How to Host Thanksgiving Dinner (Minus the Panic Attack)| Recipes Articles

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Food is our common ground, a universal experience.

- James Beard

How to Host Thanksgiving Dinner (Minus the Panic Attack)

I hosted my first Thanksgiving dinner when I was 25 years old. By myself. For 16 people. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Naturally, disaster ensued.

I spent 12 hours running around the kitchen like a sweaty, grease-covered madwoman. I panicked when my tart filling leaked all over the oven, burning and smoking and setting off the fire alarm. I freaked when the turkey cooked in record time: there was no way to keep it even remotely warm for three more hours. I threw up my hands when I discovered I had zero time to make any appetizers. Because guests were coming in 10 minutes, and I hadn't even showered yet.

But at least I learned what not to do, so here are some helpful pointers on how to avoid a Thanksgiving meltdown like mine:

Anything that can be done in advance, should be done in advance. Start with your tools: what cookware will you need? Do you know where everything is? Hunting for a whisk while your gravy is morphing into a lumpy mess is not fun. Same goes for your table settings: find those napkin rings, make sure the wine glasses are spot-free, and set the table the night before.

Shopping: Microsoft Excel is your friend (I know it sounds neurotic, but bear with me). The day before you shop, gather all of your recipes. Open up a spreadsheet. In one column, list the ingredient. In the next, the quantity. Do this for every single dish. Then, data sort. Subtotal by ingredient. Done. It is now impossible to forget a single thing. If this seems like overkill, think about it: do you really want to run to the store at 3pm on Thanksgiving day because you ran out of butter?

Create a prep list. Include any tasks you can knock out the night before. For example: wash and chop all of your vegetables and put them in ziploc bags - if you're feeling extra type A, label them by recipe. Make your pie crust, roll it out, and freeze it in the pan: it can go straight into the oven the next day.

Most importantly, make a day-of schedule. The key to pulling off a big meal in a small kitchen is timing. Work backwards: if you want to serve the turkey at 6, it needs to come out of the oven at 5, so it goes in at 2:30. This means you have until 2:30 to bake everything else and then pop your sides in to warm up after the turkey is done. Don't forget to build in time for eating, cleaning, resting, and showering - or they won't happen.

Lastly, whatever catastrophes come your way, when the doorbell rings, it's party time. The music is on, the wine is flowing, and you are wearing a smile (even if it is accessorized with a filthy apron and messy ponytail).

Because at the end of the day, it's about enjoying the holiday. Even my disastrous dinner? All everyone remembers is how much fun they had.