When the turkey is done, put all your premade sides back in the oven to warm up. Do the gravy last, as well as dressing a salad or heating bread if you’re serving it.

Sticking to a simple schedule will help keep you on task and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.

Make Room In Your Fridge & Freezer

Leading up to the holiday, you’re going to need to keep your ingredients fresh. In order to do this, you’ll need to clear out your refrigerator and freezer as much as possible. If you only have a single-door refrigerator with limited space, you can utilize your freezer by preparing your soup and cranberry sauce earlier in the week, and then freezing it. You can freeze your pies as well; simply make the dough ahead of time, freeze and defrost before filling and baking.

Set Up A Buffet

When your guests sit down at the dinner table, you’re going to want to reduce clutter as much as possible. In order to maximize your guests’ comfort and keep your table looking pretty, set up a dinner buffet on your counters and let the guests serve themselves. This option also allows you to leave some of your dishes on top of the stove on low heat, as to keep them warm. This will reduce your workload and provide you with more time to prepare the food!

Relax and Be Thankful

The most important tip for pulling off Thanksgiving is to remember the reason for the season. It’s easy to let the burden of responsibility stress you out, but don’t forget how fortunate you are to be able to share this joyous day with your loved ones. Keeping this in mind is vital for enjoying yourself this Thanksgiving.