Making a Thanksgiving dinner can be overwhelming to do, especially the cooking! We have four tips that will help you focus on what you need to do for Thanksgiving. This preparation will make the day feel a little bit easier.

 

Clean your Refrigerator

In the days leading up and the days after Thanksgiving, you will have a lot of food to store in your fridge and freezer. No one will eat all of the turkey, mashed potatoes, macaroni, or desserts; plus, we are pretty sure the chef for the day will not want to cook for the next couple of days. So, leftovers it is! It’s smart to clean out your whole fridge to make sure you get rid of any old and expired food to make room for the feast to come. Use this opportunity to check what things you do have and what you do need. Make a list during this process as well.

 

Make a Grocery List

Making a list is very important because if you forget something, the dishes will not work. Double and triple-check that you have everything you need on your list. We recommend coming up with a few options you want to cook two to three weeks before Thanksgiving, so you have a variety to choose from. Also, know how much you need so you know to make the right amount. Make sure to include the most important items on your list first so you won’t forget them!

 

Go Shopping

Shopping. It will not be a fun trip if you go a few days before Thanksgiving. We guarantee that there will be very few ingredients left for you to choose. Especially if you are looking for a turkey or ham, those are the staples to a Thanksgiving feast. Buying them a week before might be a great idea, so you won’t worry about making multiple trips to different stores to find them.

 

Meal Prep

The day is going to be chaotic; prepping dishes the day before will be incredibly helpful. Get the family in on helping cook a few things so there will be less cooking to worry about. One of the most critical things to not forget, take the turkey or ham if you are cooking them out of the freezer to defrost the day before! You want to make sure when cooking they are fully defrosted, or it may turn out raw.

We hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving celebration!