A Thanksgiving Countdown Checklist will help you to get organized so you can enjoy hosting Thanksgiving dinner instead of being stressed and frazzled.
Are you planning to host Thanksgiving dinner this year?
Thanksgiving is just like having big party. It’s best that you prepare well in advance for things to go smoothly.
If you don’t get organized, you run the risk of being frazzled and too tired to even enjoy the food or festivities. And, what’s the point of that?
Learn how to tackle one of the biggest holidays like a pro with this Thanksgiving Countdown checklist. It’s a step-by-step guide that will eliminate stress and have you feeling confident when the big day finally arrives.
There’s a free printable checklist that you can download and print out at the end of the post. Be sure to grab that so you can easily follow this guide to a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner.
Thanksgiving Countdown Step-by-Step Guide
4 Weeks Ahead
- Invite your guests. Find out if they have any food allergies or special dietary needs that you should be aware of.
- Keep track of what dishes your guests will be bringing so there are no duplicates and so you know who is responsible for what. Determine if they will be bringing a dish that’s fully cooked or if you will need to have oven space to complete the meal. Also, find out if you’ll need to provide serving dishes for the meal.
- Order your turkey if you’re getting a fresh one instead of frozen. Don’t wait until the last-minute to get the most important item on the menu.
2 Weeks Ahead
- Plan your menu. Test out any new recipes and make a list of the dishes you will serve.
- Determine which china, glassware and table linens you’ll be using. Take inventory of these pieces to see if you have enough to serve your guests
- If the table cloths or napkins need cleaning, take care of that now.
- Polish silverware.
- Buy or DIY decorations, place cards and wreaths.
- Make sure you have enough chairs and tables for your guests. If not, plan to rent or borrow what you need.
10 Days Ahead
- Deep clean the kitchen and organize the refrigerator to make room for all the supplies you’re going to buy. Plus, you’ll need space for food and leftovers.
- Review your menu and make a master shopping list. Split it into two: Non-perishable items that will keep for at least one week and items you need to buy much closer to Thanksgiving. Check your pantry to ensure you don’t buy ingredients you already have or to determine whether you have enough on hand.
9 Days Ahead
- Go grocery shopping for non-perishable items like canned goods and spices. Also, stock up on items needed to wrap leftovers—not just for you, but for your guests, as well—e.g. foil, Ziploc bags and plastic wrap.
- Deep clean guest bedroom(s), if you’re hosting house guests.
8 Days Ahead
- Clean the guest bathroom(s). Organize the medicine cabinet and under the sink storage. Get rid of anything old. Remove embarrassing items from those areas and place them somewhere else in case one of your guests go through them. You’ll end up tidying these rooms up again later but it will just take a few minutes the next time around.
7 Days Ahead
- Clean the rest of your home. Make sure to dust and get rid of cobwebs. Wipe off baseboards, blinds and clean windows on the inside.
- Order your centerpiece or plan how you will DIY one.
- Grab a notepad and create a Thanksgiving dinner cooking schedule. Work backwards from the time you want to serve dinner to figure out when dishes (especially the turkey) need to go into the oven. Include resting time for meats as well. Side dishes can go in the oven while the turkey rests so everything isn’t competing for oven space.
- Include an extra hour or two in your schedule so you can have time for tasks like eating breakfast or lunch, getting dressed etc.
6 Days Ahead
- Shop for longer lasting perishables e.g. potatoes, carrots.
- Make dishes that can be frozen or ones that will last in the fridge like pie crusts and cranberry sauce.
5 Days Ahead
- Wash dishes and glassware that you’ll be using to get rid of that I-just-took-this-out-of-storage smell. Plus, they’ll look extra sparkly. Stick on a note to each dish so you know what meal you’ll be serving in it.
- Stock the bar with double the number of glasses you’ll need for all of your guests because people will probably lose theirs and come back for another. Make sure you have the appropriate liquors, mixers and garnishes for the drinks you plan to serve. Ensure you have soft drinks and juices as well for people who don’t want, or can’t drink, alcoholic beverages.
4 Days Ahead
- If using a frozen turkey, place it in a container at the bottom of the refrigerator to defrost.
- Plan your seating arrangement. A little awkwardness is a part of any family holiday get-together but try to minimize this as much as possible. Write or print place cards.
3 Days Ahead
- Do final grocery shopping.
- Clean up outside and the entry of your home.
- Make room in your coat closet or in a nearby bedroom or all the extra coats etc.
2 Days Ahead
- Gather recipes you’ll be using and set in one spot so you know exactly where they are
- Make and chill turkey brine
- Defrost frozen dishes
- Make dips or salad dressings
- Chill beverages
- Set out bread for homemade stuffing to go a little stale
- Fill salt and pepper shakers
- Have centerpiece delivered or purchase flowers for DIY centerpiece
- Hang decorations
1 Day Ahead
- Brine the turkey
- Chop and prep veggies. Place them in the refrigerator until you need them.
- Make the stuffing and any dishes, including desserts, that can be prepared ahead of time.
- Fill condiment dishes, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate
- Iron table linens. This only takes a short amount of time and can make a huge difference to the appearance of your table.
- Set the table
- Complete light housecleaning. Pay special attention to areas that guests will visit like the bathroom. Make up guest bed(s).
- Assign specific tasks to family members e.g. answering the door and taking care of coats, pouring drinks, etc.
Thanksgiving Day
- Replace towels in the bathroom with fresh ones. Stock up on paper towels and toilet paper. Do this before guests arrive.
- Follow the cooking schedule that you created previously
- Bake turkey and prepare any dishes that need to be cooked
- Reheat food that was previously prepared. You can keep the oven on the lowest setting to keep food warm until Thanksgiving dinner is over.
- Enjoy dinner.
- Serve dessert.
After Thanksgiving Dinner
- Collect used napkins and dirty table linens. Place in a laundry hamper or pre-soak to remove stains.
- Wrap leftovers into labelled packages for guests. Refrigerate all leftovers.
- Fill sink with warm, soapy water. Place items that need to soak like casserole dishes or anything that requires hand-washing in there.
- Fill dishwasher with a load of plates, glassware etc.
- Set aside washed and dried serving pieces that belong to guests in the coat room in labelled bags.
- Clear and clean kitchen counters
The Day After Thanksgiving
- Put away dishes, glassware and utensils.
- Return items you borrowed e.g. tables and chairs or games.
- Mop and vacuum especially in the kitchen and dining room.
- Send thank you notes to your guests.
The holidays are meant to be enjoyed. Don’t let the stress of cooking a grand meal and entertaining guests ruin your day. Use this simple Thanksgiving dinner checklist to prepare and make life much simpler.
Click here to download this Thanksgiving Checklist printable.
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