Hosting Thanksgiving: Timeline & Menu
Notes on hosting Thanksgiving, including amounts and timeline. The Butterball website is helpful on cooking/defrosting times and amounts. Updated for 2017. And while it is broken out so one can start a month before, please note that I don't think I was ever that organized. The only critical thing to do ahead of time is to get and defrost the turkey. Also an amazing idea is to make someone the official "timer" who keeps track of when things go in and out of the oven.
NOTE 12/2018: Nancy served a fresh turkey from PCC for Christmas and it was great! Here is a thought for a dry brine for next Thanksgiving
NOTES
2013:
18 people
Cut roses, tablecloths, paper, crayons, terrariums with sedums
2014:
12 people
Mum arrangements from Costco with vases containing one 1 mum; vases had chalkboard sticker with name on it. Lots of tea lights.
2015
18 people
Persimmons and greenery from the yard (sarcococca, spirea, barberry) on kraft paper; candles of varying heights; mums in 3's. Silver. Yellow Ochre napkins.
SHOPPING LISTS- the Basics
DELI
NOTE 12/2018: Nancy served a fresh turkey from PCC for Christmas and it was great! Here is a thought for a dry brine for next Thanksgiving
TWO to FOUR WEEKS BEFORE
EARLY MORNING
8am get turkey out and sit it in cold water, changing every 30 minutes to finish defrosting since it never seems to be fully defrosted.
8:30 bake poppy seed strudel
9:30 make stuffing
9:30 clean & prep turkey;
9:30 make stock start necks and giblets in water with carrots, onions, and celery, remove liver/kidney after an hour.
10:00 turkey goes in oven at 325F; check after an hour for basting and how quickly it is cooking
11:00 prep veggies
11:30 trim Brussels sprouts
11:30 make cookies with grandma (optional)
COUNTDOWN TO EATING
-1:00 before turkey is done: Take the potatoes from the fridge, dump the old water, add new water and start
-0:45 Put wild rice, roasted potatoes in lower oven at 425 (potatoes on lower rack)
-0:30 Put green bean casserole in lower oven, covered with foil
-0:30 Make Brussel sprouts on the stove
0:00 When the turkey is done (30 minutes to make gravy)
- Remove turkeys from the oven and let it rest 15 minutes before carving.
- Put extra stuffing in the oven.
- Make the gravy.
TABLE
Put tablecloths on the table
Set table: plates, water glasses and wine glasses, and silverware
Arrange flowers & put on table
Get sharpies and tell people to write thanks
Get people drinks of all choices
SAMPLE MENU
Appetizers
Dinner
- (Optional) Rent Banquet Table(s) (8' x 40"), napkins, and tablecloths from Grand Rentals. Tables are $15; tablecloths $12; napkins $0.79 each. Notes on tables: Dining room table plus 1 - 8'x40" rental can fit 14 comfortably (no one seated at the ends). 2 - 8'x40" Rentals fit 16 amply without ends, 18 with less room and no ends; 20 using ends. Dining table plus 2 - 6'x30" folding tables - tables put side-by-side seated 17 comfortably.
- Pick out Thanksgiving quotes
- Send out email
- Plan theme
- GET FROZEN BUTTERBALL TURKEY and start defrosting! This is the only thing that really has to be done in advance. QFC Bella Botega has large frozen Butterball turkeys (425) 869-8006.
- Turkey: 21 lbs serves 12-18. Remember to buy extra legs as Schetterers each like a leg. Plan on minimum of 6 days to thaw; ideally 7. If no large frozen Butterballs, buy 2 - 15 lb turkeys (2015).
- Potatoes: Plan .5 lb (to 1 lb) per person with leftovers: 12 people = 12 lbs. Extras can be frozen. 2017: 15 lbs of potatoes made 2 times too much.
- Decor: Buy any vases, candles, accessories needed for the theme. Not only does this save you having it to do it right before Thanksgiving, but orange candles, napkins, etc. sell out early.
- Buy white bread for Stuffing (Homepride is the best, but Franz White works too. In 2017, used Esssential Bakery's white bread which was denser, but turned out amazing). Open the bag to dry it out. Hide it from the dogs who will eat it, if reachable.
- Make turkey stock from necks and backs for the gravy
- Costco shopping trip
- PCC shopping trip for veggies
- Make cranberry relish and dilly dip
- Iron (or fluff) napkins
- Get poppy seeds and phyllo dough
- assemble poppy seed strudel
- print menus. Use the spreadsheet 2016-17 Thanksgiving.csv for names and unused quotes.
- wash vases, glasses, and votives, if needed
- assemble items on buffet (decor, warming trays, ice bucket, etc.)
