{"id":72606,"date":"2025-11-05T10:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T17:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=72606"},"modified":"2025-11-05T14:57:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T21:57:03","slug":"thanksgiving-planning-checklist-for-the-wildest-day-in-the-kitchen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/thanksgiving-planning-checklist-for-the-wildest-day-in-the-kitchen\/","title":{"rendered":"Thanksgiving dinner checklist: A two-week planner to simplify the wildest day in the kitchen"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><figure id=\"attachment_72637\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-72637\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-72637\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/11\/07145528\/Getty-carving-turkey-web.webp\" alt=\"You can tame the wildness that happens on Turkey Day in the kitchen by starting two weeks ahead. Try using tjhis Thanksgiving planning checklist and cook as much as you can ahead of time so you can enjoy a delicious, calm celebration. Photo: Getty Images.\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-72637\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">You can tame the wildness that happens on Turkey Day in the kitchen by starting two weeks ahead. Try using tjhis Thanksgiving planning checklist and cook as much as you can ahead of time so you can enjoy a delicious, calm celebration. Photo: Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>This meal that you are going to cook in a couple of weeks \u2014 the annual Thanksgiving Day dinner \u2014 is the wildest day in the kitchen each year. And why is that? Because it means so much to us, and so we make it happen that way. Good on us; we know what matters.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s daunting \u2014 isn\u2019t it? \u2014 this mammoth pile-on of so many dishes that the dining room looks like a midnight buffet in Vegas.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind that you are able to tame that wildness by preparing much beforehand, well before the day itself, sparing yourself the agitation of trying to do it all early that week. Plus, cooking a considerable amount of Turkey Day food ahead of time makes the dinner itself even more delicious.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s help in the form of a Thanksgiving dinner checklist \u2014 a calendar of sorts \u2014 that arranges the preparation work for the Thanksgiving Day meal in steps beginning two weeks ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Like, now.<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-12 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\">\n<h4><strong>Need more ideas for a delicious Thanksgiving feast? Check out these great tips and recipes.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/fresh-ideas-for-thanksgiving-feast-soup-side-and-dessert\/\">Three fresh ideas: A soup, side and dessert<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/mashed-potatoes-five-ways\/\">Mashed potatoes five ways<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/how-to-make-recipes-more-nutritious\/\">Six great ideas for making Thanksgiving healthier from fruits to greens and nutritious potato peels<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/cooking-thanksgiving-dinner-get-organized\/\">Get organized + legendary Denver columnist Gene Amole&#8217;s famous Thanksgiving stuffing<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/thanksgiving-basics-turkey-and-more-for-first-time-cooks\/\">Thanksgiving basics: cooking a turkey for the first time<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/thanksgiving-leftovers-turkey-cranberry-sandwiches-and-other-delicious-recipes\/\">Turkey cranberry sandwiches and other ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/ethnic-side-dishes-for-thanksgiving\/\">Ethnic side dishes for Thanksgiving<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>Two weeks before Thanksgiving:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Bag the bird. If pre-ordering a turkey (for example, a heritage breed to be shipped or one that\u2019s been pre-brined), do it by now.<\/li>\n<li>Most folks roast their turkey, so make certain that you have the necessities for that (a strong, adequate-sized roasting pan, a long-handled basting spoon and kitchen twine).<\/li>\n<li>Begin laying out your Thanksgiving menu, especially if you will cook all of it. With the menu in mind, inventory your pots and pans, the serving dishes, and serving ware. (Think of the <em>entire<\/em> menu: from nibbles and appetizers through all the main dishes, relishes and condiments to the desserts at the end. All of it sits on dishes.)<\/li>\n<li>A classic tip is to take out all the serving items, temporarily arrange them in the places where they\u2019ll be served and even label them. It\u2019s a profitable overview. (Maybe run rarely used dishes, serving ware, and the like through the dishwasher?)<\/li>\n<li>Another key inventory to take, again with your particular menu in mind, is to think through how it all will cook, over time, through your oven, stove and warm or hot spaces, especially on Thanksgiving Day. If something needs to be done at the last minute, the room might be tight.<\/li>\n<li>Oddly enough, cataloging ahead of time all the places or methods to keep foods warm may be the smartest thing you do for the big day. (Slow cooker and toaster oven, sure, but also clean the outdoor gas grill or shake out an electric blanket.)