10 Tips on How to Host Thanksgiving

Hosting people at my house is one of my favorite activities. I especially love having friends and family over for the holidays. There is something so comforting about having your favorite people in your house on a special day. Hosting a holiday like Thanksgiving though, can be kind of intimidating especially if it’s your first time. There are a lot of things we don’t think about like do I have an oven thermometer or a platter big enough to serve a turkey. Not to worry! I have hosted Thanksgiving a handful of times now and over the years I have picked up a few tips and tricks for making the day run smoothly. Follow these to help you get organized and prepared for hosting your very own Thanksgiving!

10 Tips on How to Host Thanksgiving

1. Get started on your non-food prep at least a week in advance

It’s not just food that needs to be prepped for Thanksgiving. You’ll want the house to be clean, you’ll want to make sure you have all the right serving ware and utensils. Do you have enough napkins or enough seating? Do you have the right kitchen tools to pull off Thanksgiving dinner? Last year I wrote this post on how to get your house ready for Thanksgiving that is full of tips. My recommendation is to start a week in advance to get your house and all the non-food things ready so that when it’s time, all you’ll have to do is focus on prepping the meal!

2. Split up the menu

You DO NOT have to make the entire Thanksgiving dinner. One of the fun things about Thanksgiving is the potluck aspect of it. Write out a menu of things that you would like and assign different dishes to your guests. We usually take on the turkey, a pie, an appetizer, cranberry sauce (because my husband likes to make it), and stuffing and ask our other guests to bring the rest. You could just take on the turkey and a side dish and assign everything else. You can assign the beverages to others, desserts to others, or however you want to organize it.

3. Make a schedule for the day

Having a detailed schedule for the day is such a game-changer. I like to start from the time we want to eat and work backward. If we want to eat at 4:30, what time does the turkey need to be in the oven? When will the turkey come out of the oven? What time does your stuffing (or dressing) need to go in the oven and how long does that take? What time are you expecting guests to arrive? When should you start preparing the mashed potatoes? When should you feed your pets? Schedule everything out as specifically as you can. This will keep you on task. And don’t forget to schedule in time for you to get ready for the day, trust me!

4. Don’t forget to defrost the Turkey

It will take a few days for a turkey to defrost. Our friend Martha Stewart has more information on how to safely defrost your bird here!

5. Prepare what you can in advance

When planning the dishes you are going to make for the meal, think about what can be prepared a day or two before. For example, if we are making the turkey, stuffing, a pie, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes we will always prepare the stuffing, pie, and cranberry sauce the night before. Then on the day we only have to worry about cooking the turkey and preparing the mashed potatoes! You will save yourself so much time and precious oven space on Thanksgiving if you prepare ahead.

6. Don’t stress about the turkey

Let’s be honest, most people aren’t coming for the turkey, they’re coming for the sides and the pies! So don’t stress too much about the turkey. Find a simple recipe on Google and go with it!

7. Stick to dishes you know that are crowd-pleasers

Thanksgiving isn’t the time to start experimenting in the kitchen. Save yourself the headache and stick to dishes that you know and ones that you know your guests will love!

8. Don’t stress about appetizers

While I love to set out some appetizers for Thanksgiving, if I am running short on time this is always the first thing I cut from my schedule. Thanksgiving is a big meal and I think a lot of people don’t want to get full on appetizers. If you still want appetizers, maybe pick something that can be prepared ahead of time or ask one of your other guests to bring some.

9. Take help when it is offered

You do not have to go it alone when hosting Thanksgiving or any other holiday meal. When your guests start arriving and someone asks if they can help with anything, be sure you take advantage of that.

10. Relax and enjoy!

The best part about getting together for a holiday like Thanksgiving is catching up with friends and family and enjoying their company. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself for everything to be perfect. Your friends and family will appreciate your efforts!

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