Your Thanksgiving 2020 Game Plan

In the midst of this pandemic, many of you won’t be visiting relatives for Thanksgiving, which means some of you are going to be making Thanksgiving dinner at home for the first time. That might seem intimidating, but we’re here to help. We’ve got a lot planned for the next few weeks to help you get ready, and give you more confidence in the kitchen.

This is your basic game plan. You probably won’t be doing everything on the list, but whatever is on your menu, it will help you plan out what you need to do and when you need to do it.

A really important thing to keep in mind is that it's probably not going to go exactly as you planned. Something is going to take longer to cook, you'll forget something, something will be overdone. Remember that the celebration of Thanksgiving is just as much about the journey -- and it's a big journey -- as it is the destination.

Ready? Here we go!

  • 3+ weeks out (NOW!)

    • Plan out your menu

      • Pick out recipes and read them through to make sure you have everything you need to get on your list

      • Create shopping list

        • Perishables

        • Non-Perishables

        • Wine, beer, spirits

    • Tale to Table is here to help!

      • Register for classes and events

      • Prepare for Video Drops and Recipe Posts on the Tale to Table Blog

        • Cranberry Sauce and Punch: Wednesday, November 11

        • Roast Turkey: Friday, November 13

        • Baked Brie: Wednesday, November 18

        • Other recipes throughout the month

      • Pre-Order cheese and relish trays for pickup the day before Thanksgiving

      • Pick up turkey brine kit

      • Make list of other Tale to Table items you'll need for the holiday

    • Buy tools and equipment you don’t already have

      • For the turkey

        • Roasting pan and rack

          • Heavy duty aluminum foil (if you don't have a roasting rack)

        • Turkey lifter (just use tongs and wooden spoon)

        • 5-gallon bucket to brine turkey

        • Instant read thermometer

      • Casserole dishes for cooking side dishes

      • Serving dishes, gravy boat, serving utensils, decorating tablecloth, napkins

    • Week before (week of 11/15)

      • Buy non-perishable food

      • Make cranberry sauce to store in fridge

      • Buy turkey and keep in freezer

        • Put in fridge to thaw: 24 hours per 4 pounds of turkey

          • Must be thawed and ready to start brine on Wednesday evening

    • Weekend/Monday Before Thanksgiving

      • Buy perishable food, including bread for stuffing (or make cornbread)

      • Make pie crusts and put in fridge

      • Cube/toast bread for stuffing, put in an airtight container at room temperature

    • Tuesday/Wednesday

      • Pick up relish tray/cheese plate from Tale to Table

      • Get ice for brining turkey

      • Make pie(s)

      • Make dinner rolls

      • Set the table, unless you'll need it for prep

      • Make stuffing, let cool, cover with foil and refrigerate (or do this early Thursday)

      • Make turkey brine and set turkey to brine overnight

      • Put white wine in the fridge

      • Come to Tale to Table for a relaxing evening outside by the fire with our selection of wines and beer by the glass

    • Thursday

      • Early -- calculate back four hours from desired mealtime, and refer to Tale to Table Turkey Brine Kit or your recipe for exact steps and timing

        • Take turkey from brine, pat dry with paper towels, let sit undisturbed for a hour to air dry and warm up a bit

        • Preheat oven to 500 F

      • 3 hours before

        • Rub turkey with butter, place in oven for half-hour

      • 2.5 hours before

        • Turn oven down to 350 F

        • Prepare baked brie

        • Make some punch, and/our pour yourself a drink

      • 2 hours before

        • Prepare other side dishes (limit how often you open the oven)

        • Set out baked brie and cheese tray and punch for light snacking while you cook

      • 1 hour before

        • Prepare and cook other side dishes

        • Boil potatoes

        • Put red wine in fridge/take white wine out of fridge

      • 45 minutes before

        • When turkey comes to temperature, remove from oven, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 30 minutes

        • Make gravy with pan sauce

        • Mash potatoes

        • Put dinner rolls in aluminum foil and warm in oven (don't forget them in there!)

      • 15 minutes before

        • Carve turkey

        • Take rolls out of the oven, and put apple pie into the oven

        • Put all dishes in serving dishes and on the table

        • Take pumpkin pie out of the fridge (make whipped cream just before serving)

        • Start brewing coffee to serve with dessert

        • Pour more wine

      • ENJOY!

Brian PelletierComment