Blog > 6 Thanksgiving Hosting Tips
Thanksgiving is right around the corner which means family, friends, and food! While we all look forward to spending quality time with our loved ones, hosting, cooking, and entertaining can become overwhelming if you’re not prepared.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or planning your first holiday with the in-laws, it is essential to space out the tasks into more manageable segments to ensure you aren’t left with everything at once. Below we have listed a few helpful tips to keep you on track this Thanksgiving so you can spend more time enjoying and less time stressing!
- Outsource Appetizers
When you’re in charge of the entire dinner (turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc.) it is essential to ask for help on appetizers. Whether that is having a guest bring over a fall-inspired charcuterie board or an old family recipe, it will not only take one less task off your itinerary but also allow them to bring some of their traditions to the day!
- Plan a Menu the Week Before
To ensure you aren’t fighting the holiday crowds at the grocery store, plan your Thanksgiving Menu ahead of time, so you can space out the shopping. It will also give you extra time to search other stores if they are out of an essential ingredient to one of your recipes.
- Plan Serving Dishes in Advance
Once your menu is planned, you can begin to delegate serving dishes to each food you are preparing. This is essential so you can clean off dusty platters, plates, and casserole dishes that have been in the back of your pantry for a year.
- Prep All Your Veggies the Day Before
While not all your dishes can be prepped ahead of time, most of your veggies can be washed, trimmed, and peeled the day before. This will free up more time to get straight to cooking on Thanksgiving Day.
- Keep the Kids Involved
The easiest way to watch the kids while also keeping them entertained is by allowing them to help out wherever they can. Allow them to put out decorations or set the table. They will feel proud to accomplish any little task you can give them!
- Eat Early!
Last but not least, eating your Thanksgiving around 3 pm will allow you plenty of time to enjoy, relax, and clean before the night is over!
Hosting holidays can be stressful and exhausting – but with proper planning and reaching out for help where needed, it doesn’t have to be!