• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Feels Like Home™ logo

  • Shop
    • Christianity Downloads
    • Family Downloads
    • Food & Cooking Downloads
    • Hobbies & Crafts Downloads
    • Learning Downloads
  • Blog
  • Family
    • Parenting
    • Holidays & Celebrations
    • Marriage
    • Kids activities
      • Kids Crafts
      • Christmas Crafts for Toddlers & Preschoolers
      • Christmas Crafts for Kids
      • Christmas Crafts for Tweens & Teens
    • Learning
      • Reading & Writing
      • STEM
  • Faith
    • Bible Study
    • Encouragement
  • Recipes
    • Comfort Food
    • Eating after Bariatric Surgery
    • Gluten-Free
    • Recipes for Foodie Kids
    • Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals
  • Health
    • Mental Health
      • Hobbies & Crafts
      • Self-Care
    • Physical Health
      • Bariatric Surgery
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • SHOP
  • RECIPES
  • FAMILY
  • FAITH
  • HEALTH
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    See More:   Comfort Food Holiday Meals Holidays & Celebrations Recipes for Beginners

    Last Modified: May 23, 2022 by Tara Ziegmont Leave a Comment

    How to Host Thanksgiving The Easy Way - 11 More Tips

    28FacebookMessenger216PinterestTwitterWhatsAppEmail
    244
    SHARES
    A close up of pumpkin piePin

    Hosting a big family dinner is a lot of work. I'm not going to sugarcoat it and make it seem like it's not.

    You have to clean the house (always the biggest job for us!), prepare the menu, shop for the groceries, prep the food ahead of time, do all the cooking, clean up the meal, wash the dishes, and put all the leftovers away. And then clean the house again because inevitably, messes have been made, food has been spilled, and the tablecloth is dirty.

    It's exhausting, right?

    But there are some things you can do to make your meal-hosting life a lot easier.

    Listen, there are no tips in the world that will make holiday meals easy. It's just not possible given how much work there is to do.

    Well, I suppose it is possible if you order the whole meal from a restaurant and bring it in, but even then, you would have to clean the house, serve the meal, and do the dishes and cleaning afterward.

    How to Make Hosting Thanksgiving Easier

    1. Plan ahead. This is my #1 tip for a reason. Planning ahead will make Thanksgiving so much easier. In the pages of How to Host a Stress-Free Holiday Meal, I explain how my system for shopping, cooking, and prepping before the big day shifts most of the work away from the holiday, giving you time to clean like a madwoman enjoy your friends and family as they arrive.
    2. Shop early. Sales on Thanksgiving staples abound in November, so stocking up on the essentials early in the month makes good sense. The printable shopping lists in How to Host a Stress-Free Holiday Meal make grocery shopping for your meal really simple and easy, and you'll have time to pick up anything you may have forgotten or that the store was out of, so you won't get stuck making last minute substitutions during your meal prep.
    3. Buy extra. One year, we had waited to make the dessert until the night before the holiday (huge faux pas here!), and I dropped it as I was sliding it into the oven. Fortunately, Walmart was still open (do they close on Thanksgiving? I think they don't, but that's not the point.), so Joe made a late night run to replace my ingredients. If I'd had extra to begin with, it would not have been a problem.
    4. Get the right tools. The right tools make all the difference. So make this the year you test out the inexpensive 3-tier oven rack (for your side dishes), the 3-tier cooling rack (for your pies), and a pair of Ove Gloves (Joe got these for Christmas from my mom before she died, and he LOVES them. So much better than traditional oven mitts!). There is an extensive printable list of cooking and serving tools that you'll need in How to Host a Stress-Free Holiday Meal, so you'll be totally prepared for the big day.
    5. Skip the turkey baster. You don't need to baste a well-cooked and well-timed turkey. In fact, opening the oven to baste the bird actually makes it take longer as you lose valuable heat every time you open the door. So, that basting habit of yours can actually make the bird drier because you end up having to cook it longer to achieve the proper internal temperature. Instead, follow my unique cooking method in How to Host a Stress-Free Holiday Meal to cook the turkey in half the time and enjoy a juicy, flavorful bird time and time again.
    6. Consider paper plates. I know paper plates don't look as nice as the beautiful, heavy, china you got as a wedding present. It can't compete. But you can get some nice, festive paper products now, and they make cleanup so much easier. It's okay if you want to continue with your nice china habit - no judgement here. But if you want to streamline the day and skip the hour-long dishwashing session after the meal, go for paper. While you're at it, get plastic cups, smaller paper plates for pie, and plastic utensils, too.
    7. Stock up on chicken broth (see what I did there?).  Our cooking method results in a moist bird every time - unless you overcook it, which is possible, especially if you don't have a reliable meat thermometer.  In this blog post, I explain when to take the bird out of the oven for more moist meat, but if you miss the timing, your bird is going to be dry, no matter what method you use to roast it. You can save a dry bird (turkey or chicken, actually), by sprinkling some chicken stock on it as you cut and place it on the serving tray. It isn't as good as actual, juicy meat, but it will cover up your cooking faux pas and make the meat a lot more palatable.
    8. Avoid a burnt pie crust with a shield. Pie crust can be finicky. I personally use packaged crusts because they come out perfectly every time, but even if you make them from scratch, you have to worry about burning the edges before the filling is cooked through. To prevent this problem, I invested a whole $5 in a pie shield that I place over the pie. It keeps the edge of the crust from getting too brown and ensures that the whole pie is evenly cooked.
    9. Prep the inside of the bird. As I have said above, our cooking method for the turkey results in a moist, perfect bird. That is true. But there is something else you can do to boost the flavor of the finished meat - apply butter and seasonings under the skin. In 23 Simple, Time-Saving Hacks to Make Hosting Thanksgiving Easy, I shared a method of dry brining that will give you a flavorful bird. That method is still great. But what I didn't mention in that post is that you can also apply the seasonings and butter under the skin to flavor the meat in addition to the skin. Yes, some of the seasonings and butter will soak down through during cooking, but if you want a really great bird, you should also pick up the skin and rub down the meat underneath.
    10. Gather your ingredients. This is kind of a no brainer, unless no one has ever told you before to do it. Before you start cooking for the day, pull out all the ingredients you need so that you're not searching for that random spice mid-recipe. Put your refrigerated items on one shelf, and leave the room temperature items on the countertop or kitchen table. Cooking will be so much easier.
    11. Wash your serving pieces the day before. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing a dead bug in a serving dish as I'm just about to pour food in. Maybe you dust your china cabinet more often than I do, and this isn't a problem. But I'm betting that some of your dishes are dusty or have a light film of kitchen goo on them. Wash them the day before so that they're ready to go and don't take precious time at dinnertime.

