NOW
- Buy your frozen turkey, eggs, sugar, oil, butter, chicken stock, foil, cranberry dressing and instant mashed potatoes to save time.
- Ask guests to bring side dishes, rolls or desserts, borrow kitchen items that you may not have, get your recipes together and look for online supermarket deals.
SUNDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING
- Clean out the fridge, buy vegetables, dairy products and other perishables and make your cranberry sauce.
- Calculate thawing time for your turkey – USDA recommended and allow 24 hours for every four- to five-pounds of the bird.
MONDAY AND TUESDAY BEFORE
- Clean the house, prep veggies and store in baggies, clean, dry and store salad greens and make your salad dressing.
DAY BEFORE
- Last grocery store run for ice, lemons, herbs and anything else you may have forgotten, brine the turkey and assemble and refrigerate side dishes and casseroles.
THANKSGIVING DAY
- Chill the wine, bake the rolls, start roasting the turkey, cook side dishes and let the turkey rest for 30-minutes before carving.
- Make the gravy, reheat side dishes in the microwave, stove top or oven, dress the salad, pour the wine, carve the turkey and lay out side dishes, salad and gravy.
- Now it’s time to give thanks and eat!