Just in case you’re interested in my cooking plan for our holiday meal, here’s a little look inside my brain at how I have organized myself to get the meal on the table for Thanksgiving. I figured I needed to make the lists anyway – might as well bore you with them. ;) Thankfully, everything from the Saturday through Wednesday lists are completed!
Saturday – Cook Thanksgiving turkey
Monday – Finish all Thanksgiving meal shopping
Wednesday –
- Make Pumpkin Pies
- Make Chocolate Pie
- Make Cheesecake
- Put together Green Bean Casserole (recipe found in Holiday Hospitality eBook)
- Bake sweet potatoes, mash and have ready to rewarm tomorrow
- Prep Stuffing (recipe found in Holiday Hospitality eBook)
- Peel potatoes and put in water for tomorrow
- Get cooked turkey out of freezer to thaw
Thursday Morning –
- Make a double batch of rolls (recipe in Holiday Hospitality eBook)
- Set out butter to soften
- Cook and mash potatoes – put into crock-pot to keep warm
- Cook corn for Cream Cheese Corn (recipe in Holiday Hospitality eBook)
- Bake stuffing
- Rewarm turkey
- Bake Green Bean Casserole
- Rewarm sweet potatoes
- Make gravy
- Whip cream for desserts
- Have boys set up tables and prep plates, napkins, etc.
- Do whatever else I’ve forgotten to do….
{I’m not really trying to be annoying by putting (recipe in Holiday Hospitality eBook) several times in the above lists, but many have asked about those recipes and I thought I’d curb more of those questions by letting you know where to find those recipes. If you’re interested in that eBook, great, but – wink, wink – wait until at least Friday to purchase so that you’ll save a few bucks!!}
Here are my cooking and baking pictures from today. I had lots of fun and my feet are a little bit tired from standing so much. ;)
Below, it looks like I made six pumpkin pies – but really, there are just three. I have a big mirror in my kitchen, and I thought it would be fun to take the picture there to make it look like I got carried away with pumpkin pies.
Pictured with the cheesecake in the following picture is a batch of chocolate chip cookies. One college girl that is around town this week isn’t able to come for our Thanksgiving meal, but she really (really) likes my chocolate chip cookies. I made some to serve at lunch today (Wednesday) when she joined us.
It’s not likely that we’ll run out of desserts. I made this chocolate pudding recipe and poured it over a graham cracker crust for a “chocolate pie”. It ended up in a rectangle dish because I was out of pie pans. :)
I am so excited to eat this healthier version of Green Bean Casserole! Why don’t I make this more often?
Peeling and prepping our potatoes ahead of time is a tip I learned from my former hair dresser many eons ago. I love getting this chore out of the way a day early!
I baked three small sweet potatoes and only ended up with a small dish of them to serve tomorrow. I don’t think this will be the most popular part of the meal anyway, so a small amount will hopefully be fine.
Last but not least, I made dressing – for what I believe is my very first time! My sister-in-law has a wonderful recipe, which she shared for my Holiday Hospitality ebook. It is so easy, I’m not sure why I haven’t tried it before.
And now, I look forward to a good night’s sleep before I get up and tackle my Thursday list. How are your holiday preparations coming?
I’m thankful for all of you and pray that you have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving holiday!
Carla says
Happy Thanksgiving Laura. This blog is a blessing to me :)
Blessings!
Carla <
Christina says
Do you slice your Turkey before you freeze it? Does freezing it change the flavor or texture of it, is it as good as having it the same day?
Laura says
I completely deboned the turkey, so I guess I didn’t really slice it, just shredded it off the carcass. Here are the thorough instuctions for how I do this: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/holiday-help-the-easiest-way-in-my-opinion-to-cook-a-turkey
Randi says
I’m waaaaaay ahead of ya! I’m already done with all of my prepping, cooking, eating, and almost all my dishes, too!
…because my husband has to work Thursday, so we celebrated today instead. It was a good day, but I am glad that it’s done!
Amy says
Very well. :) 2 pumpkin pies, 1 apple pie, and one blueberry pie done. Homemade cranberry sauce gelling in the fridge and only the green bean casserole to make tomorrow. Everything else is being taken care of by the relatives. ^^
All your food looks delish!!
Angelina says
Have you ever tried leaving the skin on the potatoes for mashed potatoes? We actually like them even better that way! For some reason, it seems to make the mashed potatoes even creamier and less lumpy. Saves time too! :-)
Laura says
Yes, I actually usually leave the peelings on for our family. But for as many college students that are joining us, I figured I should take the peelings off since that may be what they’re used to!
rebecca says
I did get carried away with pumpkin pies I was talking to my aunt and tripled my spices, my brain was fried, so I ended up with six. I also had the same problem with not enough pie plans, I love the idea to use am 9×13 for choc pie. Yummy!!! God Bless!
Angie says
I am hosting Thanksgiving for the first time and I am afraid I don’t have enough! Thanks for your website. I have used it all the time! Love getting your emails!
Tracey says
If I’m ever in your neck of the woods on Thanksgiving Day, I plan to stop by! ;) Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
Charlotte Moore says
Ours is now over and I am sooo glad. Very tired!! I did something today I have never done and I will not do it again. I looked on several websites for the best way to bake a turkey. So, I went with the one that said bake at 500 for 30 mins, and cover the breast the a triangle of foil. Turn oven down to 350 and cook about 2 more hours. Oh, my, I was so glad when I could turn my oven down. The house was smelling smokey and I could here the grease popping. However, it was a pretty golden brown and had a good juicy taste. The pain and rack were hard to clean and my oven wasn’t as bad as I thought but I still had to clean it.
Cheryl @ Moms in Need of Mercy says
Laura,
Could you do a pie crust tutorial sometime (like your bread one)?
I tried my mother-in-law’s recipe this week, and it kept sticking to the rolling pin and coming up in big chunks. I finally had to pick it all up and press it into the pie plate and roll it up the edges with a mini-rolling pin I have.
Would love to see you demonstrate!
:)
Laura says
Here’s a little bit of a tutorial, at least the shaping the crust part: https://www.heavenlyhomemakers.com/whole-wheat-pie-crust :)
Julie says
We put our potatoes in the crock pot and it helps a lot. we put them in the night before and they are ready to mash whenever we are ready to eat.