Simple Ways to Streamline Thanksgiving Dinner Preparation

For many families, the focal point of Thanksgiving Day is a table laden with delicious food. As nice as it is to dive into these foods, getting them to the table often requires a lot of work and can be stressful.

Last year, for example, we spent the entire day before Thanksgiving preparing various dishes. Then I was up and cooking again at 5:00am on Thanksgiving Day! We ate lots of delicious food for dinner (and had plenty of leftovers), so it was worth it. However, I know that it is possible to get the same result with less work.

By streamlining the preparation of Thanksgiving dinner, we can save time and energy while still getting all our favorite dishes on the table. I’ve enlisted several of the following strategies before, and there are others I’ll likely try in the future.

How to streamline Thanksgiving dinner preparation

Stick to a simple menu

Thanksgiving dinner can be tasty and filling without including every dish known to man. There are years when we have had turkey and ham, sweet potato casserole and mashed potatoes, corn and green beans, dinner rolls and cornbread, etc. While variety is nice, these dinners would have been just as enjoyable with one entrée and a couple of sides. A simple menu takes a lot less time to prepare, plus it costs less and cleanup is easier!

Use a combination of homemade and commercially prepared items

I almost always prefer the taste of items prepared from scratch, but using commercially prepared items can save a lot of time! Thankfully, many dishes can be prepared using a combination of the two. For example, I often make homemade pie filling and place it in pie crusts that I purchased at the store. Likewise, I will integrate fresh ingredients into stuffing mix that I purchased. Combining homemade components with convenience items purchased at the store gives you homemade taste for a lot less work.

Prepare dishes in advance

Many items, including most side dishes (macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, etc.) can be prepared a day or two before Thanksgiving. In fact, some of these can be prepared and frozen weeks in advance (you’ll simply need to thaw and reheat them on the big day). I like to prepare dishes in advance so I can pace myself instead of being frenzied and unable to leave the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day.

Use appliances other than the oven

One common challenge when preparing Thanksgiving dinner is figuring out how to get several side dishes in the oven with the turkey. An easy way to eliminate this challenge is to use various appliances while cooking. For example, we have an electric roaster that I often use when preparing turkey or ham. It is so easy to use, and it leaves the oven available for other dishes. Likewise, things like stuffing and green beans can be prepared in a Crockpot and an air fryer can be used to prepare brussels sprouts or acorn squash. Taking advantage of all these appliances reduces the mental stress of figuring out how to get everything in the oven and expedites dinner preparation.

Prepare alternative foods

There’s no law that you must eat turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. on Thanksgiving. Many families eat alternative meals that require a lot less work to prepare. In fact, I can recall one year when I was in college that we ate lasagna for the holiday. It’s delicious and filling, so why not? Here are some great options for an alternative Thanksgiving dinner:

• Baked pasta (lasagna, baked ziti, stuffed manicotti, etc.)
• Enchiladas
• Pot roast
• Chili or stew
• Stir fry
• Salmon
• Tamales
• Meatloaf
• Low country boil
• Fajitas
• Pork tenderloin

Have a potluck dinner

Whether dinner will be traditional favorites or an alternative meal, you can save yourself a lot of work by asking guests to contribute components of Thanksgiving dinner. We typically use this approach, and it works out well because everyone can bring their favorite dish! We always end up with a variety of different foods. It is especially helpful when guests have food allergies or specific dietary needs/preferences because they can bring suitable dishes.

Order prepared foods

It is possible to have a delicious, traditional meal without cooking at all! Many restaurants and grocery stores offer precooked Thanksgiving dinners that you simply reheat before serving. These typically include an entrée (usually turkey or ham), plus a couple of sides. Many offer dessert for an additional fee. The price for heat-and-serve meal bundles varies (I’ve seen prices as low as $65 for meals that feed 2-4 or as high as over $200 for meals that feed 8-10). We haven’t tried this option, but I’ve certainly considered it. One of these years I may opt for this super convenient approach.

Use disposable baking pans and dishes

Although this won’t save time on dinner prep, using disposable baking pans and dishes will save a lot of time after dinner when it is time to clean up. There are times in the past that I have used disposable baking pans out of necessity (because I didn’t have enough glass baking pans to hold everything), and it didn’t escape my notice that these disposable ones were a lot easier to take care of after dinner than their traditional counterparts! Now, if I am going to be preparing a lot of food, I will use a few of these to help reduce how many dishes will need washed once we are done eating.

Final thoughts

Whether you are having a large gathering or a small one, I hope these tips make your dinner preparation a little easier. Because we just moved, our gathering will be simple this year. However, I still intend to utilize many of these strategies so I’m not in the kitchen all day.

Have you found ways to simplify Thanksgiving dinner preparation? If so, what tips can you add?