Last Update: 11/04/06
ONA Thanksgiving -- Thanksgiving Dinner Schedule
Carefully read through all the recipes to determine the food and equipment you will need. (Don't forget what you're going to serve to drink.) Make a shopping list.
Review your shopping list and buy non-perishable items. Watch for sales -- most stores put Thanksgiving staples on sale the week before.
Plan your table settings, serving dishes and decorations.
Potentially, buy your turkey, depending on which thawing method you are going to use.
If you're making your own pie crust, prepare the crust. Roll out the dough, transfer to pie dish and store in the freezer. If you have never made your own pie crust, don't try it for the first time now -- there are some excellent frozen and fresh (in the biscuit section) crusts available at your grocery store.
If you're making homemade bread or rolls, consider baking them now and storing in the freezer for reheating on Thanksgiving Day. Or, consider at least preparing the dough up to the final rise stage and freezing the dough in ready-to-bake prepared pans. On Thanksgiving morning (early), you can lay them out to thaw and rise.
Clean and press the table linens. Clean up and/or polish the silverware.
Prep the turkey (but do not stuff) and store in refrigerator. Consult the roasting instructions to plan out when you'll need to start roasting the bird.
Clean and dry salad greens and store in a resealable plastic bag. Start any vegetable dishes that have do-ahead steps.
If using fresh bread to make the stuffing/dressing, put it out to dry overnight.
If baking homemade pies, bake them tonight if you won't have time to bake them tomorrow morning.