Hello friends!! Welcome to my Prepping for Thanksgiving post that will “whip” you into shape for hosting your Thanksgiving dinner this year! I have created an extensive checklist of supplies, recipes, and to-dos below available for you to print and use as a reference! I’m also working on the follow up post that will have a thoroughly detailed To-Do checklist for the week of, day-before, and day of Thanksgiving! Be sure to follow me on Instagram @TheWhitePineHome or subscribe to my blog to get updates on posts, and all you need to know before the big day!
Below you’ll find a detailed timeline which expands on the checklist above. This is what I use as a reference when I’m preparing for my large Thanksgiving dinner of 35 adults and 7 children. I like to set up a table or space for the children, I decorate it with more festive Thanksgiving linens, and melamine plates and cups, Pottery Barn Kids has the best collection for these items! I’ll share a separate blog post featuring the timeline below and providing extra tips and tricks I love to use for this holiday. For example, setting up a Hot Chocolate Bar is always a fun touch for everyone to enjoy! Maybe even a spiked eggnog bar for the adults!
Recipes:
Here are some of tried and true favorite recipes that are part of my annual Thanksgiving Menu! I’ve modified most recipes to add personal touches that are true to my taste, so be sure to read the notes below each recipe to add a special twist to these recipes as well! If you think of something else to add, please share in the comments!
This is the recipe I use from Martha Stewart for my herb-butter roasted turkey, but I add a few special ingredients to make it my own. For example, I make a fresh herb compound butter using Kerrygold’s Irish Butter, a mixture of both unsalted and salted. A google search revealed that,
“Irish butter is a European-style butter and has a higher butterfat content than the average American butter. This translates into a richer, creamier texture for the butter. Kerrygold’s is a little different from other European butters because it has a lot more flavor.”
In the food processor I’ll chop fresh sage, thyme, rosemary, and flat leaf parsley, and add at least 4 sticks of Kerrygold’s Irish butter at room temperature. I’ll add 2 sticks salted and 2 sticks unsalted. Then I’ll melt half of the herb butter on Thanksgiving day and use that to inject into the turkey. I then use the other 2 sticks of butter, at room temperature, to coat the outer layer of the turkey once it’s covered with a cheese cloth.
Sweet Potato Casserole
The Sweet Potato Casserole recipe from Pioneer Woman is my base recipe but I add a few different ingredients to personalize it! In all my recipes lately that require cinnamon as an ingredient, I love to use Ceylon Cinnamon specifically! I was introduced to it a few years ago, and I love it so much that I use it for anything that requires cinnamon. It’s even great sprinkled on your morning coffee. If you find it in your grocery aisle, try it!! I also top off this recipe with marshmallows and broil them to a light crisp. Finally, my go-to vanilla extract for these sweet recipes is the Madagascar Vanilla extract, another favorite, with great depth of flavor.
Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
For the last two years I’ve incorporated these Honey Butter Pumpkin Dinner rolls to my Thanksgiving menu and they are a huge success!! I would suggest to add some more pumpkin puree and sugar than what the recipe calls for to make sure it gets enough of the pumpkin taste! I like to prepare these right after I put the turkey to roast in the oven so the dough has enough time to rise and rest. I then put them to bake shortly before dinner so they come out of the oven fresh and warm. I make the honey butter the week before, and leave it out to get to room temperature, while the dinner rolls are baking.
Macaroni and Cheese
Last year I tried this recipe for my macaroni and cheese from Martha Stewart and it was a great success!! However, I did add a drizzle of white truffle oil to give it an extra layer of flavor. My Parents in Law traveled to Italy last year and brought me a bottle of Giuliano Tartufi white truffle oil. I like to use it sparingly as to not over-power the dish, which truffle has a tendency to do. I highly recommend adding the truffle oil if you have it. Otherwise, using the delicious combination of cheeses in this recipe, the Kerrygold Irish butter, will make this a go-to every year.
Desserts
My favorite Pie recipe on my Thanksgiving menu is the Pecan Pie recipe from Pioneer Woman! Seriously, most of Ree’s recipes are my favorite, but this Pecan Pie recipe converted me from a Pumpkin Pie fanatic to a Pecan Pie lover! It started when my husband confessed his love for Pecan Pie, so I was determined to make him the most delicious version of it possible. I finally succeeded when I made this recipe. I follow the recipe to the “T” sans any of my usual modifications, yes, it’s that good! Hope you’ll try it this year.
Final Thoughts:
Hopefully you learned something new in this post! Be sure to subscribe to get alerted for my next post featuring the extremely detailed Timeline for the Week Before, Day Before, and Thanksgiving Day To Do List! I list so many important small details that so many of us forget to remember during this hectic time. For example, make sure you buy fresh boxes of Baking Soda and place them throughout the house and in the refrigerator to help neutralize some of the different smells filling the house on Thanksgiving Day. Do this a few days before Thanksgiving. Also, if your range operates on gas only, make sure you check the propane tank at least a week before and be sure your tank is ready for a full day of cooking!
