Your First Thanksgiving At Home
This year “Home for the Holidays” takes on a new meaning. Our family gatherings may be different this year due to Covid, but they can still be a wonderful memory for you, your family, and your friends.
If this is your first year preparing the entire Thanksgiving meal at home, I am here to assist you through the process.
This blog will walk you through the steps you need to take to get everything done on time for your festivities. Ask Aunt V will be posting the daily duties leading up to the holiday and answer any questions you may have. Stay tuned and let’s get started.
Holiday Cooking Plan How to be a Guest at Your Own Table
Here is a schedule to follow to plan for your Thanksgiving Holiday Dinner. Following these guidelines will help to make your event memorable, stress-free, and allow you to be a guest at your own table.
Prepare a Guest List – How many people will be attending your event. How many adults, how many children. Are there any dietary preferences or dietary requirements you need to consider? Be sure to check to ensure there is plenty for everyone.
Estimate Portions – Based on your guest list, you can plan the amount of food you will need to prepare, and purchase. Please note, there is a difference between the purchase weight, (the actual amount you purchase) and the cooking weight (the final weight of food after it has been prepared). Listed below is the average amount of cooked/prepared food to serve to adults.
The Standard Portion Sized for Average Adults:
- Protein (turkey) 5 oz / 140 g
- Starch (potatoes, pasta, grains) 4 oz / 115 g
- Vegetable (green beans, peas, corn) 2 oz / 55 g
- Salad Greens 2 oz / 55 g
- Stuffing 3 oz / 85 g
- Cranberry Sauce 1 oz / 28 g
- Gravy 4 oz / 118 g
*Buying turkey – Plan to purchase 1 to 1.5 pounds (450-460 g) of raw turkey per person. Why so much more than cooked? You have to calculate in the inedible weight (bones), cooking loss (20%), and the carving loss (20%-40%).
Create Shopping List
- Non-Perishable Items
- Perishable Items
Plan a Cooking Schedule for the Day of Event
- What do you plan to cook?
- Do you need recipes for your favorite menu items?
- What will be cooked the day of the event?
- What can be prepared in advance? To freeze? To refrigerate?
When to defrost the turkey?
- For a frozen turkey, allow 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. Defrost in the refrigerator in the container, usually plastic, it was purchased in.
- Will you brine the turkey? Add one day. More to follow on brining a turkey on the Home for the Holiday posts.
Plan your refrigerator and your oven space.
- Do you have enough room to store the food prior to preparing it?
- Is it possible to prepare some foods in advance and freeze them for more refrigerator space?
Plan the Pots and Pans you will need to use
- This sounds basic but it can get crazy. Planning can ensure you have the right pan and the right time.
- Plan for both roasting, baking, and stovetop prepping.
Plan the Serving Platters and Utensils you will need to use
- How many bowls do you need? What sizes? Serving spoons for the sides? Plates, platters, butter dish, salt and pepper, etc.
- The day of the event is not the time to look for the platter you got for your wedding, or Aunt Martha’s gravy bowl. Find what you want to use, clean it, match it with the serving utensil (label with sticky notes for helpers to know).
- Do use your best. This is the time to enjoy it.
This is the first step for preparation. Tomorrow we will go over recipes, ingredients, and some additional preparation ideas. See you then.