<\/li>\n<li>After all this planning, if something looks unworkable or no-can-do, delegate. But, again, don\u2019t assign preparations or recipes that need to be done at the last minute or perhaps even those that will require you to reheat them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>One week out from Thanksgiving:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Now\u2019s a good time to clean out \u2014 and clean \u2014 the refrigerator. You will need the room.<\/li>\n<li>Shop for and store up on non-perishables (potatoes to be mashed, squashes to be roasted, onions to be diced, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Make these two foods in advance: buckets of turkey (or chicken) stock \u2014 the recipe below \u2014 and at least six basic pie dough crusts, rolled flat in the form of large discs and individually frozen in large plastic zippered bags.<\/li>\n<li>Sharpen all your knives \u2014 all of them. This is like switching out the batteries in your home clocks every March and November with the \u201csavings time\u201d shifts. Thanksgiving dinner prep is the perfect reason to sharpen all the kitchen knives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Four to six days before Thanksgiving Day:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>If the turkey\u2019s still frozen, start defrosting it \u2014 <em>in the refrigerator<\/em>, not on the counter, <em>not<\/em> in a tepid bath. It takes one day for every four (4) pounds of frozen bird to thaw adequately and safely in the refrigerator.<\/li>\n<li>If you plan to serve two kinds of cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving, ahead of time is a good time to make the lumpy one. In fact, its flavors will blend and develop over the next couple of days, making it more layered and delicious than if you made it closer to the dinner deadline.<\/li>\n<li>Get in the habit of securing any cutting board by placing a moistened (paper or fabric) towel flat underneath it. A slipping or slippery cutting board is perhaps the most dangerous place in the kitchen.<\/li>\n<li>If you have room on your kitchen counters, have all the tools or gadgets that you&#8217;ll use for any preparation, especially on Thanksgiving Day, ready at hand, laid out on a sheet pan or long towel, not stored in their usual drawers. You&#8217;ll save lots of time not having to search them out, one after the other, from their normal cubbyholes.\n<figure id=\"attachment_1900\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1900\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1900\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/1970\/01\/28145305\/thanksgiving-pies.webp\" alt=\"photo of pies\" width=\"400\" height=\"537\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/1970\/01\/28145305\/thanksgiving-pies.webp 500w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/1970\/01\/28145305\/thanksgiving-pies-224x300.webp 224w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/1970\/01\/28145305\/thanksgiving-pies-112x150.webp 112w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/1970\/01\/28145305\/thanksgiving-pies-200x268.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1900\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Consider making your pies a day in advance. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Monday of Thanksgiving week:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Get to the store early and buy perishable goods (leafy greens, herbs, citrus, even horseradish \u2014 all the things that can handle three days out without losing something for Thursday\u2019s shine).<\/li>\n<li>Saut\u00e9 what can be stored in the refrigerator but that also will play key roles in the next few days: diced onions, carrots, celery, sausage, and the like, all the savory foundations for sauces, stuffing, and gravy (if you haven\u2019t made gravy ahead; see note with the recipe below).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Tuesday, two days before Thanksgiving<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Set out cubed or chunked bread to stale for the stuffing, for the ducks in the pond on the walk, for Hansel, for Gretel.<\/li>\n<li>Remove frozen items to begin thawing <em>in the refrigerator<\/em>. If you\u2019ve run out of refrigerator cooling space, use some large coolers left over from summer shindigs that are set in the garage or on the porch. (If the outside weather is especially cold, say on the porch, consider getting ice and keeping the cooler inside, but in a spot where it also can drain.)<\/li>\n<li>Assemble creamy dips; make salad dressings.<\/li>\n<li>Begin to put together the sideboard and the Thanksgiving table by stacking what dishes, cutlery, serving pieces, and napery you\u2019ll need for the number of people who will be pecking at your food.<\/li>\n<li>Cheat on Wednesday by doing what you can today from the Thanksgiving list below.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Wednesday, &#8217;twas the &#8216;night&#8217; before Thanksgiving:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>That crunching sound that you hear is the clock.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Make or assemble reheatable side dishes (mashed potatoes, sweet potato pur\u00e9e, any casserole, mac \u2018n\u2019 cheese, creamed pearl onions, and the like).<\/li>\n<li>Wash and spin greens and vegetables that require cleaning.<\/li>\n<li>Bake some pies, especially the pumpkin pie. Use your frozen, rolled-out crusts.<\/li>\n<li>Assemble in its cooking\/serving dish the stuffing that will be baked in the oven outside of the bird.<\/li>\n<li>Shock (and awe) green vegetables that will be cooked tomorrow: Brussels sprouts, green beans, asparagus and cauliflower. Blanching them both holds their color plus gets them one step closer to service.<\/li>\n<li>Peel (if desired) and chunk potatoes, and keep them covered in cold water.<\/li>\n<li>Set the buffet table. Set the dining table. Beautiful.