Bring Joy & Humor to Holiday Meal Prep

You’d think after 17 years of making holiday dinners for family and friends I’d have it down to a T, but mistakes do happen, which have improved my sense of humor over time.

Wanting to impress my boyfriend with my culinary prowess, I offered to make bourbon sweet potato pies for his family Thanksgiving dinner. After assembling two pies, I realized I forgot to put salt in them, so I carefully stirred some into each pie. What I didn’t realize was I added double salt to one pie and none to the other. I only came to realize this after my guests had a slice of pie in front of them. Lesson to self: never drink wine while baking. I embarrassedly asked each person to tell me if they tasted salt in the pie and when they said no, I went over and sprinkled salt on their pie and chuckled. The double salt slices were, let me say, “almost edible.”

After working all week, you have one day to make your home beautiful, prepare, and put the holiday dinner on the table. This is a hectic time for many of us. So how do you not make yourself crazy and take the pressure off that one day? Start with a written meal plan at least 2-3 weeks ahead of time. Be kind to yourself, it’s not that important to prepare everything from scratch, unless you’re a foodie like me. It’s okay to have other people bring a side dish or dessert. And if you prefer not to ask others to bring something, your Co-op will surely have some tasty side dishes or other readymade entrees. On the day of the meal, have a cheat sheet ready for the times to start cooking each food dish, the temperature to cook at, and what time you expect each dish to be ready. That way you can talk to your guests without worry if you get a little distracted. Engage your guests in the preparation and or serving of the meal. It’s a positive feeling to be helpful and included.

Then, there’s the bird. How many of us have heard, “When will the turkey be ready?” As you gaze at your guests eagerly waiting to eat, you beg the turkey to cook faster and give your mother a kiss and tell her to have another cracker with cheese. After years of this scene, I finally started taking a holiday day the day before Thanksgiving and cooked the turkey without pressure from guests waiting to eat. Purchasing turkey parts such as breasts and legs will also hasten cooking time. Cooking the stuffing outside the bird in a separate pan will also speed up the bird’s cooking time. Oh, and don’t forget to take the package of giblets out of the turkey carcass before cooking. Preparing side dishes that freeze well 1-2 weeks before like potatoes, stuffing, or gravy will also take pressure off. Defrost side dishes in the fridge a day or two before the meal. And don’t forget that you need ample time to defrost that bird before cooking…sometimes several days. Now you’re ready for meal day. On the day of the meal all you need do is heat up the turkey, carve it, warm the side dishes, and voila! Below is an example of how to organize your tasks to help you get through the planning and preparation stages of your joyous, holiday meal. Keep your menu handy on the big day so you don’t forget to serve anything. I cannot count how many times I’ve opened the refrigerator at the end of a meal and said, “Oops, I forgot to serve that.”

Mistakes do happen even to the most experienced cook and host. Recovering with a joke and a laugh and keeping in mind that it’s not all about the food, but more about the joy of sharing a meal with family and friends. Please use the templates below and fill in your own Happy Holiday Plan.

Sample Holiday Dinner To-Do List

2-3 weeks before:

Create a written menu for each holiday meal. Assign preparer to each item.

2 weeks before:

Make shopping list from menu. Place special orders at your grocery store.

1-2 weeks before:

Avoid the grocery store crows and shop for non-perishable foods such as croutons for stuffing, nuts, and other food items that will last at least a week in your refrigerator or cupboards. Prepare and freeze items such as stuffing, mashed potatoes, casseroles, and gravy.

1 week before:

Clean the house and set out decorations

1 week to 2 days before

Pick up turkey, roasts, or other perishables from the store and defrost.

2–3 days before

If not already prepared, make your side dishes and refrigerate. Defrost any pre-made rides in refrigerator.

Turkey Thawing Time

To thaw in a refrigerator, allow about 24 hours for every 4–5 pounds. For cold water thawing, allow about 30 minutes per pound, and change water every 30 minutes. A turkey thawed in cold water should be cooked right after thawing.