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Work-Ahead Holiday Dinner Meal Plan

by Michelle | Published: Nov 14, 2020. Modified: Nov 14, 2020 | 2308 words. About 12 minutes to read this article. | Post may contain affiliate links

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A complete Work-Ahead Holiday Dinner Meal Plan for delivering a classic turkey dinner. Complete with printable shopping list and game plan.

The Complete Work-Ahead Holiday Dinner Meal Plan spread (clockwise, from top left): Easy, Rich Turkey Gravy, Orange-Ginger-Spice Cranberry Sauce, Ultimate Classic Roast Turkey, Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole, Creamy Meal-Prep Mashed Potatoes, and Easy Sausage Stuffing. The spread is accented with tiny gourds and a sprig of sage.


(Updated post)

If you’re surfing cooking websites, you will have no doubt noticed that the holidays are just around the corner.

You may be wondering how you’ll deliver a great Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner and remain sane. Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.

The work-ahead holiday dinner meal plan: breakdown by dish

(All of my holiday dinner recipes are linked below and at the end of the post.)

The first holiday dinner that I made from start to finish was to rescue my future husband, Phil, who was facing imminent Thanksgiving Dinner Hell. 

Phil was having his family over along with his three kids.

He had never done Thanksgiving by himself, and didn’t know where to start.

I couldn’t say “no” to those gorgeous, sad puppy eyes when he asked me for help.

“How many are coming?” I asked.

Phil sweetly replied, “EIGHTEEN.”

When I recovered from shock, we convened a strategy session to map out our must-haves.

I had to have my buttery-mashed-potato-calorie-explosion fix, and Phil needed his Mom’s stuffing.

We both agreed that cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, gravy, and some sort of pie were essential.

And, of course, there’s the turkey…

THE TURKEY

I adapted my favorite Ultimate Classic Roast Turkey from one that I found from Martha Stewart.

It involves covering the turkey, mummy-like, in cheesecloth that has been soaked in a mixture of wine and butter.

What’s not to like about THAT? 

You repeatedly baste with the butter mixture and pan drippings during the roast.

This keeps the turkey from drying out on the outside, while the stuffing keeps the bird juicy on the inside.

You take off the cheesecloth during the final part of the roast.

The turkey browns up beautifully before you pull it from the oven.

I have since taken to nestling herbs—sage, rosemary, and thyme—into the cheesecloth, which really takes the flavor over the top.

I put our turkey in the oven around 11 am.

It’s ready to come out by around 4 pm.

I have to say, it really does come out perfect and succulent EVERY time, with just about the least amount of fuss of any turkey recipe I’ve ever tried.

This will be my sixth year using this recipe—and I make turkey at least twice a year.

Ultimate Classic Roast Turkey, freshly removed from the oven. The skin is golden-brown and crispy.

What size turkey do I need?

The general recommendation is 1.5 lbs. of turkey per person (that allows for leftovers!)

How long should I thaw my turkey?

One of the saddest sights (I see it EVERY year) is a poor, lost soul shopping for frozen turkeys THE DAY BEFORE THE HOLIDAY.

Most sites recommend 1 day of hanging out in the fridge per 5 pounds of bird, so a 20-lb turkey will take 4 days to thaw—plan accordingly!

On the day of your dinner, plan an extra ~2.5 hours so you can unwrap and rinse the turkey, then let it sit at room temperature.

How long does it take to roast a turkey?

This varies significantly depending on the size of the bird, anywhere from 3–5 hours.

The rule-of-thumb is 20 minutes per pound. But there are a few reasons that this doesn’t quite work for this recipe: one, we do a 30-minute roast at higher temperature, and two, the bird is stuffed.

I take a “it’s done when it’s done” approach by using temperature probes in either the breast or thigh and in the center of the stuffing.

The stuffing breast and should reach 165ºF; thighs should reach 180ºF.

Keep in mind, too, that the turkey needs to rest at least ½ hour before carving.

That’s potentially a total of 7–8 hours (again, depending on the size of your bird), so plan accordingly.


THE STUFFING

Phil’s mom passed away several years ago. She was survived by her husband and six sons, a few of whom usually join us on Turkey Day.

Her memory lives on, in part, through this stuffing’s presence each year on the Thanksgiving Dinner table.

