Getting Thanksgiving Dinner to the Table ON TIME! (WFMW)

It dawned on me several weeks back that one of the toughest parts of the Thanksgiving dinner preparation is the timing. And it is all about the timing on that day! From having enough oven space and kitchen space to thawing items in time and having items cooked in time, there really is an organized science to it. There is nothing worse than having everything warmed and ready only to have to wait another few hours for the turkey. Ugh!

So I thought I could at least help those of you out that purchased the Once A Month Mom Holiday 2010 eCookbook. As it just dawned on me that this day can be an organizational and timing nightmare, I thought I should have included a “what to do on your cooking” day page. So, in light of the fact that I forgot, here is a step-by-step outline for how to prepare for the Thanksgiving Day using the Once A Month Mom Holiday 2010 eCookbook as your guide.

If you haven’t purchased the Once A Month Mom Holiday 2010 eCookbook it is still available for purchase and can easily be bought and pulled together in an afternoon this weekend! That way you have time to visit with your family when they are here and won’t have to spend all of your time in the kitchen! That is what the holiday is all about, right? Celebrating family! And here is your guide to keeping your sanity on Thanksgiving Day and HOPEFULLY having dinner on the table at the same time.

Planning Instructions for 8-Serving Meal Plan

Tuesday Morning

• Place frozen turkey (assuming an 8 lb turkey) in refrigerator for thawing – this is the most common and most recommended method for defrosting your turkey. If you don’t have refrigerator space you could consider doing a water bath Thursday morning.
• Your turkey can be thawed up to 4 days early so you can start as early as SATURDAY if you are nervous about it being thawed.
• Move the following from the freezer to the refrigerator:
  • Pumpkin Cheese Ball
  • Scalloped Corn
  • Freezer Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday Morning

• Move the following from the freezer to the refrigerator:
  • Caramel Apple Pie Trifle Ingredients
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Veggie Pizza

Wednesday Evening

• If you won’t have room in your oven for a turkey AND these items to bake one at a time, then bake them this evening, let them cool and then reheat them for 15 – 30 minutes right before serving your dinner.
  

  Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

  • Scalloped Corn
  • Freezer Mashed Potatoes
  • Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
  • Make Ahead Butterhorn Rolls

Thursday Morning (Thanksgiving Day)

• 3 hours before
  • Prepare turkey for oven and apply Turkey Baste.
  • Place frozen Slow Cooker Stuffing in slow cooker.
  • Bake Scalloped Corn. (Place somewhere to keep warm after cooking.)
  • Plate Pumpkin Cheese Ball with crackers and set out.
  • Plate Veggie Pizza and set out.
• 2.5 hours before
  • Baste turkey.
• 2 hours before
  • Baste turkey.
  • Bake Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes. (Place somewhere to keep warm after cooking.)
• 1.5 hours before
  • Baste turkey.
• 1 hour before
  • Bake Freezer Mashed Potatoes. (Place somewhere to keep warm after cooking.)
  • Assemble Caramel Apple Pie Trifle.
• 30 minutes before
  • Baste turkey.
  • Bake Make Ahead Butterhorn Rolls. (Place somewhere to keep warm after cooking.)
• Show time!
  • Place items that have cooled off in the oven to warm up while you are carving the turkey if you would like.
  • Place Pumpkin Pies in the oven to cook while you are eating dinner. Be sure to set a timer so you don’t forget them though!

Planning Instructions for 16-Serving Meal Plan

Sunday Morning

• Place frozen turkey (assuming an 16 lb turkey)in refrigerator for thawing – this is the most common and most recommended method for defrosting your turkey. If you don’t have refrigerator space you could consider doing a water bath Thursday morning.
• Your turkey can be thawed up to 4 days early so you can start as early as THURSDAY if you are nervous about it being thawed.

Tuesday Morning

• Move the following from the freezer to the refrigerator:
  • Pumpkin Cheese Ball
  • Scalloped Corn
  • Freezer Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday Morning

• 

  Caramel Apple Pie Trifle

  Move the following from the freezer to the refrigerator:

  • Caramel Apple Pie Trifle Ingredients
  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Veggie Pizza

Wednesday Evening

• If you won’t have room in your oven for a turkey AND these items to bake one at a time, then bake them this evening, let them cool and then reheat them for 15 – 30 minutes right before serving your dinner.
  • Scalloped Corn
  • Freezer Mashed Potatoes
  • Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
  • Make Ahead Butterhorn Rolls

Thursday Morning (Thanksgiving Day)

• 3.5 hours before
  • Prepare turkey for oven and apply Turkey Baste.
  • Place frozen Slow Cooker Stuffing in slow cooker.
• 3 hours before
  • Bake Scalloped Corn. (Place somewhere to keep warm after cooking.)
  • Plate Pumpkin Cheese Ball with crackers and set out.
  • Plate Veggie Pizza and set out.
• 2.5 hours before
  • Baste turkey.
• 2 hours before
  • Baste turkey.
  • Bake Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes. (Place somewhere to keep warm after cooking.)
• 1.5 hours before
  • Baste turkey.
• 1 hour before
  • Bake Freezer Mashed Potatoes. (Place somewhere to keep warm after cooking.)
  • Assemble Caramel Apple Pie Trifle.
• 30 minutes before
  • Baste turkey.
  • Bake Make Ahead Butterhorn Rolls. (Place somewhere to keep warm after cooking.)
• Show time!
  • Place items that have cooled off in the oven to warm up while you are carving the turkey if you would like.
  • Place Pumpkin Pies in the oven to cook while you are eating dinner. Be sure to set a timer so you don’t forget them though!

For more great Works For Me Wednesday posts visit We are THAT Family!