When you’re in charge of feeding the entire (extended) family a full Thanksgiving dinner, timing is everything. Which is exactly why we made you this handy guide to your Thanksgiving meal.
The turkey is, of course, the star of the show, so you have to get the timing just right to ensure everything arrives at the table together and, ideally, piping hot. This task is not easy for the home cook whose nightly meals rarely involve a parade of half a dozen or so dishes. A potluck plan can help share the load, leaving the bird to the host and side dishes to the guests. But military precision is still required to get the turkey and all its fixin’s in place.
Here's what we suggest: Start with two lists: a shopping list and a to-do list. Both will keep things running smoothly in the kitchen right up until dinnertime. And look at that, we made them for you:
Thanksgiving to-do list
The week before:
- Buy ingredients, wine and other beverages
- Make or buy ice, if needed
The day before:
- Thaw the turkey, if frozen*
- Make the cranberry sauce
- Make the pumpkin pie
- Chill wine and beer
- Shake up salad dressing
- Chop and wash greens and prep veggies
- Get children to set the table
The day of:
- Make the stuffing
- Prep turkey, stuff and roast
- Get children to make place cards
- Set coffee pot timer for after dinner
- Boil and mash potatoes
- Prepare side dishes
- Cook the veggies
- Make the gravy
- Delegate dish duty!
Shopping list for 8-10 people
1 turkey (estimate 3/4 lb to 1 lb. per person)
1 bag fresh or frozen cranberries
3 lb. potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 L chicken stock
1 orange
1/2 cup orange or apple juice
1 unbaked 9” pie crust
1 14 oz. (398 ml) can of pure pumpkin
1 1/4 cups half & half
1/2 cup butter
2 large onions
3-4 celery stalks
2 large crusty loaves or bread
Unsliced bread, at least a day old
Fresh rosemary
Ground sage
Cinnamon
Ground ginger
Ground allspice
Practise safe thawing
It can take days to thaw a big turkey. Allow 24 hours for each four to five pounds. It must be done in a refrigerator to prevent bacteria from growing. Place the plastic-wrapped bird in a rimmed pan to prevent any juices from dripping onto other food. To speed the thawing process, place the turkey in the sink or a large container and cover completely with cold water; allow an hour per pound (2 hrs per kg).
Originally published in ParentsCanada magazine, October 2012. Updated in October 2025.