As such, her sausage stuffing recipe is absolutely SACRED and MUST NOT be altered in ANY WAY.

(One of these days, I might sneak some dried cranberries in there. What will they do? FIRE ME?!)

The stuffing IS really very yummy…

easy sausage stuffing in a ceramic baking dish, garnished with two sprigs of sage.

How far ahead can I make the stuffing?

I generally brown the sausage and saute the vegetables the night before I plan to roast the turkey.

Then I finish the stuffing that morning.

You can do everything except baking the stuffing up to 2 days in advance.

Be sure to let the stuffing sit a room temperature with the turkey before you stuff the cavity. 

Also, be very careful not to cross-contaminate.

I always set aside enough stuffing to loosely fill the cavity.

Everything else goes into a baking dish for later. 

Although I have a safe method to ensure that any Salmonella that might be present would be killed, realize that some people won’t eat the stuffing from the cavity no matter what.

So don’t mix the two!


THE CRANBERRY SAUCE

There is no excuse for canned cranberry sauce.

I remember this abomination from my childhood: everyone would cut a slice from the can-shaped blob and put it on their plate.

It was vile then, and it’s vile now.

This orange-ginger-spiced cranberry sauce will make you wonder why you ever ate store-bought cranberry sauce.

Orange-Ginger-Spice Cranberry Sauce in a white ramekin, garnished with orange zest and a single mint leaf.

How far in advance can I make cranberry sauce?

I make the sauce 3 days in advance. 

Then, I press some plastic down against the surface of the sauce and keep it in the refrigerator.

I’ve never tried freezing it, but I don’t generally like the consistency of dishes thickened with cornstarch after freezing.


THE GRAVY

Gravy is a can of worms, a scary beast in-and-of itself, but it’s really not that hard.

Have you ever had a dinner guest show up with a jar of gravy? Just ew. 

When you try my easy, rich turkey gravy recipe, you’ll wonder what all the fuss was about.

Holiday dinners at the Frank house requires gallons of gravy.

I learned this the hard way from one of Phil’s brothers, who is (in)famous for the amount of food he can blithely put away—and then go back for more.

And then have THREE helpings of dessert. I learned that he likes to eat gravy like soup, with the turkey and side dishes floating inside.

I exaggerate, but not by much.

For this reason, I have a strategy for making extra turkey drippings.

I probably have about half a gallon of gravy by the time it’s all said and done. (And I keep some in reserve so that we can have it with our leftovers.)

I highly recommend this strategy so that you have extra drippings and juices on hand just in case.

Easy Turkey Gravy in a white, porcelain gravy boat sitting next to a platter of sliced turkey garnished with sage.

Can I make the gravy ahead of time?

You could, but part of what makes this gravy so great is that it starts with the rendered turkey fat and pan drippings from your bird. 

You also make a stock from the neck and giblets.

To do it in advance, you’d need to roast some turkey thighs for extra fat and drippings. 

I prefer to make the gravy as the very last step in my meal plan, while the turkey rests.


THE GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Green bean casserole is to Thanksgiving Dinner what fruitcake is to Christmas.

Like fruitcake, it can be good…but it can also be really, really bad.

And believe me, I’ve experienced LOTS of badness. Concentrated cream-of-mushroom soup and canned green beans are almost certainly involved.

I’ve found that homemade cream-of-mushroom soup and fresh green beans are a must. (The soup is so delicious that it could be eaten on its own!)

But homemade fried onions are too fussy for true green bean casserole aficionados: French’s fried onions, which I mix with buttery breadcrumbs, are the required topping (no, I received no kickbacks for this!).

This green bean casserole recipe is a standout!

Make-ahead green bean casserole in baking dish

Can you make green bean casserole ahead of time?

YES! After all, this is “Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole!” 

I usually make it 3 days in advance and refrigerate.

But if you freeze the casserole, it can be up to a month in advance!


THE MASHED POTATOES

I use Yukon gold potatoes for this very simple mashed potato recipe.

Simplicity is best for mashed potatoes.

To me, the only topping for mashed potatoes in this meal is the fabulous turkey gravy.

So why mess them up with horseradish, cheese, or anything else that might clash?

