If you’ve ever hosted Thanksgiving before, you know it’s like the culinary Super Bowl with so many dishes and moving parts. It can be challenging for sure, but if you spend some time prepping and planning before you start cooking, it will be a lot easier. Here’s what you can cross off your to-do list now to be more organized and less stressed on Turkey Day.
Make a Thanksgiving Game Plan - Starting your holiday prep early gives you plenty of time to organize.
- Know what you need - Start making lists of all the ingredients, tools and serving pieces you’re going to need for each dish you’re making. Take an inventory in the kitchen to see what you have and what you need to shop for, so you don’t end up with four of the same thing.
- Get those serving pieces, linens and glasses ready - Now is the ideal time to polish silver and pre-wash anything that’s been collecting dust since last Thanksgiving.
- Declutter ruthlessly - Check your kitchen cabinets and drawers for broken tools and dishes and consider getting rid of duplicates or those that don’t work well. How many zesters do you actually need anyway? Same goes for your spice cabinet, chances are you’ve got a few expired ones in there.
Prep Your Kitchen - Make it easier to get your feast prepped by organizing these things now.
- Rearrange your pantry items - Make the things you’ll use most during the holidays easier to find and reach.
- Clear the counters - Stash all the appliances and decorative pieces that you won’t be using for Thanksgiving that are taking up valuable real estate on the kitchen counters. You’re going to need as much room as possible, so relocate the toaster oven and Instant Pot temporarily.
- Create a staging area - If you have the space, experts recommend grouping items you’re using for each recipe together, before the day you’re cooking.
- Label your serving pieces - Put a sticky note on the bowls and platters with what you’ll be putting in them. You can even put all the ingredients for that dish in each one, that way, if you’re lucky enough to have a helper, it’s easier for them, too.
Source: Real Simple