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Thanksgiving Timeline: How to Plan Thanksgiving Dinner Like a Pro

Whether you prefer a day-by-day plan or a checklist of tasks, some forethought is essential to Turkey Day success. Is there a Thanksgiving planning guide that is food-specific? One of our favorite timelines breaks down when to prepare everything from appetizers to desserts. Determine how to plan Thanksgiving dinner according to your time frame and preferences with one of these helpful guides.

Wondering How to Plan Thanksgiving Dinner? The Right Timeline is Key.

While last minute plans can serve for a simple get-together, hosting a feast of this significance requires some advanced arrangements. That’s why the right timeline can break down how to plan Thanksgiving dinner according to your organizational needs. Here’s how to choose a planning guide tailored to your Thanksgiving agenda.

10-Day Thanksgiving Plan

This detailed 10-day Thanksgiving timeline takes you from meal planning ten days prior all the way to sitting down to dinner. Rookies will benefit from tips like planning your oven space and checking your cooking equipment a week in advance. Meanwhile, seasoned hosts will appreciate reminders like setting the table the night before and our own tips for how to calibrate an oven

On the big day, the timeline switches to 4, 2 and 1 hour increments to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. If you’re a long term planner, new to the Thanksgiving hosting scene or simply a detailed thinker, this is the guide for you.

First-Time Thanksgiving Timeline

For a hosting novice, even menu planning can seem daunting. To lessen first-time jitters, this Thanksgiving planner leaves you in the capable hands of Martha Stewart, including a full menu and recipes. It also offers specific timelines for the day before Thanksgiving as well as the day of, ending with tips for storing leftovers. With an easy but elegant menu and hourly timelines, any beginner can feel comfortable with this plan in their back pocket.

Food-Specific Cooking Timeline

For many hosts the biggest question is, “What order do you cook Thanksgiving dinner?” This planning guide addresses those concerns by detailing when to prep and cook each dish on your menu. With a list itemized according to food, this Thanksgiving cooking timeline starts with how to thaw a turkey. It even specifies when to brine it and how long it should cook and rest. 

Wondering when to start baking your pies? It also includes tips for freezing crust a week in advance and reheating pies in the oven when you sit down to dinner. With similar steps and insider tips for everything from gravy to mashed potatoes, this food-specific guide provides answers for every item on your menu.

how to plan thanksgiving dinner

 

Interactive Thanksgiving Checklist

For those who need to check a box, this interactive checklist details how to plan Thanksgiving dinner up to three weeks in advance. Tasks to complete include everything from choosing recipes and buying your turkey to selecting wines and prepping side dishes the day before.

Need to take the organization to another level? These guidelines also come with worksheets to categorize your menu items as well as a separate checklist for the big day. With this to-do list by your side, you’ll be able to sit down to dinner knowing you haven’t forgotten a thing. And that’s certainly something to be thankful for.

Even if you know how to plan Thanksgiving dinner to perfection, a range malfunction can bring any plan to a grinding halt. For a fast and reliable oven and stove repair, call Best Service Company to keep your range holiday-ready!

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