Hosting Thanksgiving is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Family and friends gathered together around a table piled high with delicious food – what’s not to love?
As long as you can get the food on the table without too much stress, that is.
But I’m here to tell you that it is possible! You can cook Thanksgiving dinner from scratch. Even in a small kitchen. Even if you have a lot of guests.
You can even do it if you have to pass off cooking duties to a back-up chef at the last moment (as happened to me last year, when first-trimester pregnancy symptoms hit hard and fast, side-lining me just days before Thanksgiving).
All it takes is a bit of strategy. Here’s how I make my battle plan for Turkey Day!
Setting Up for Thanksgiving Success
Equip Your Kitchen
Before you make your plan, take stock of what you have in your kitchen. You should only plan to make as much food as you can cook and serve. If you’re missing anything, take advantage of early Black Friday sales or search your local thrift stores in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving so you’re not scrambling at the last minute!
Cooking the Turkey & Sides
Chances are, you only have one oven. Turkeys, especially large ones, take a lot of time and space. If you plan to cook your turkey in the oven, you’ll need a different plan for side dishes. A toaster oven, instant pot, and/or air fryer may come in handy, or you can plan to make sides you can cook on the stovetop.
Alternatively, you can cook your turkey in an electric roaster oven. This is my preferred strategy because the turkey cooks faster and doesn’t get dry as easily! One year, the turkey cooked much faster than I anticipated and ended up at a much higher temperature than it should have. Fortunately, because of the electric roaster oven, the white meat stayed moist, tender, and delicious!
For cooking sides, you’ll want to make sure you have all of the pots, pans, and dishes you need. I’ve found that a large stockpot (at least 8-quarts) is essential, but a second large pot helps a lot. Casserole dishes and pie pans are also critical to Thanksgiving success!
Serving Dishes
I’m a big fan of serving Thanksgiving buffet-style, and chafing dishes or warming mats make it much easier to ensure everything is still hot at serving time! Nothing is worse than working hard to make delicious dishes that are barely lukewarm or even cold by the time the turkey is done.
Otherwise, cook dishes in cast iron or other thick, heat-retaining cookware. Keep them covered and insulated, if possible.
Anything that won’t keep well or is prone to getting soggy should be cooked last, as the turkey rests. I often use the turkey’s rest time to make the gravy and add any breadcrumb toppings.
Recipe Selection
I’ll be honest. I’m a Thanksgiving maximalist. I can’t stand to leave out any of the classic sides, and I’m committed to making everything from scratch. Mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, stuffing, rolls, buttered corn, cranberry sauce, etc. – I want it all!
Realistically, cooking everything entirely from scratch on Thanksgiving Day is not possible for one person (and my kitchen is only big enough for one).
That means I do a lot of prep work earlier in the week. And if I can make a dish (or almost make it) at least a day in advance, I do! When I pick (or develop) my Thanksgiving recipes, this is one of the most important factors I consider. If it can’t be at least somewhat prepped in advance, it’s probably not going to make it on my Thanksgiving table.
Other factors for consideration include availability of ingredients, cooking method, cooking temperature, scalability, and (of course!) the preferences of my family. And, when I have the bandwidth, I like to also throw a new recipe in with all the classics! It’s fun and keeps the whole meal feeling fresh.
As with any dinner party, it’s best to practice each of the recipes at least once before the big day. Make sure that you like your recipes, tweak them as needed, and make note of any potential pitfalls in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving!
The Ingredient Master List
After you pick your recipes, make list of all the ingredients you need, including the quantities of each.
Stock up on ingredients with long shelf-lives in the weeks before Thanksgiving, taking advantage of sales when possible. Once you buy them, check them off the list. If you’re meticulous with this, you won’t have to make any last-minute ingredient runs (and you’ll likely save quite a bit of money)!
The Battle Plan
Once you’ve set yourself up for success with the right equipment and the right recipes, all you have left to do is create and execute the plan. I make two schedules that hang in a prominent spot in our kitchen: one for Thanksgiving week and one for Thanksgiving day.
I also recommend printing your recipes. It makes it so much easier for someone to jump in and help if needed!
The Big-Picture Plan (Thanksgiving Week)
I’ve found that it’s nearly impossible to make everything from scratch, start to finish, on Thanksgiving Day. Especially if we’re going to eat Thanksgiving dinner at a reasonable hour. Especially if I don’t want to be up hours before dawn. And especially while I have toddlers and/or babies who need attention.
Instead, I prep everything in the week leading up to Thanksgiving. This reduces the amount of counter space required, which is absolutely essential when preparing a large meal in a small kitchen. It also keeps dirty dishes to a minimum – a massive win for clean-up and efficiency.
Rather than winging the prep, I plan it all out. My Thanksgiving week schedule includes all of the little details, from when I move the turkey from the freezer to the fridge to defrost to when I chop vegetables, mix seasonings, or otherwise prep each recipe to when I do each step of my sourdough bread (one loaf for stuffing, another to serve with a dip or spread as an appetizer).
Some recipes end up fully made and are basically only reheated on Thanksgiving. Other recipes are assembled up to the point where they’re baked. A few are lightly prepped ahead of time, but largely made on Thanksgiving.
With so much prep taken care of in advance, I often have time to socialize with the family, sing some hymns at the piano, or take care of a needy baby or toddler while preparing dinner. A second set of hands ready to tag in and help is very welcome, though!
The Detailed Plan (Thanksgiving Day)
It’s the big day! You’ve planned and prepped everything. Now it’s time for the pieces to fall into place while you enjoy the day.
To have the smoothest experience possible, plan out every action that needs to be completed in the kitchen. I think of this plan as a sort of choreography. It’s an half-hour-by-half-hour schedule of what I’m actively preparing, what is cooking (how long, what temperature, & where), and if the oven is preheating (and to what temperature). Places, everyone!
When making your schedule, build in extra time between steps. Things happen. Sometimes a step takes longer than expected. No one wants to end up feeling rushed and behind schedule. It’s much better for morale to feel like you’re ahead! Give yourself that grace.
To keep everything running smoothly and to ensure someone can tag in for you if needed, I recommend printing your recipes. And be sure to mark which steps you’ve completed, especially if you’ve done significant prep. Keep these in a central location in your kitchen so they’re easy to reference.
Perhaps all of this is far too “type-A.” That’s a fair criticism. But I hope some piece helps you host and enjoy Thanksgiving a little more this year!
What helps you tackle Thanksgiving with ease? Share your best tips in the comments below!
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