- peel potatoes, chunk them and put them in water in a sealed container. Plan .5 to 1 lb per person with leftovers: 12 people = 12 lbs. Extras can be frozen. 2017: 15 lbs of potatoes made 2 times too much.
- chop celery and onions for stuffing (use 2+ cups celery, 1.5 cups onion for 32 cups stuffing)
- prep brussel sprouts, or other vegetables (green beans, roasted potatoes)
- set up/move tables
- layout dishes on the buffet
- make dilly dip and onion soup dip
- tear the bread for the stuffing
- print out menus
- find sticky notes for thanks
EARLY MORNING
8am get turkey out and sit it in cold water, changing every 30 minutes to finish defrosting since it never seems to be fully defrosted.
8:30 bake poppy seed strudel
9:30 make stuffing
9:30 clean & prep turkey;
9:30 make stock start necks and giblets in water with carrots, onions, and celery, remove liver/kidney after an hour.
10:00 turkey goes in oven at 325F; check after an hour for basting and how quickly it is cooking
11:00 prep veggies
11:30 trim Brussels sprouts
11:30 make cookies with grandma (optional)
COUNTDOWN TO EATING
-1:00 before turkey is done: Take the potatoes from the fridge, dump the old water, add new water and start
-0:45 Put wild rice, roasted potatoes in lower oven at 425 (potatoes on lower rack)
-0:30 Put green bean casserole in lower oven, covered with foil
-0:30 Make Brussel sprouts on the stove
0:00 When the turkey is done (30 minutes to make gravy)
- Remove turkeys from the oven and let it rest 15 minutes before carving.
- Put extra stuffing in the oven.
- Make the gravy.
TABLE
Put tablecloths on the table
Set table: plates, water glasses and wine glasses, and silverware
Arrange flowers & put on table
Get sharpies and tell people to write thanks
Get people drinks of all choices
SAMPLE MENU
Appetizers
- Chips
- Cheese and Crackers
- Smoked Salmon and Smoked Sausage
- Veggies with dilly dip and hummus
- Good 'n' Plenty's
- Relish tray of pickled items
Dinner
- Roasted Turkey
- Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
- Traditional Stuffing with only a hint of sage (Nancy, Val)
- Wild Rice with Sausage (Kae)
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts (shallots, raisins, bacon)
- Roasted Yams and Cranberries (ginger, applesauce)
- Uborka saláta (“Cucumber Salad”) (V)
- Green Bean Casserole
- Holiday Jell-O (V)
- Cranberry Relish (V)
- Janie's Yams and Beets
- Deconstructed Green Bean casserole with garlic cashew cream (V)
- Roasted potatoes (V)
- San Pelligrino, Sparkling Apple Cider, Hard Cider, and Wine
Desserts
- Pumpkin Pie served with whipped cream
- Almond Cracker bars
- Poppy Seed Strudel
- Holiday Toffee
- Wine
- Beer
- Cider
- DRY sodas
- Diet 7up
- San Pelligrino
- San Pelligrino fruit drinks
NOTES
2013:
18 people
Cut roses, tablecloths, paper, crayons, terrariums with sedums
2014:
12 people
Mum arrangements from Costco with vases containing one 1 mum; vases had chalkboard sticker with name on it. Lots of tea lights.
2015
18 people
Persimmons and greenery from the yard (sarcococca, spirea, barberry) on kraft paper; candles of varying heights; mums in 3's. Silver. Yellow Ochre napkins.
2017:
16 people
1992 Silver Oak Cabernet, Napa Valley (x2) and both were great! Tall arrangements (make them short bouquets) also made me congested so go back to roses, deconstructed green beans - will do again.
Notes for 2017: lower flower arrangements, make almond cracker cookies, let someone be the scheduler to keep everyone on track.
16 people
1992 Silver Oak Cabernet, Napa Valley (x2) and both were great! Tall arrangements (make them short bouquets) also made me congested so go back to roses, deconstructed green beans - will do again.
Notes for 2017: lower flower arrangements, make almond cracker cookies, let someone be the scheduler to keep everyone on track.
2024: At Nancy's.
SHOPPING LISTS- the Basics
DELI
- phylo
- poppy seeds
- hummus
- 20 lbs potatoes
- brussel sprouts
- onions
- butter
- bacon (brussel sprouts)
- San Pelligrino
- flowers
- chips
- crackers, if having
GROCERY/PCC
Persimmons, greenery, and assorted candles. (2015)
- cranberries, oranges
- green beans ( deconstructed casserole)
- green apple (for strudel)
- celery (stuffing)
- shallots (brussel sprouts)
- whipping cream (dessert)
- whole milk (mashed potatoes)
- Jellied Ocean Spray cranberries
- Club Crackers
- slivered almonds
- Good 'n' Plenty's
- ice
- sodas
Persimmons, greenery, and assorted candles. (2015)
Menu from 2015
