The Thanksgiving countdown is here, and we’re delighted to share some of our favorite tips for making Thanksgiving Dinner easy so you can enjoy your time with family and friends in — and out — of the kitchen.
1) Do the Prep Work in Advance
If you know Meez, you already know this one! It’s stressful to think about making stuffing, and sweet potatoes, and mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce and who-knows-what-else, all within a day or two of Thanksgiving. But how about cutting up the sweet potatoes on Sunday, dicing celery and onions on Monday, cooking cranberries on Tuesday and boiling potatoes on Wednesday? It suddenly becomes much more manageable when you think in terms of steps, not entire recipes.
2) Think Past the Traditional
Want to inject a little life into your menu? Replace some of the tired staples with fun twists. Usually make candied carrots? Try Lemon Chai Roasted Carrots, instead. Always make green been casserole? How about Balsamic-Glazed Brussels? Feel you need wild rice stuffed squash? Our vote is Quinoa with Asiago Roasted Vegetables. Think about what you really love to eat and build your menu from there.
3) Cook Your Fridge Clean
If your refrigerator is like ours, it can be hard to find space for a gallon of milk, let alone all the fixings for Thanksgiving. In the week ahead, target the space hogs and come up with a plan to cook them up so they get out of your way. Our personal favorite is to make a fusion taco (see the recipe here).
4) Make a Cooking Timeline
Make a schedule of when everything needs to go into the oven or onto the stove. Plot out what can be cooked in advance and reheated, and what should be cooked just before serving. Is there room on the stove or in the oven? If not, mix things up with a raw salad or room temperature casserole!
5) Avoid The Single Shop
Yep, it’s tempting to wait to go to the store and do one master shop for the holiday. But that can be exhausting in and of itself, then you come home with mountains of groceries and no place to put them. Plan to go to the store 2 or 3 times. On the first trip, buy canned goods you can store and perishables you can prep now. (Like those potatoes to cut up on Sunday. Or cranberries to make into relish.) On the second and third trips, buy the more perishable ingredient that don’t require any advance preparation. That’ll give you more time to clean out that fridge and avoid the Thanksgiving fatigue that comes with a loaded cart!
6) Set The Table In Advance
Anything you can do in advance makes Thanksgiving easier, and setting the table is a big one. Find all those napkins, candles and fancy plates the day before so you can focus on the food, and your family, on the big day.
7) Tame the Chaos
The big Thanksgiving menu means more recipes, more pots and pans, more counter space tied up, and it’s easy for a kitchen to turn into chaos. Print out or photocopy your recipes and tape them to your kitchen cabinets. (It frees up counter space, saves you shuffling and makes it easy for other people to jump in and help.) Use a tub for dirty dishes so your sink stays available for rinsing and actual washing. Organize the ingredients for a given recipe on a tray in advance that you can whisk away when it’s time to move to the next one. Plan for the chaos and you’ll find yourself able to tame it!
8) Involve Everyone
There’s something special about a group of people working together in the kitchen to prepare a meal. Have the big kids peel potatoes and the little ones plop them into the water. Ask your mother-in-law to stir the spinach and your brother to make the stuffing. They may not do it as efficiently as you would, but the magic is in being together.
9) Clean Before You Eat
When everything’s ready to serve, there’s usually a dash to the table, leaving the kitchen knee-deep in dirty pots, pans, dishes, measuring cups and everything else it takes to make the big meal. Take the time to clean the kitchen before you eat. Pots are easier to wash before everything dries on, and if you can get the dishwasher through a cycle you’ll have more room to put all the dishes from dinner. Best of all, you’ll be able to relax after the big meal.
10) Plan for Leftovers
Yep, we all know about a turkey and cranberry sandwich on black Friday. But how about cream of potato soup with leftover mashed potatoes? Cranberry bread with leftover cranberry relish? Pan-fried stuffing with an egg on top? Sometimes the leftovers are even better than the original!
11) Get Some Help
Whether it’s recipes from Meez or a pre-made pie, let others help with the big day. Getting the table set and cooking your favorite dishes are plenty of work all on their own. Don’t feel you need to shop and prep every recipe from scratch.
12) Don’t Stress
The most important tip of all. We love the magic of everyone in the kitchen helping to prepare Thanksgiving dinner, but the real magic is in sharing a meal. Enjoy your Thanksgiving and everyone who is a part of it.
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