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Thursday, Thanksgiving Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Give thanks.<\/li>\n<li>Preheat the oven first thing in the morning because&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>Time to roast the bird. An unstuffed turkey will take anywhere from two to four hours\u2019 roasting time, plus 45 minutes to an hour of resting time, before carving and eating. That\u2019s a sizeable chunk of the day\u2019s whole time.<\/li>\n<li>Chill well all the wines or beers. Whip whipping cream and store it in the fridge.<\/li>\n<li>Bake or heat through thoroughly all those things you\u2019ve prepped: pies, rolls, breads, casseroles and make-ahead stuffing.<\/li>\n<li>Do what you can on top of the stove: saut\u00e9 Brussels sprouts; boil or steam peas or cauliflower; make gravy with the drippings.<\/li>\n<li>Give thanks again.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Click here for a printable PDF: <a href=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/11\/29165957\/BSJ-thanksgiving-checklist.pdf\">Thanksgiving checklist starting two weeks prior<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Thanksgiving recipe: Concentrated make-ahead turkey or chicken stock<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Makes 4-5 quarts. Best if prepared several days in advance for use in other recipes.<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-12 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\">More great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/bstjohn\/\">tips and recipes<\/a> from Bill St. John.<\/div>\n<h3><strong>Ingredients<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>5 pounds chicken or turkey parts, raw or previously cooked (see note)<\/p>\n<p>2 medium onions, unpeeled but sliced along their \u201cequators\u201d<\/p>\n<p>4 stalks of celery (leaves OK), cut in halves<\/p>\n<p>4 medium carrots, peeled, cut in halves<\/p>\n<p>6-8 cloves garlic, to taste, peeled, lightly crushed<\/p>\n<p>8-10 parsley stems, leaves OK but not necessary<\/p>\n<p>1 bouquet garni (optional)<\/p>\n<p>2 bay leaves<\/p>\n<p>1 heaping teaspoon whole black peppercorns<\/p>\n<p>1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_72641\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-72641\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-72641\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2023\/11\/07151523\/BOWL-OF-VEGETABLE-PEELINGS-web.webp\" alt=\"When prepping vegetables, keep back scraps and peelings\u2014even onion skins\u2014for the deep flavors that they can add to stocks or roasts. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-72641\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">When prepping vegetables, save the scraps and peelings \u2014 even onion skins \u2014 for the deep flavors they can add to stocks or roasts. Photo by Bill St. John, for UCHealth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Directions<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Rinse well the pieces of turkey or chicken and remove any excessive pieces of fat. Set aside. Heat a very large stock pot over medium-high heat and place the 4 onion halves, sliced sides down, on the bottom and let them char to a light brown, about 10-15 minutes. Remove, set aside, and do the same with the carrot and celery pieces, another 10-15 minutes. Set these aside.<\/p>\n<p>Add 8-9 quarts of water to the pot and the reserved pieces of fowl. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 90 minutes, skimming off any white or grey scum that rises.<\/p>\n<p>Add the reserved and browned vegetables, the garlic and all the seasonings and return to a simmer and cook, the pot\u2019s lid ajar, for 2-4 hours or until the level of the liquid in the pot is about half as much as when started.<\/p>\n<p>Cool enough to strain the stock of its large solids, then let cool in a refrigerated (or cold outdoor and secure) space overnight. Remove and discard the congealed fat that has risen to the surface. Strain further, if desired, of any other fine solids and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen, in conveniently sized blocks or portions, for up to 3 months.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> If using chicken, go heavy on wing sections, thighs or drumsticks. If using turkey, use the same pieces. In either case, and if using leftover, previously cooked fowl (say, rotisserie chickens), use only bone-in parts and with the skin on.\u00a0<span style=\"margin: 0px;padding: 0px\">Additionally, all pieces may be roasted in the oven at high heat, so that they render many browned bits and\u00a0<em>fond<\/em>.<\/span>\u00a0Along with the stock, these latter may be used as the basis for a make-ahead gravy for Thanksgiving Day dinner that you will freeze and reheat day-of.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This meal that you are going to cook in a couple of weeks \u2014 the annual Thanksgiving Day dinner \u2014 is the wildest day in the kitchen each year. And why is that? Because it means so much to us, and so we make it happen that way. Good on us; we know what matters. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2197,"featured_media":72637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[4799,2366,4415],"class_list":["post-72606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-bill-st-john","tag-healthy-recipes","tag-recipes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Thanksgiving dinner checklist: A two-week planner to simplify the wildest day in the kitchen - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You can tame the wildness that happens on Turkey Day in the kitchen by starting two weeks ahead. 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