    If you're looking for more tips to make hosting Thanksgiving dinner easier, check out 23 Simple, Time-Saving Hacks to Make Hosting Thanksgiving Easy.

    How to Host a Stress-Free Holiday Meal

    You can host an excellent holiday meal and spend time with your guests.

    Whether you have a lot of cooking experience or none at all, you will be able to follow these instructions, plan, and host a relaxed, traditional, holiday dinner.

    Does the idea of hosting a holiday meal leave you completely overwhelmed?

    Are you dreading a repeat of last year's Thanksgiving?

    Are you wishing you weren't the host so you could enjoy your friends and family?

    Those days are over.

    In the pages of How to Host a Stress-Free Holiday Meal, I will guide you through the planning and preparation of a simple, easy, and amazingly delicious holiday feast.

    You will receive:

    • A 6-page printable planning checklist that begins in a full month before the holiday
    • A 4-page printable grocery list – divided by sections of the grocery store – with spaces to add your own items
    • 3 printable checklists for the tools you'll need – bakeware, specialty cooking tools, serving pieces
    • 12 delectable recipes – everything you need for a traditional holiday meal
      • Appetizer ideas
      • Pimento cheese dip
      • A new method of roasting the turkey that results in faster, easier prep and a juicier bird
      • The perfect turkey gravy
      • Crockpot mashed potatoes
      • Candied sweet potatoes
      • Chestnut stuffing
      • Green bean casserole
      • Homemade cranberry sauce
      • 3 easy & amazing pies

    28FacebookMessenger216PinterestTwitterWhatsAppEmail
    244
    SHARES

    More Comfort Food

    • Kung Pao Beef
    • How to Make the Best Bacon & Leek Tart
    • Cheesy Shrimp Casserole with Velveeta
    • Beef Enchilada Casserole

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Tara.

    Harrisburg PA mom blogger Tara Ziegmont
    I am passionate about helping women to care for themselves and their families physically, emotionally, and spiritually by making time for what matters most through a combination of delectable recipes, Christian inspiration, and family fun. If you're tired of feeling so weary and uninspired, you're in the right place. I'm so glad you're here!
    Read more about me...

    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram LinkedIn email me subscribe

    Popular Recipes

    • Cheeseburger Soup from Taste of Home
    • Cracker Barrel Copycat Fried Apples
    • Sweet Balsamic Pork Roast in the Instant Pot
    • Couldn't Be Easier Cherry Pie

    Food with an Instant Pot in the background

    AS SEEN ON

    a list of the websites where Tara Ziegmont has been featured

    Popular Bible Studies

    • A Grateful Heart - 2 week printable study
    • 10 Bible Verses on Anger
    • 13 Bible Verses on Disappointment
    • 50 Bible Verses Every Christian Should Know
    • 10 Bible Verses to Overcome Worry

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    As seen on

    a list of the websites where Tara Ziegmont has been featured

    Contact Tara


    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy.

    Copyright © 2022 Feels Like Home Blog

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    SettingsAccept
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT