A Few Tips for a Successful Thanksgiving Dinner

As Thanksgiving draws nearer, thoughts of feasts, family gatherings, and joyful relaxation come to mind for most people. But for the select few that have to prepare the meal, set up decorations, and host the gathering, some different thoughts may come to mind. The thoughts of tedious work, preparation, and all the other stress that comes with the job can make this a hard task to fulfill. I will give you a few tips that have helped me and my family host Thanksgiving dinner successfully. It doesn't have to be a nightmare, and a positive outcome is not too difficult to achieve if you follow these guidelines.

1. The first obvious step is to prepare what you are going to cook for the meal. Decide what main dishes you are going to prepare and how many kinds of meat you will cook. Desserts are an important aspect of Thanksgiving dinner too, so you will need to decide what kinds of dessert your guests would like best. It is also always good to have a back-up meat if someone that attends does not like turkey. Our family generally has mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and a couple casseroles for the main dishes. For meat, we have turkey and ham. Our dessert list is generally longer than necessary; we prepare apple, pecan, and pumpkin pie, chocolate cake, cookies, and sometimes a few other little desserts. Focus on quality instead of quantity when preparing a Thanksgiving dinner. People would rather have a few good dishes than a large variety of mediocre ones.

2. Decide how much of each food you need to prepare. This one can be tricky, and you need to think about how many guests you will have. A lot of times, my family went overboard on the quantity of dishes to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner, especially dessert. Many times there were three kinds of pie, two cakes, cookies, and various other desserts. Unless preparing these brings you enjoyment, it is not a vital part of a successful Thanksgiving dinner. I suggest one or two pies, one cake, and some cookies. Of course it depends how many people are attending the dinner, so use your best judgment.

3. Don't wait until the last minute to start the meal. I know this one is quite obvious, but a lot of problems can be avoided by preparing early. The desserts can be made the day before you make the meal to eliminate some of the rush on Thanksgiving day. Also many casseroles can be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator. Then, all you have to do is pop it into the oven on Thanksgiving, and you will save a lot of time. If you plan ahead and take your time, there should be nothing stopping you from having a great Thanksgiving dinner without too much stress.