Thanksgiving...

MandiNewMommy

I know tomorrow is just now Halloween, but DH wants to host Thanksgiving this year.  WHAT?!?  For one we are remolding and the house is a mess, two I am not that big of a cook and the thought of having to pull off Thanksgiving for around 15 to 20 people (both sides of the family) makes me want to cry.  Thoughts?  Tips?

Little side note...the past few years we go to his parents first then to my parents.  (they don't get along that great)  it is about 45 min drive with our house being in the middle.   

JaysonandKristin

I've done it twice.  I've also done the cooking for Christmas dinner at my mom's house.

Get your cleaning schedule outlined, and then STICK.TO.IT for the week leading up to the dinner.  Or, just hire someone if that's financially feasible.

As for the cooking, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it ended up being coordinating all of the foods.

I organized all of my recipes, looked over their oven\stovetop cook times and then figured out a rough schedule of how my day would look -- when to start prep, when to get things cooking, and when to move them to warmers or out on to the table.  

Another thing you can do is to specifically pick foods based on how they're cooked. 

Green salad needs no cook time and most prep can be done before the day of.

Dinner rolls can be baked or bought a few days ahead of time.

Green bean casserole can be done in a crockpot until the last minute when you pop it into the oven for a few minutes to broil for browning\crispness.

Gravy can all be done stovetop.

Mashed potatoes can be made in the morning first thing and then kept in a crockpot.

Cranberry sauce (if from scratch) needs some stovetop time, but can be made in the morning, or the day before because it is usually served cold.

Just some examples...  Obviously, everyone has different food traditions over the holidays.

JaysonandKristin

Wanted to add that the year I got ambitious and volunteered to host Thanksgiving, I did a trial run of everything for Halloween and invited just my parents and his parents over for a mini Thanksgiving.

It was Thanksgiving dinner, but for 10 instead of 20.  I felt more prepared to handle a larger crowd with that experience under my belt.  You could invite some friends over this weekend and have a run-through if you felt the need.

MandiNewMommy

Thanks awesome advice!  

Duffgurl

You can do it great tips from JK. If you have Rotisserie it's the best for Turkey. I make ours in our RonCo and compliments every time I cook on it. Plus it does not take long....you set it and forget it lol

MandiNewMommy

@Blinkme182 that is what I was thinking.  Everyone can bring something.  We are by no means get dressed up and all that kind of people.  It is just the thought of all those people in my house..lol  

amywalt1684

Thanksgiving is totally intimidating but JnK just inspired me! Maybe next year...

NotSharknado

We do it every year. It really helps that everyone brings a dish. I only do the turkey and mashed potatoes. This year I'm going to add on a brisket and pumpkin bisque.

Organization is the key. Plan out your time and I agree, clean/prepare your house throughout the week so you don't need to worry about it that day.

Oh, and booze. Lots of it.

NotSharknado

Oh, I do bread rolls too.

MrsCase1

I have zero desire to host. Ever. Lol.

NotSharknado

Also, stuff the turkey. You don't have to eat the stuffing but it is the key to a moist bird.

Eta: I also don't baste the turkey a lot. No need to. I make a butter paste and slather the turkey with that. Baste maybe a few times.

lolinshag

We host every year for xmas and thanksgiving. Mainly because our house is "deer camp" to my brothers, haha. I get everyone to bring a side or dessert and i fill in the rest. DH and the men go outside and fry a turkey while drinking beer and watching the game. The part i hate is the cleaning. Oh and dishes.are done by whoever is under 18 years old(about 7 or 8 kids). If you are able to walk and talk, you get to do dishes! This will be DD's first year "helping".