Perhaps the best, yet often overlooked holiday of the year is Thanksgiving. What could be better than devouring a ton of food with your friends and family followed by lying on the couch to watch football and falling asleep? Nothing, nothing sounds better than that. However, Thanksgiving can be a tad stressful if you’re the one in charge of feeding everyone. Check out a few of our little tips and hopefully your holiday will be mostly painless.
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3 tips for the Thanksgiving cook
Make a plan
If you’re the predominant chef of a big meal, you’re going to want to plan everything out. Ask your guests if they can supply any dishes to make your life a little easier. Then, write down everything you’ll need to make. Take note of any guests who are vegetarian or vegan and reach out to them. Plan out everything you need to prepare so you have a nifty checklist to go off.
Know yourself
What we mean by this is to make an assessment of your cooking experience and skillset. Is this your first time taking charge of Thanksgiving dinner? Do yourself a favor and stick to the basics. Turkey, veggies, potatoes, stuffing, and maybe some chicken or another protein-based dish. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. A casserole is a great option for less experienced cooks. Are you more of a culinary expert of sorts? Know your limits and try something new like a stuffed potato galette or apple-brined turkey.
Prepare what you can ahead of time
Mashed potatoes don’t refrigerate particularly well, but turkey does. Give yourself more time and less to do on Thanksgiving morning by making some dishes a day or two in advance. Potatoes are best-saved for the day of, but your turkey, stuffing, and veggies can all be prepared the night before and your guests won’t know the difference.
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