Preparing A Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

By Charles Thomas

To make a Thanksgiving dinner as traditional as possible, investing the time and effort ahead of schedule will make planning the dinner that much easier and simpler. As such, planning for the dinner as early as possible is ideal, giving you more time and more opportunity to actually enjoy the dinner when the time comes.

First step is to decide what you will be serving. Choose recipes depending on how traditional or experimental you want to be. Families have favorite dishes and those no one likes much, so choose accordingly. A mix of recipes that include crock pot, oven and stove top will streamline the process. Complete instructions for recipes are important.

You can have fun with the presentation as well by planning your dinner around a central theme or specific color. You can even match your crockery to your theme.

After reviewing the list of chosen recipes, make a list of all the groceries that you may already have on hand in your pantry and make a list of all the groceries that you will need. Keep in mind that certain items, like a turkey, will need to be ordered in advance. Finally, make a list of when and where you will be buying each individual item. This will make your shopping faster and less difficult.

You should also make sure that you have enough serving dishes for everything that you have planned. Look through them in advance; that way you have time to buy more if you need them.

Having back-up items like extra bread rolls or a frozen pie is advantageous, just in case a dish doesn't quite turn out right or you inadvertently run out of food. Clearing out your refrigerator a few days beforehand is prudent, to ensure that you will have enough space to store all the dishes you will be making.

If at all possible, setting your table a day earlier is ideal. Doing this will enable you to add a few extra creative touches and see that your table setting is just right. To avoid massive amounts of washing up after dinner, try to use disposable pans for baking and roasting.

If you have trouble getting a dish to turn out the way it should, you can get help by calling a food help line. You will find that many of them are very busy at that time of year, but they can help you. You should also get your family involved in activities and share the spirit of Thanksgiving. - 32612

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here