• Cart
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • Chronicles
    • The Lovely Archives
    • Family
    • Ina
    • Journals
    • Hurley House
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Cart
  • Hospitality
    • Cooking
    • Hosting
    • Household Management
    • Celebrate
    • Basics
  • Lovely Living
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Favorites
    • Hobbies
    • Parenting
    • Personal Care
    • Reflections
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast
    • Beverage
  • Chronicles
    • The Lovely Archives
    • Family
    • Hurley House
    • Ina
    • Journals
  • Shop
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • Closet
    • Cookbooks
    • Gifts
    • Home
    • Kitchen
    • Library
    • Needlepoint
    • Organization
    • Party
    • Table
  • Learn
  • Blog
  • About
  • Events
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

  • Hospitality
    • Hosting
    • Household Management
    • Cooking
    • Basics
    • Celebrate
  • Lovely Living
    • Fashion
    • Favorites
    • Hobbies
    • Parenting
    • Beauty
    • Personal Care
    • Reflections
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast
    • Beverage
  • Events
  • Learn
  • Shop
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • Closet
    • Cookbooks
    • Gifts
    • Home
    • Kitchen
    • Library
    • Needlepoint
    • Organization
    • Party
    • Table
  • About

My Thanksgiving Menu and Timeline

November 20, 2020 · In: Celebrate, Cooking, Hospitality

Have you decided what you are serving for Thanksgiving this year? Earlier this week I finalized my menu and mapped out my preparation timeline in full. Today I want to share all of this with you with the hope that the lessons I have learned over the years might help eliminate some of the last-minute stress from your Thanksgiving preparations.

Here is my Thanksgiving Menu:

Ina’s Autumn Sangria
Maple Chipotle Snack Mix
Roasted Turkey
Cornbread and Sausage Dressing
Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar Pecan Topping
Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Buttery Dinner Rolls
Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Tart with Gingersnap Crust
Pecan Pie
Apple Pie

Three Lessons I Have Learned About Thanksgiving Prep.

NUMBER ONE.
Start thawing your turkey on Friday. It will easily take three to four days for a large, frozen bird to thaw under refrigeration. Buy it on Thursday. Thaw it on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and all day Monday. On Tuesday, dry brine the bird. And then roast it on Thursday.

NUMBER TWO.
Everything can be made ahead of time. Most people make the mistake of thinking side dishes like sweet potatoes or green bean casserole have to be made the day before or the day of. They do not. The only thing I make the day of Thanksgiving is the turkey. The only things I make the day before Thanksgiving are the pies. Other than that, I make it all ahead. Yes, even the gravy.

NUMBER THREE.
Prep. Cook. Finish. If you listened to my podcast episode (Episode 22) on my meal planning method, then you will remember that one of my secrets is to follow the prep, cook, finish routine. On one day you prep the ingredients (chopping onions, grating cheese, chopping herbs, etc.). The next day you cook (brown the onions, brown the sausage, assemble the dish, etc.). And the final day (which in this case is Thanksgiving Day) you bake the dish in the oven. This method keeps my daily time spent in the kitchen at a very reasonable level.

To help showcase how this works, I am sharing my real-life Thanksgiving Timeline below.

Thursday
buy groceries for turkey, cornbread, dressing, snack mix
bake cornbread

Friday
thaw turkey
dry cornbread in oven
prep dressing ingredients

Saturday
buy groceries for gravy, pie crust, rolls, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes
cook dressing
bake dressing (Pro Tip: fully make and bake your dressing ahead, then cover and freeze it. Thaw it on Wednesday and reheat it covered with foil on Thursday. It works and saves a ton of time!)

Sunday
prep gravy
make and freeze rolls
make and freeze pie crust
make snack mix
pull out dishes, linens, and serving pieces

Monday
buy groceries for apple pie, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, whipped cream, and beverages
prep sweet potatoes
prep green beans
prep mashed potatoes
make cranberry sauce
make gravy
fully set table

Tuesday
buy flowers
brine Turkey
make sweet potatoes
make green bean casserole
make mashed potatoes
make sangria
prep apple pie
prep pecan pie
prep pumpkin pie
chill beverages
arrange flowers

Wednesday
Make apple pie
Make pecan pie
Make pumpkin tart
final buffet and table set up

Thursday
take a shower and get fully dressed before anything else happens
roast turkey
heat dressing
heat sweet potatoes
heat green bean casserole
heat mashed potatoes
heat gravy
bake rolls
whip cream
eat!

The point in doing any of this working ahead is so that I can show up and enjoy being with my family. Yes, there will undoubtedly be some degree of last-minute tending, but I won’t be exhausted on Thursday. I will be rested, dressed, and able to actually enjoy my favorite holiday of the year with those I love.

Usually, as an added layer of detail, I create a detailed timeline for Thursday with oven temps and times, broken down into 15-minute increments. It may sound like a bit much, but all I have to do is follow the list and know that everything has been thought through. Again, less stress, more connection. This is the point of hospitality, and any work or effort we exert to make it more possible for us to be whole-hearteded aligned with the ideal of creating space for others.

If you have questions specific to Thanksgiving, I am all ears! Let me know your challenges, and we can figure them out together!

By: Katherine Sasser · In: Celebrate, Cooking, Hospitality · Tagged: holidays, menus, thanksgiving

you’ll also love

Grocery Store Flower Arrangements
A Sweet Idea For Valentine’s Day
Large Group Menu Ideas

Join the List

Stay up to date & receive the latest posts in your inbox.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Next Post >

Cornbread and Sausage Dressing (with video!)

