Cooking (and hosting) Thanksgiving dinner can make you feel like you need six arms and maybe also six ovens. Since you probably don’t have the ability to make either of those things appear out of thin air, we’ve put together this short-and-sweet guide with tips and tricks for planning your Thanksgiving dinner this holiday season.
1. Choose recipes that bake at the same (or similar) temperature
A lot of sweets bake at a lower temperature, around 350 degrees Fahrenheit, so try to pick recipes that accommodate a higher temp, like this Apple Pecan Pie from Erin Jeanne McDowell that bakes at 450 degrees. (Hot tip: most of Erin’s recipes bake at a higher-than-average temperature, so her catalog is a great resource.) If your vegetables or turkey need to roast at 475 degrees, it’s not that much work to bump up the temperature, versus the 125-degree jump another recipe might require.
2. Pick at least one item that’s stovetop-only
Simply put: You can’t cram everything into the oven. It just won’t happen. When you overcrowd your oven, a few things happen. First, the temperature has trouble regulating, because there are multiple items pulling heat. Additionally, multiple items probably won’t bake/roast for the same exact time, so there’s also a lot of opening the oven, again, deregulating the oven temperature. By making one item on the stovetop, besides your mashed potatoes (like this lovely green bean casserole), you’re freeing up oven space and also maximizing the efficiency of your oven range.
3. Mise it Out
Channel the French culinary phrase “mise en place”—which translates to “everything in its place” or “putting in place” and refers to the practice of preparing and organizing all the ingredients and tools needed for a recipe before actually starting the cooking process. Meal prepping may not be your thing, but having some items prepared ahead of time—your aromatics diced for a casserole, pie crusts made and blind baked, and your turkey fully defrosted a day or two before—can save you a lot of headaches and precious cooking time day-of.
4. Temperature Test Your Oven
Get personal with your oven and do the toast test. If you haven’t already, get your hands on an oven thermometer, too. This will help you track whether your oven is fluctuating in temperature throughout the day, allowing you to be prepared for longer cook times and manage accordingly.
5. Prep your turkey
The biggest time-saving tip this Thanksgiving: spatchcock your turkey. This method allows for a more even distribution of heat, reaching more spots than a traditional, cavity-stuffed turkey. For even more time savings, try using a compound butter and opting for a dry-roast (no basting). You can find detailed instructions in our handy guide.
6. Schedule time for reheating dishes
Start with your longer-cooked, heartier sides (e.g., scalloped potatoes, other root veggies, or a casserole). These will take 20 to 30 minutes to reheat. As everyone finishes eating and you begin tackling those dishes, take a moment to refresh your pie. Just 15 minutes will do, and you’ll have a nice, warm dessert ready by the time everyone returns to the dinner table.
More entertaining inspiration from Food52
How are you getting ready for Thanksgiving this year? Tell us in the comments!
Emily Ziemski
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