I pre-soak the potatoes in lots of water to take out some of the starch that can otherwise make the potatoes too gummy.

Guess what that means? Yep: you can peel the potatoes the day before!

Take them out of the fridge, drain them, and boil until soft.

Then drain again.

Thanksgiving (or Christmas) Dinner is just once a year.

Because of this, I choose not to take the low-calorie route: salt and pepper, plenty of butter, and milk go into the strained potatoes (I also sometimes use broth, heavy cream, sour cream, or any combination thereof).

When should I make the mashed potatoes for my turkey dinner?

I start boiling the water when the turkey is almost done (e.g., 10 minutes away). 

Then I boil and mash the potatoes while the turkey rests.


Before I leave you with that game plan…

Although I don’t include them in the shopping list and game plan below, you could serve Creamy Curried Acorn Squash Soup or Ginger-Turmeric Butternut Squash Soup as an appetizer. It’s fun to portion the soup out into shot glasses and serve “soup shots”.

If you’re cooking for two or a smaller crowd of 4–6, Herbed Roast Duck is a beautiful alternative to turkey. Or, you might consider substituting the turkey and stuffing with One-Pot Cornish Game Hens with Mushroom-Barley Pilaf. It’s a crazy-easy meal to make, and would be a nice departure from the traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner.

If you need inspiration for eating up all your delicious leftovers, be sure to check out my post on Using Up Leftovers!

And now, we’ve reached the part where I try to help you make a coherent, easy-to-follow, work-ahead holiday dinner meal plan. This strategy is all you need to pull off your holiday gathering like a pro. I call it a “lower-stress” strategy because, let’s face it: there’s always some stress associated with delivering a fantastic Thanksgiving (or Christmas) Dinner for a crowd. It’s practically tradition. Enjoy, and—best of luck!!

Some final notes for our work-ahead holiday dinner meal plan

Here are a few final, important considerations before we get into strategizing our work-ahead holiday dinner meal plan.

To execute this work-ahead holiday dinner, be sure to carefully read not only the guide and shopping list, but also the recipes.

You may have to make adjustments based on your kitchen equipment and size, baking dishes, etc. For example, if you don’t have a toaster oven, you’ll need to make extra drippings for gravy the day beforehand.  

Linkies

I am linking my work-ahead holiday dinner meal plan up with #CookBlogShare, which Cat of Curly’s Cooking is guest-hosting this week, and #BrillBlogPosts, hosted by Honest Mum. Check it out for a great variety of lifestyle-oriented posts!

Note: these were originally created for Thanksgiving Dinner, but they are obviously adaptable to any holiday or special-occasion dinner. For the strategy guide, begin 4 days before your event (e.g., Sunday is Day 1, Monday Day 2, and so on. Thursday is the day of your event).






Thanksgiving Dinner meal plan shopping list

Work-Ahead Holiday Dinner Meal Plan: the Recipes

Perfect Meal-Prep Creamy Mashed PotatoesPerfect Meal-Prep Creamy Mashed Potatoes: great for busy weeknights or big events where you want to work ahead as much as possible. Peeling and pre-soaking ahead of time removes a lot of the hands-on work from go-time. 

 

 

ultimate classic roast turkeyUltimate Classic Roast Turkey: this turkey turns out perfectly juicy every time thanks to a wine-and-butter-soaked cheesecloth that keeps the turkey from drying out for most of the roasting time. 

 

 

Orange-Ginger-Spice Cranberry Sauce

Orange-Ginger-Spice Cranberry Sauce: this will make you wonder why you ever ate store-bought. A fantastic condiment for Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey and more! It’s easy to make a few days in advance and keep in the refrigerator until your big event.

make-ahead green bean casserole servingMake-Ahead Green Bean Casserole: made with fresh green beans and a homemade cream-of-mushroom soup that is delicious enough to be eaten on its own.

 

easy sausage stuffing in baking dish

Easy Sausage Stuffing: a vintage recipe that has been a fixture on the Thanksgiving/Christmas Day table for decades. Perfect for any festive occasion involving turkey, duck, or Cornish game hens.

 

easy, rich turkey gravy in gravy boat

Easy, Rich Turkey Gravy: a low-fuss, no-frills, lower-stress method for delivering fantastic gravy for a crowd on Thanksgiving or Christmas. It starts with a flavorful turkey stock and delicious pan drippings from your roasted turkey.