Primary Sidebar

Search

Featured Posts

Pantry Refresh

Hurley House Favorites

Amazon Finds, Volume 1

Latest on Instagram

katherinesasser

katherinesasser


Walking in heels is not for the faint of heart. W
Walking in heels is not for the faint of heart.  Wobbling ankles, pinched toes, and a hobbling gait tend to make us look less than elegant when we don our favorite pair.​​​​​​​​​
Today on the blog I am talking about how to walk in heels, as well as a strategy I use to make the process easier, a true marker of success, and an amazing product I have recently discovered that makes it as comfortable as possible.

If you are purchasing a wedding gift for someone,
If you are purchasing a wedding gift for someone, the best practice is to choose something from their registry.​​​​​​​​​
However, if you're looking for a little extra something to add, or if you've already selected an item from their registry and want to do more, tender wedding gifts are the way to go.

Tender wedding gifts are sentimental items infused with meaning and future rewards, and today on the blog I am sharing a few of my favorite ideas.

Looking for a no-big-deal way to instantly feel re
Looking for a no-big-deal way to instantly feel refreshed and ready for a new season? I’ve got three projects that you can tackle in an afternoon. Big results. Minimal effort.

If you are a bride or know someone who is, today's
If you are a bride or know someone who is, today's post on how to register is for you! ​​​​​​​​​
This post isn't a generic guide or a list of suggested items.  Instead, I am sharing my very strong opinions on how to approach registering so that you serve the needs of  your wedding guests while also filling your home with items you want.

When I find a brand I love, I tell everyone I know
When I find a brand I love, I tell everyone I know about it, and Summersalt is one of those brands. ​​​​​​​​​
I have owned the one-shoulder swimsuit and the striped maxi dress for over a year, and they are still performing well and exceeding my expectations.

And if you're looking for a body-positive brand that highlights the beauty of real people...check out their catalog.  It's inspiring.

Today on the blog, a cute lineup of a few of my Summersalt favorites!

Add this dish to your summer snack-meal rotations.
Add this dish to your summer snack-meal rotations.  Barely a recipe and more a list of ingredients in suggested proportions, Cucumber Feta Salsa is cold, crunchy, fresh, salty, and sharp while being a cinch to throw together.  It satisfies in a way that makes me want to add it to every menu.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The recipe (if we're calling it that) is on the blog!


Load More...



Follow on Instagram


Browse by Category

Hi, I'm Katherine

Hi, I'm Katherine
hello!

I share lifestyle content through the lens of hospitality. If you are interested in learning about the beauty that creating space can bring, you've come to the right place!

Read More

Connect

Recent Posts

How To Walk In Heels

Tender Wedding Gifts

Archives

Follow Along

@katherinesasser

Walking in heels is not for the faint of heart. W Walking in heels is not for the faint of heart.  Wobbling ankles, pinched toes, and a hobbling gait tend to make us look less than elegant when we don our favorite pair.​​​​​​​​​
Today on the blog I am talking about how to walk in heels, as well as a strategy I use to make the process easier, a true marker of success, and an amazing product I have recently discovered that makes it as comfortable as possible.
If you are purchasing a wedding gift for someone, If you are purchasing a wedding gift for someone, the best practice is to choose something from their registry.​​​​​​​​​
However, if you're looking for a little extra something to add, or if you've already selected an item from their registry and want to do more, tender wedding gifts are the way to go.

Tender wedding gifts are sentimental items infused with meaning and future rewards, and today on the blog I am sharing a few of my favorite ideas.
Looking for a no-big-deal way to instantly feel re Looking for a no-big-deal way to instantly feel refreshed and ready for a new season? I’ve got three projects that you can tackle in an afternoon. Big results. Minimal effort.
If you are a bride or know someone who is, today's If you are a bride or know someone who is, today's post on how to register is for you! ​​​​​​​​​
This post isn't a generic guide or a list of suggested items.  Instead, I am sharing my very strong opinions on how to approach registering so that you serve the needs of  your wedding guests while also filling your home with items you want.
When I find a brand I love, I tell everyone I know When I find a brand I love, I tell everyone I know about it, and Summersalt is one of those brands. ​​​​​​​​​
I have owned the one-shoulder swimsuit and the striped maxi dress for over a year, and they are still performing well and exceeding my expectations.

And if you're looking for a body-positive brand that highlights the beauty of real people...check out their catalog.  It's inspiring.

Today on the blog, a cute lineup of a few of my Summersalt favorites!
Add this dish to your summer snack-meal rotations. Add this dish to your summer snack-meal rotations.  Barely a recipe and more a list of ingredients in suggested proportions, Cucumber Feta Salsa is cold, crunchy, fresh, salty, and sharp while being a cinch to throw together.  It satisfies in a way that makes me want to add it to every menu.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
The recipe (if we're calling it that) is on the blog!
Today I am sharing the books I have read lately... Today I am sharing the books I have read lately...and they span the genres from personal memoir, beach fiction, serious fiction, and non-fiction. ​​​​​​​​​
My favorite from this batch?  The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab.  Seriously amazing.
I recently hosted my staff for dinner in my home, I recently hosted my staff for dinner in my home, and my number one goal was to do as little cooking as possible so that I could be fully present.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Today on the blog I am sharing my (mostly) store-bought menu, and if you're hosting a crowd this season, I hope you can find some inspiration for your table!

Copyright © 2023 ·