7 Tips for Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner
As one of America’s favorite holidays, Thanksgiving is the
perfect time to gather with family and enjoy festivities that are as memorable
as they are delicious. If the honor of hosting this celebration has fallen on
your shoulders, then we have some helpful tips for you!
1. Design a menu and make a shopping list.
A week before the big day, design your menu and
post it on your refrigerator! This way you can easily make a shopping list and
prevent forgetting any imperative ingredients! Download Signature Events’
Thanksgiving Planner to keep up with all of the preparation details.
2. Create a cooking schedule.
After completing your grocery shopping, prepare a cooking schedule and identify dishes that you can cook the day before Thanksgiving. This way you can save yourself some time and energy for the actual day of Thanksgiving, which you can dedicate to prepping the turkey! Don’t forget to clean out your freezer and refrigerator to make room for all of your ingredients, dishes, and leftovers.
3. Dress up simple appetizers.
To save yourself some time on appetizers, purchase yummy frozen
hors d'oeuvres and dress them up at home for a fancier presentation! This adds some flair to the party as guests are arriving without costing you extra time or energy!
4. Plan out your dining table.
Two days before Thanksgiving, go ahead and set
your table. Lay out the flatware, china, glassware, silverware, and linens. Be
sure to iron the linens beforehand! If you’re planning on serving the food from
the table, let the food replace a big centerpiece. You don’t want to take up
too much space on the table with an additional centerpiece, and besides, your
gorgeous dishes will act as edible artwork! If you do want to have additional
centerpieces with the food on the table, try tall candlesticks that don’t take
up much room but add a warm glow to the feast.
5. Designate your serving dishes ahead of time.
Label your serving platters the day before so
that you know which one you’re using for each dish. This ensures that you have enough
serving platters or dishes for all of the foods you are preparing! It also helps you stay organized the day of Thanksgiving and eliminates an extra preparation step that you would otherwise have to do the day of!
6. Clean your house...strategically!
On Thanksgiving Eve, focus on cleaning and organizing your
house. Prepping for guests ahead of time will allow for a stress-free day-of celebration!
When cleaning, don’t overwhelm yourself; focus on the common areas where guests will
actually be spending time together.
7. A self serve bar for grown-up guests is best
Consider setting up a bar area so that grown-up
guests can make their own drinks and replenish them at their own leisure. You
can put out lemons, limes, a bowl of mixed and seasoned nuts, wine openers, mixers, and ice to provide a
full-service bar experience!
We hope these tips help you host a fabulous Thanksgiving celebration for your friends and family! If you have any questions or are looking for anymore tips, please feel free to reach out to us via email at staff@signatureeventsnashville.com.
Happy Thanksgiving!