8 Things You Can Do to Prep for Thanksgiving Now

How to Prep for Thanksgiving Dinner in Advance - SavvyMom

Thanksgiving is coming, and just like everything else, we’re a ways away from being back to “normal.” We’re not yet at the cram everyone around the dining room table stage, especially if your dining room table is still your desk. However, you can prep for Thanksgiving now if you’re hoping to have some kind of a family dinner (following all the protocols that you can).

I can’t stress enough the importance of prepping as much as possible in advance. Not only does the day of your dinner run smoother, but the food usually tastes better when the flavours have time to ‘marry’ in the fridge.

If you’d like to know how to prep for Thanksgiving dinner ahead of time, here are 8 things you can do this week to make the big day just a little easier…

8 Easy Ways to Prep for Thanksgiving:

Make pie crusts: Feel free to do this ASAP and tuck in the freezer until needed.
Make the cranberry sauce: This can be done up to five days in advance, so if you plan on eating your turkey dinner on Sunday, feel free to make a pot of your favourite Thanksgiving condiment as early as Tuesday evening. Allow the sauce to cool completely before storing in a lidded container in the fridge until needed.
Make any sauces or vinaigrettes: These can be prepped up to three days in advance.
Wash and trim the vegetables: Brussels sprouts, squash, cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes can be trimmed and prepped up to two days in advance.
Start the stuffing: Cut and cube the bread, and saute the onions, celery, and garlic up to two days in advance. Don’t add any eggs or stock to your stuffing until just before cooking.
Defrost the turkey: Give the turkey at least 24 hours for every 5 lbs of turkey. Meaning, if you have a 20 lb turkey it will need four days in the fridge to defrost. If you’re purchasing a fresh turkey, make sure it’s ordered by now. Here’s how to cook the perfect turkey.
Brine: If you plan on doing it this year, the turkey should rest in the brining liquid for 12 to 24 hours, so plan for that and be ready by Saturday.
Order rentals: I usually had 21 to 25 people for Thanksgiving dinner. Obviously gatherings are still different, but to make things easier for myself, I usually order rentals for the day and usually have dinner and dessert plates, cutlery and wine glasses delivered to my house. Not only does this provide me with enough dishes for everyone in attendance, but the rentals go back into their containers immediately and are returned dirty, meaning there are fewer dishes that will need washing.