If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, it’s time to start getting ready.
Why it matters: Palm Harbor-based food blogger Isabel Laessig, who runs Sunday Supper Movement, shared some advice with us to help make this year’s Turkey Day run as smoothly as grandma’s gravy recipe. Her tips:
Start early. Like, now: Beat the grocery store rush by buying ingredients that will stay good in the fridge, freezer or pantry as early as you can.
- There’s no law that says you have to cook Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving Day. Dishes like mashed potatoes and corn pudding really just need to be heated up, so why not make them a few days ahead of time?
- Laessig loves setting the tone of a holiday meal with soup, like her Italian wedding soup. “You could make it a couple days before and then you’re just reheating it the day of,” she told Axios. “That gives you time to get everything else ready while people enjoy the starter to the meal.”
Strategize: “The main thing is to really think about your oven space,” Laessig said. She gets out her pans and dishes beforehand to make sure she has room to fit in every side dish, then makes a plan of how to time when each will go in the oven.
- You’ll save a lot of room and time if the bird doesn’t have to go in. She swears grilled turkey is “the best turkey you’ll ever make,” and recommends making just the breast in the air fryer or instant pot for smaller groups.
- “It saves so much space and makes your life easier,” she said.
