So it's Your First Time Cooking Thanksgiving Dinner...
How to Cook Thanksgiving Dinner for the First Time
With a recent engagement or marriage (congratulations!!!) or new traditions due to the happenings of 2020, you may find yourself preparing a Thanksgiving meal for the first time. If that’s the case, this post is for you.
I started hosting our family’s holiday meals right after my husband and I opened our wedding venue in 2015. Back then, we’d have upwards of 40-50 family members and friends. We’ve scaled down since those crazy huge Thanksgivings, but they helped me figure out how to host a holiday meal with ease using a streamlined method I haven’t had to modify since its creation. Read on for how to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for the first time (and save this for future years)!
Image: TONL
First, let’s go over a few basic tips for holiday entertaining.
Plan ahead and make a schedule
Gather all of your recipes (take a look below for a few ideas). Take a look at the prep times and cook times. Write a schedule that keeps these in mind with the goal time of when you will be serving dinner and be sure to write the names of each recipe at the top of the schedule so you don’t forget. I have a schedule on my computer that I use every single year for my Thanksgiving dinner and my famous Christmas Eve standing rib roast dinner. If you’re more of a paper person, print out your schedule and laminate it, but wait until after your first Thanksgiving so you can make necessary modifications after trying out the schedule and determining if changes should be made. In addition, research research research! If you do not understand a specific cooking technique, take to YouTubing and googling right now instead of having to take pause on the morning of Thanksgiving because you are unsure how to proceed. If you are preparing a turkey for the first time, don’t miss the turkey recipe for beginners in the recipe section below.
2. Prep the week and night before if possible
If certain dishes on your menu like pies, side dishes, etc can be made beforehand, do it. Do as much prep work in the days leading up to the dinner as possible.
3. Shop early
Gather all your recipes now and compile your grocery list. Start shopping for the non-perishable items now—canned goods, grains, sugar, flour, etc. Obviously, purchase perishables as close to Thanksgiving Day as possible. If you are ordering any sort of centerpiece from a local florist, place your order now.
4. Set the table a few days before
Wash linens, dishes, and flatware, and set a few days or the day before.
5. Put on a peppy playlist
Might I suggest the first half of our B.E Thankful playlist? Put on something happy and dance while you cook.
6. Enlist help
If you have children or family/friends asking what they can do to help on the day-of, accept the offer! Delegate delegate delegate if help is offered.
7. Have a cleanup plan
Have a cleanup and leftover plan and organize dishes as they become dirty (my favorite thing to do is place all silverware on one plate or in a few cups altogether) so that loading them into the dishwasher or cleaning them by hand is quick!
TONL
HOLIDAY Entertaining Tips
Now, these can be used for every single party you host no matter the size. I am a more is more kinda gal when it comes to entertaining for the holidays, but I always get compliments about how cozy the evening felt, and this is how I do it.
Set the mood.
Light candles, have a fire roaring and turn on a playlist to set the mood. The B.E Thankful playlist is our readers’ favorite (besides our Christmas in Hogwarts Castle Playlist) because we made it specifically for Thanksgiving and autumn entertaining. The jazz playlist starts out punchy and festive with Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Patsy Cline as guests arrive. Then, it leads into slower tempo tunes from Leon Bridges, Ella Fitzgerald, and Madeleine Peyroux as the end of dinner nears. It progresses into even slower songs by artists like Julie London and Nat King Cole until the music is almost entirely instrumental—perfect for conversation or simply sitting and listening with a glass of wine next to the fire. Duke Ellington and John Coltrane make up most of the final transition to slow, sustained jazz perfect for the end-of-the night.
Be sure to take a break and actually enjoy the food.
Sit a pitcher of water on the table and any other beverage that guests may need a refill for. That way, you can stay seated and enjoy your delicious holiday meal with your guests
Provide something fun for children.
Provide a special treat for children. Whether it’s something to help keep them busy while you’re needing to place your attention on the meal or a special baked good, they may remember it well into adulthood. I still remember when both of my grandmothers would do special things for the kids at holidays and look back with the fondest of memories. One grandmother would serve my sister and I sparkling grape juice out of the same wine glasses as the adults and have silly wind-up toys for everyone to play with at their place settings. My other grandmother gifted all of the cousins a Christmas movie to watch after Thanksgiving dinner.
Think of a plan (best for your family) for after dinner
Whether it’s simply sitting by the fire, looking through old family photos, playing a board game, or watching a movie together.
Dangerously low stock alert for our very first issue. once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
Traditional and Unique Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas
twenty20
twenty20
courtesy of twenty20
twenty20
SIDES
Vegan Mashed Potatoes - Recipe
Greek Yogurt Deviled Eggs - Recipe
Grandma’s Turkey Stuffing - Recipe
Buttery Soft Rolls - Recipe
Cranberry Sauce - Recipe
Vegan Corn Bread - Recipe
Roasted Purple Cauliflower - Recipe **note: add rainbow potatoes and white, purple, and orange carrots for a vibrant and tasty side dish
twenty20
There you have it! Now you’re armed and ready to take on your first Thanksgiving dinner.
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Pack your bags, and don’t forget the playlist! We’re headed out.