How to Host a Tranquil Thanksgiving Dinner [+ Free Planner]

Last Updated on March 21, 2022 by lydiaf1963

Think a tranquil Thanksgiving dinner is impossible? The activity surrounding our end of year holidays can be stressful for many people, so I don’t blame you for being skeptical. While I can’t help with your problem relatives, with a little planning I promise it is possible to host a meal without a lot of hassle…and you won’t have to do it all yourself.

My first turkey was almost a disaster!

It was like a scene from a comedy show. The vintage harvest gold gas oven would not stay lit unless we turned the dial to broil. We were newlyweds with barely enough pots and pans to cook a meal. We didn’t have a roasting pan, let alone a rack! There was a baking sheet, though, and some aluminum foil.

We cooked that turkey at nearly 500 degrees. The drippings spit and smoked. The heat blasted me in the face whenever I basted the turkey. In order to test for doneness, we had to cut into the bird to check the color of the juices because– you guessed it– we didn’t have a meat thermometer.

My stressful turkey dinner turned out fine in the end. The turkey wasn’t the most beautifully browned bird ever, but the meat was surprisingly moist and flavorful. I still laugh when I think about my first turkey.

As it turns out, there are people who like to cook their turkeys at high temperatures, but ever since then I’ve always chosen a slower oven. And nowadays I use a roasting pan with a rack instead of a baking sheet.

I also recruit other diners to help prepare the meal, whether it’s contributing a dish, lending me serving wear, or helping in the kitchen. The extra hands are a great help and everyone feels good about participating in a successful meal.

The key to hosting a tranquil Thanksgiving dinner is planning

No matter the occasion, hosting a large meal can be nerve wracking. So let’s come up with a plan to help keep everything on track and tranquil.

This Thanksgiving Planner has everything you need to make a tranquil dinner happen

Well, there’s no private chef included, but there’s plenty of space to put together a plan. There are pages for the meal and guest list, a food inventory, weekly planners and my turkey buying guide. You’ll also find my method for roasting a gorgeous turkey.

You’ll also get access to ALL the resources available on Life Beyond the Kitchen.

Let’s get started with our plan, shall we?

Things to do Week One

What’s for Dinner?

First things first: decide on your menu and how many guests you will have.

• what do you plan to serve?
• how will you serve it? do you need to borrow anything?
• who’s coming to dinner?
• what, if anything, are they bringing?

Make notes so you’ll be able to refer to them when coordinating the meal with other people.

Take Inventory

Now that the menu is set, take the time to go through your pantry and freezer.

You don’t have to write down every little thing, but while you’re checking your supplies make notes. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• What can you eat over the next couple weeks?
• Do you have basic pantry staples for holiday baking and meals?
• Will you need to order a turkey? Make a trip to the wine shop?

Now’s a good time to go ahead and trash any food that’s past its prime, but don’t get distracted from your main goal which is to take an inventory (hey, it happens to the best of us, lol).

Even if you have plenty of storage space, taking a freezer/pantry inventory will help prevent buying duplicate items, especially the more expensive ingredients. Eating from the food you have on hand will also free up space for all the goodies and leftovers generated by holiday eating.

Schedule Appointments

Don’t forget to schedule time to take care of yourself! Indulge in a mani/pedi or get your hair color touched up. Buy a new outfit and maybe even a pretty apron to protect your clothes. If you get those done in the next few weeks you’ll look fabulous on Thanksgiving day without having to cram too many activities into the last week.

Things to do Week Two

This week is a good time to complete easy maintenance tasks so you’ll be ahead of the game come Thanksgiving week. Some examples:

• wipe down the kitchen cabinet fronts
• wash and/or polish your special serving pieces
• make your entryway look attractive
• if having overnight guests, make sure the guest room is welcoming and that clean sheets and towels are available

These are also good tasks to delegate to other members of the household. It’s hard to remain tranquil when you’re taking on ALL the responsibility.

Yes, I said it! You have permission to delegate where appropriate.

Things to do Week Three

Make it easy on yourself and buy everything you’ll need the week before Thanksgiving. After two weeks of pantry/freezer eating you should have space to store your purchases until time to cook.

Plus, you have a comprehensive grocery list to make shopping a breeze! Added bonus: if you do forget to buy something (it happens!) you’ll have a little leeway to make the purchase.

Give the public areas of your home a good cleaning. I have a space by space decluttering series that may be helpful in getting those rooms ready for company. Depending on your situation you can easily condense the plans to take a day or two in each room. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your entire house needs to be uncluttered and spic and span! Focus your energy on the parts of the house your guests will use.

The home stretch: Thanksgiving Week

You’ve made a menu plan for the big day and bought the ingredients you’ll need to make the meal. Now it’s time to cruise into your tranquil Thansgiving.

I’ll let you in on a little secret: you don’t have to cook everything on the same day. Check out your menu again. Which dishes can be made ahead of time and stored?

Besides giving your turkey time to thaw, other items to consider making or doing ahead are:

• condiments like dips and cranberry sauce
• prep the veggies; not just for veggie trays, you can chop things like onions, carrots, garlic etc and have them ready to use for your recipes (here’s another opportunity to delegate)
• pie crusts, pie fillings and other baked goods

Set up your table and serving area sometime this week. This depends on your situation, of course, but you can at least plan how you want things to look.

Now, take a deep breath and relax! All you have to do Thanksgiving day is cook the bird and anything else you weren’t able to complete ahead of time.

Relax and enjoy yourself…someone else can do the dishes!