I need help..

[Wendy31]

How many people are you serving?

What is your menu? Are you cooking everything, or are other people bringing some of the items? If so, who is bringing what?

Where will everyone sit?

How will the food be served? Buffet? Family-style? If it's buffet, are you going to have the plates at the buffet or already on the table(s)?

Inventory your serving dishes/platters & utensils. Figure out now what menu item is going in which dish/platter w/ what serving utensil. Will everyone be eating off regular plates or disposable plates? Do you have enough?

Are you going to do anything special for table centerpiece(s) and or buffet decorations? What about namecards?

Where are your guests going to put their coats & purses?

Don't forget your bathroom - nice towels, toilet paper, etc. plus maybe some nice holiday decor (fresh flowers, candles, etc).

The morning of, go ahead & label (w/ sticky notes) on your buffet or table where each dish will be placed. This way, you know every dish has a place & those people helping you can put the dishes in your pre-assigned places.

I agree w/ everyone else - prepare as much as you can before! And don't wait to the last minute to clean your house. Clean it ahead of time & then spruce it up the day before.

Also, decide what you're going to wear & when you're going to change into it.

Flylady has a great holiday prep sheet!

 

[sparklynails23]

If you use a frozen turkey, you have to thaw it for days, not just overnight. Depending on the weight, you may need 4 days to thaw it in the fridge. Leaving it out overnight will not do the trick either.

 

[SaraJayne]

How many people are you serving?

What is your menu? Are you cooking everything, or are other people bringing some of the items? If so, who is bringing what?

Where will everyone sit?

How will the food be served? Buffet? Family-style? If it's buffet, are you going to have the plates at the buffet or already on the table(s)?

Inventory your serving dishes/platters & utensils. Figure out now what menu item is going in which dish/platter w/ what serving utensil. Will everyone be eating off regular plates or disposable plates? Do you have enough?

Are you going to do anything special for table centerpiece(s) and or buffet decorations? What about namecards?

Where are your guests going to put their coats & purses?

Don't forget your bathroom - nice towels, toilet paper, etc. plus maybe some nice holiday decor (fresh flowers, candles, etc).

The morning of, go ahead & label (w/ sticky notes) on your buffet or table where each dish will be placed. This way, you know every dish has a place & those people helping you can put the dishes in your pre-assigned places.

I agree w/ everyone else - prepare as much as you can before! And don't wait to the last minute to clean your house. Clean it ahead of time & then spruce it up the day before.

Also, decide what you're going to wear & when you're going to change into it.

Flylady has a great holiday prep sheet!

Even though I regularly have holidays at my house for 20+ people, and do all the things you listed above, reading it as a list makes me

I hope the OP still wants to have Thanksgiving after reading this thread.

 

[SaraJayne]

Another option for making mashed potatoes is using stock in place of the butter/milk.

But we typically go all out on Thanksgiving with milk, butter and sour cream in the mashed potatoes.

 

[bettymae1121]

If you use a frozen turkey, you have to thaw it for days, not just overnight. Depending on the weight, you may need 4 days to thaw it in the fridge. Leaving it out overnight will not do the trick either.

This cannot be stressed enough!

Either buy a fresh bird so you don't have to worry about it, or take the bird out of the freezer on Sunday and plop it in the fridge. I find that leaving it out on the counter for one or two hours prior to putting it in the fridge helps get it started a bit. sometimes the bird stays frozen even in the fridge, just because fridge itself is so cold, it can't get a thaw started.

 

[kacaju]

Dont worry about making everything from scratch if this is your first time cooking. Go with pre cut, pre washed, premade where ever you can!!

 

[monkeybug]

I have two suggestions
1. Brine your turkey! Brining makes for a much moister and flavorful bird, and people will think that you are a turkey roasting genius. (I don't recommend this method if you don't desire to be the turkey roaster for all of eternity)
Alton Brown has an excellent brine and Turkey roasting method, it's called the Good Eats roast Turkey, and there is NO basting involved.

2. Buy a probe thermometer. Those pop up things will give you dried out turkey if you aren't careful, and you don't want to be poking the beautiful browned birdie full of holes (where juice can leak out) every hour to see how done it is. With a probe thermometer you stick it in when the turkey goes in, and then stick the little digital thingy on a metal part of your oven. (most are magnetic) It tells you how hot the turkey is and you never have to open the oven door, and because it stays in the entire time, no juice is leaking out of the little hole (leave it in when you let the turkey rest too). You can even set it to alarm when it reaches the desired temp.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

One more note, if you cut the potatoes the night before and cover with water, the water will be discolored in the morning. Sort of reddish. Drain and cover with fresh water they are safe to eat.

I'm a freak about food safety and this would freak me out if I didn't know.

Interesting. Thanks

 

[Mermaid02]

If you use a frozen turkey, you have to thaw it for days, not just overnight. Depending on the weight, you may need 4 days to thaw it in the fridge. Leaving it out overnight will not do the trick either.

I suggest buying the fresh bird. That way you don't have to worry about it! Many a Thanksgiving has been delayed by a frozen turkey!

 

[powellrj]

I have a cheat for mashed potatoes. We love mashed potatoes, but its hard to make for a group, so I have started making the boxed kind but adding either red or Yukon gold ones either boiled or microwaved to them and they really taste good. I was skeptical at first so I tried them on us first and my family didn't know the difference. If I am in a hurry, I will just microwave a couple and then mash them and add to the boxed ones or if you are doing lots of potatoes, boil them and then mash and add to the boxed one.

Another trick is to have a bread bag in your freezer. Just add the heals and leftover pieces and then when you are ready to make your stuffing take out your bag and you are set to go. I like lots of different types of bread in my stuffing. I put white, wheat and even rye bread in the bag.

 

[arminnie]

Seriously - the most important question is how many people are you having?

One year it was just going to be 2 of us, and I was not arriving in New Orleans until about 6pm on Wed. My friend's plane was not due in until about 3 on Turkey Day so going out to eat was not an option (everything was closed in the evening).

I went to Whole Foods and bought pre-cooked food. It was magnificent - one of the best meals ever. Not at all like the "dinners" you order from some of the grocery stores. I had slabs of freshly roasted turkey, oyster dressing, fabulous sweet potato casserole, etc. Every single item was delicious - and I could pick exactly what I wanted - no pre-planned menu.

That would be way too expensive for a big crowd - but I guarantee I spent less this way than if I'd tried to cook for two. And we even had leftovers.

 

[krcit]

Call a caterer!

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Thanksgiving is not the time of year to try your hand at becoming a chef.

For some items, you could order from Boston Market or KFC.
KFC makes a great gravy

Tastefully Simple has great mixes/dips for appetizers. Make sure there is enough finger food before the main meal. (carrots/dip, nuts, etc)

Also, not food related, but make sure the house is clean. Some people have pet allergies. Try to dust, mop, vacuum, etc. to eliminate the possibility of fur/dander around the house.

I also like to have a nice fragrance in the house whether it is from a candle, plug in, spray, etc.

I also put holiday hand towels and a soap dispenser in the guest bathroom. Be sure the toilet is clean.

 

[jfoofj]

If you can afford to, have your house professionaly clean a day or two before you have everyone over. It is so stressful to plan for such a big gathering, and the last thing you are going to want to be doing before people arrive is scrubbing toilets and washing the floors.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I forgot to mention that Baker's Square is THE place for great pies! My absolute favorite is the Lemon Supreme.

 

[lizziepooh]

How far ahead can you put the mashed potatoes in the crockpot and have them be ok?