For the first few years, we were married we would travel to visit family for Thanksgiving but as all of the family moved back out west and our family grew we decided to start hosting Thanksgiving and stop traveling. Hosting your first Thanksgiving can be a little scary, but don’t worry you’ve got this.
The first year we hosted thanksgiving Jared’s cousins came down and a couple of friends came over. Each year since then the group we have had for Thanksgiving has changed. Some years we have some of our family with us for dinner and other years we enjoy with friends.
No matter who you enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with there are a few things you can do to help make hosting your first Thanksgiving less stressful.
Plus at the bottom of this post, I have a free printable for you, to make planning the meal even easier!
Tips for Hosting Your First Thanksgiving
Some of these tips might seem a little bit obvious but having them written down in front of you will help make sure you don’t forget.
#1 Plan the Guest List
Some people go all out sending written invitations to Thanksgiving dinner, that’s not me. Planning the guestlist for me usually involves asking if any family is coming.
If any of our parents or siblings are coming we know months in advance because they need flights. We ask the cousins that live closer if they are coming and we find out what our friends are doing or if they need a place to go for Thanksgiving.
Invites for our Thanksgiving dinner are made via text or when we are talking to them. Our guest list changes frequently sometimes even the night before, but having an idea of how many people you are having will make planning the dinner a little easier.
#2 Write Down the Menu
The Thanksgiving planner below has a page for you to write down the menu, shopping lists, etc. When I’m planning our menu I ask what everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving dish is and go from there. Usually, the favorites make up our entire menu.
Our menu usually includes Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, pretzel jello salad, rolls, pies, etc.
Pro Tip: if you have guests coming from driving distance assign them some of the menu items to bring. This means you won’t have to cook as much!
Related Post: Thanksgiving Pies to Try This Year
#3 Gather the Recipes
Now that you know what dishes you want to eat for your Thanksgiving dinner gather the recipes. The first year I hosted Thanksgiving this involved calling my mom and my grandma to get the recipes for some of our favorite dishes.
Once you have all the recipes keep them together. In my recipe box, I have a section just for our Thanksgiving recipes, this makes it easy to find them each year.
#4 Write a Master Grocery List
Now that you have all of the recipes make a master grocery list. Pick a recipe card and write down all of the ingredients including measurements, then grab the next recipe add more measurements to ingredients you already have listed, and write down new ingredients. Continue until you have done this with each recipe.
#5 Make Shopping Lists
Now that you have your Master Grocery list make shopping lists. First, go through your cupboards and cross off the things you already have. Then you can break the rest of the grocery list into separate shopping lists.
I like to break my lists down when I can get the groceries. I try to get all the nonperishable supplies (kitchen supplies, canned goods, baking supplies, etc) 3 to 4 weeks before Thanksgiving. This is when the stores aren’t as crazy.
Then the week before I like to get anything I need that needs to be fresher like potatoes, sweet potatoes, milk, etc.
The week of Thanksgiving I try to have the shortest possible grocery list. It usually only includes those things that would go bad in a week’s time. Like Bananas, salad, berries, etc.
#6 Make a Cooking Schedule
Think about what foods you are eating and how you can make a cooking schedule so that Thanksgiving day isn’t as stressful.
This is how my Thanksgiving cooking schedule usually looks.
2- 3 weeks before Thanksgiving I usually make my gravy and freeze it and I also make the pie crusts and freeze them in the pan.
The week before thanksgiving I make cranberry sauce
Sunday before Thanksgiving figure out when you need to start defrosting your turkey. Plan 24 hours for every 5 pounds.
Tuesday before Thanksgiving I usually get everything ready for all of my recipes. So for my stuffing, I try to get all the veggies cut and in a container so when I go to put it together the veggies are all prepped.
I do as much of this prep work as I can to make Thanksgiving Day go smoother. Also, don’t forget to pull out the things you have made ahead in the freezer.
Day Before Thanksgiving (Wednesday) I bake all of my pies and make my crusts for pretzel jello salad. I also bake my sweet potatoes and put together that casserole as well as the green bean casserole.
Thanksgiving morning starts off with the turkey and then make the remaining dishes and warming the dishes you have already put together.
#7 Be Flexible
As much as you plan things can still change or something can go wrong. Don’t ask me about the year our apartment got roaches the day before Thanksgiving!
So be flexible and remember the best part of Thanksgiving is spending time with those we love.
Free Printable Thanksgiving Planner
Here is the free printable Thanksgiving planner I hope it helps you have a less stressful time hosting Thanksgiving dinner.
Tips for getting the house ready for the holidays? Read this post.
More Thanksgiving Posts:
Thanksgiving Dot to Dot {Free Printables}
Free Printable Thanksgiving Activity Pack
Thanksgiving Traditions to Start This Year
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