How to Host Thanksgiving (+ a free printable checklist!)

Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember. There’s something about the fall colors, the warmth of delicious comfort foods, and spending time with friends & family that makes the transition to winter that much better.

I swear the holidays come up faster and faster each year (wasn’t it just July?!) so I wanted to share my how to host Thanksgiving guide nice and early for everyone! This guide seriously has everything you’d need to host Thanksgiving (or really any holiday), whether it’s big or small. You’ll find tips for putting a menu together, getting your table ready, and even what you can prep & cook ahead of time to make the day a breeze.

Plan for your best Thanksgiving yet

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Start with my best turkey tips

Never made your own Thanksgiving turkey before? I’ve got you covered! Head to my best ever Thanksgiving turkey recipe and get all of my tips and tricks for selecting, defrosting, and roasting a whole turkey. The perfect task to check off first on your list!

Bonus: it’s easier than you think! My turkey doesn’t require any brining. Just a little patience and time (as all turkeys do!).

1-3 weeks before: plan your menu

A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to want to solidify who’s coming and plan out what will be on the table:

1. Make a guest list and send invites via Paperless Post or email.
2. Delegate & give people a timeline. Don’t be afraid to let your guests handle appetizers or a fun cheese board. It makes things so much easier! Bonus points if they bring an app that doesn’t require an oven.
3. Plan your Thanksgiving menu. Write down all the dishes that you’ll be making and what groceries you’ll need for those.
4. Head to the grocery store and pick up all of the food you need. I do this about 5-7 days before, but sometimes you might consider ordering your turkey ahead of time.
5. Check your serveware. Serving spoons, electric knife for cutting, wine glasses, pie dishes, the whole works!
6. Plan for leftovers. Make sure you have enough meal prep containers to hold leftovers, and don’t forget to ask your guests to BYOT if you plan to send them home with leftovers.

4-5 days before: get your table ready

It might seem early, but trust me when I say start to lay out your Thanksgiving table and dishes almost a week before the big day!

1. Lay out serving dishes ahead of time. This is helpful to see how much room you’ll have on your table if you plan to do family style. It will also help you note which side dish, dessert, etc will go in each corresponding dish.
2. Take out all serving dishes you’ll need: plates, silverware, serving utensils, wine glasses, bowls, roasting pans, dishes, etc.
3. Label your dishes: place a note in each dish for what recipe they will hold. This will help you when it comes to the big day.

Tableware & servingware you may need

• tablecloth
• serving utensils
• serving platter
• serving tray
• glass meal prep containers
• oval baking dish
• rectangular baking dish
• pie pan
• roasting pan
• small cheeseboard
• cheese knives
• gravy boat
• wine glasses

3 days before: clean & decorate

You’re going to clean, declutter, and clean again before Thanksgiving Day, but a few days before is a great time to start getting your space together.

1. Clean your house. Hire help if you can/need to.
2. Plan the table seating and settings.
3. Decorate the table with seasonal decor (Home Goods & Target are great places to shop for inexpensive decor). I love candles, a simple tablecloth, brass candlesticks. greenery or dried pampas / cottontails, vases, and simple touches like pears, figs, or cute little bowls make a big difference. Less is more.
4. Create a dinner playlist on Spotify (or just use one of mine!)
5. Defrost turkey in your fridge (make sure you do this at least 3 days before!)

Table decor we love

• dried cottontails
• small vases
• candlestick holders
• candlesticks
• kitchen twine
• mini white pumpkins (found at Trader Joe’s)
• eucalyptus for napkins

2-3 days before: bake & prep ingredients

One of the best tips I have is to bake and prep ahead of time! Pies will still be delicious straight from the fridge, and it will save you the hassle & oven space on the day of.  If you can pre-chop ingredients and keep them in the fridge, do that, too.

1. Bake your pies ahead of time (try any of my 7 Pies to Make for Thanksgiving!)
2. Take out coolers and set them out for extra beverages, if necessary.
3. Begin to prep ingredients that need chopping, dressings and sauces, and any dishes that will store well in the fridge and save time. Store them airtight containers. If you can’t store all the side dishes in your fridge, simply store them stacked in a big cooler with ice.

1-2 days before: prep your sides

Tons of side dishes can be fully cooked or partially cooked the day before and then simply reheated or quickly baked the day of for ease.

1. Prepare make-ahead side dishes and appetizers. This saves SO much time on the day of. When you click over to any of my Thanksgiving recipes, check out the full post & notes section for tips on making them ahead of time.
2. Set and finalize the table the night before. Any final details!
3. Set out your outfit so you know exactly what you’re wearing and don’t have to think about it.
4. Figure out a timeline for cooking and serving. See below for the timeline I use for a 4PM dinner!

How long does it take to cook a full turkey?

Each pound of turkey takes about 15-20 minutes to cook, and you’ll want to give yourself about 30-45 minutes of extra time just in case it takes longer. If prepped ahead, your side dishes will likely take 30-45 minutes to heat all at once in the oven, which is enough time for the turkey to rest, cool off a bit, and for you to cut it.

Remember that turkeys will stay warm for a long time before you cut into them, so don’t worry too much about timing; it’s better to have it done early rather than late.

Example timeline for a 4PM Thanksgiving dinner

Here’s one of my Thanksgiving timelines for the big day! It’s exactly what I wrote out and used. This was SO helpful for the big day, and I highly recommend making a timeline for yourself 1-2 days out. I always work backward from the time I want to serve dinner and have all of my side dishes prepared ahead of time.

• 7:30am/8am: go for walk + get coffee + go to park
• 9-10am: kids likely napping — M and T to shower, clean up room, fold laundry, and put away
• 10am: bring turkey to room temp, make compound butter for turkey
• 10/11am: Tony cuts up potatoes for mashed potatoes
• 11am: M makes appetizer crostini (cut apples, bake brie w/ crostini, hot honey)
• 11:30am: cook bacon wrapped dates for appetizers (already prepped and in fridge)
• 12pm/1pm: serve appetizers (include charcuterie board that guests are bringing)
• 12pm/1pm: guests arrive
• 12pm: put turkey in the oven at noon or slightly before
• 12:30pm: put mashed potatoes in slow cooker
• 1:15-2:45/3: enjoy time with guests, play games, watch football & drink while kids nap
• 2:30pm: take out sides and bring to room temperature so they aren’t too cold when they go in oven
• 3pm: pull turkey or put in for slightly longer (time estimate for turkey is 3 hours)
• 3:15/30pm: all sides go in for 45 minutes-ish
• 3:25pm: finish salad while sides are cooking
• 3:30pm: M make gravy
• 3:45pm: Tony cuts turkey (rests for 30-45 minutes)
• 4:00/4:30pm: Dinner
• 5:30pm/6pm: kids’ bathtime/bedtime + clean up time
• 6:30/7: Serve dessert (don’t forget to make a pot of coffee!)

The best Thanksgiving recipes + grocery list

Don’t forget to sign up to get a delicious menu (with a grocery list!), recipe make-ahead tips, and a condensed day-of timeline. Everything you need for the perfect Thanksgiving, straight to your inbox.

I hope these tips for hosting Thanksgiving are helpful in any way you’re celebrating the holidays! Be sure to click and download my FREE printable checklist below to ensure success the whole way through. Enjoy, xo!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR FREE PRINTABLE THANKSGIVING CHECKLIST

Remember to head to my full Thanksgiving roundup for apps, mains, sides, and desserts that are perfect for serving on Thanksgiving!