Need a recipe for a smaller Holiday Dinner?

One-Pot Cornish Game Hens with Mushroom-Barley Pilaf: two hens, brown and crispy from roasting, arranged in a Staub Perfect Pan with sage sprigs atop the finished mushroom-barley pilaf.

If you’re planning a holiday dinner for two, check out my One-Pot Cornish Game Hens with Mushroom-Barley Pilaf. It’s an extra-special meal that’s done in ~1.5 hours—with easy cleanup afterwards! With some additional sides, you can stretch this meal to serve up to 6.

Herbed Roast Duck is perfect for smaller holiday dinner parties. Perfumed with herbs and served with a tangy, aromatics-infused sauce.

 

 

a skillet full of Meyer Lemon Chicken and Rice. A pan of sauteed green beans sits in the background.

One-Pan Meyer Lemon Chicken and Rice is a perfect holiday meal for a small group. Serve with a few sides and you’re good to go! Plus, clean-up is a breeze.

 

 

The finished Roast Rack of Lamb-Potato Traybake, ready to serve, garnished with a sprig of sage.Roast Rack of Lamb-Potato Traybake: Roast Rack of Lamb-Potato Traybake is a super-easy, delicious holiday meal for 2, but easily scalable to as many as 8.

 

 

 

Got leftovers?

Cover photo for using up leftovers recipe roundup, showing a dish of Creamy Green Chile Turkey Enchiladas next to a plate of garnishes.

Using up Leftovers: a roundup of my favorite recipes and strategies for using up holiday leftovers. These recipes will make your family AND your pocketbook happy!

 

 

 

 

 

Brilliant blog posts on HonestMum.com

 

Filed Under: Easy Special Occasion Recipes, The Flipped-Out Food Blog

Previous Post: « “Real Deal” Beef Pho Noodle Soup
Next Post: Holiday Turkey Roulade with Sausage Stuffing »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jessica l Tao of Spice says

    November 17, 2020 at 7:56 pm

    I have no doubt anyone using this guide will end up with a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. It contains so many helpful hints and is very thorough. Great job! And I love the addition of ginger in your cranberry sauce.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 18, 2020 at 8:21 am

      Thank you, Jessica!! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Denise says

    November 16, 2020 at 9:46 am

    Wow! What a great video. You really break it down so that it’s a manageable day! And it looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 16, 2020 at 4:03 pm

      Thank you so much, Denise! It’s funny because Phil wanted a big turkey dinner for his birthday this year, and I did it all on the same day. NEVER AGAIN. 😛

      Reply
  3. Cat | Curly's Cooking says

    October 29, 2018 at 4:09 pm

    Wow this looks like quite a lot of work! How do you manage to do all of this for Thanksgiving and then again for Christmas day?! I love seeing the differences between what makes up a Thanksgiving dinner compared to a British Christmas lunch. Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 30, 2018 at 7:31 am

      Thanks, Cat!! Thanksgiving Dinner is the big extended family affair for us. I do a smaller Christmas breakfast or lunch for close family, so it’s not quite so much to handle. I love our international recipe exchange for exactly the reason you mention!

      Reply
  4. Mayuri Patel says

    October 29, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    A great guideline for preparing a Thanks Giving dinner, in fact it can add as a guideline for organizing any dinner party. While you’re planning your Thanks Giving Dinner, I’ve got to plan for a Diwali party.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 30, 2018 at 7:37 am

      Thank you, Mayuri! Good luck with planning your Diwali party!

      Reply
  5. Jacqui Bellefontaine says

    October 29, 2018 at 6:49 am

    wow what a really helpful post. Have to say Im glad we dont do Thanksgiving as well as Christmas dinner. All that work twice must be shattering. Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 29, 2018 at 7:38 am

      Thanks, Jacqui! Yes, having two big holiday dinners so close together is rather nerve wracking. I now do the big spread for Thanksgiving and keep Christmas dinner to a small, family affair. 😉

      Reply
  6. Beth says

    January 5, 2018 at 10:16 am

    Great guide for the holidays Michelle!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      January 5, 2018 at 10:17 am

      Thanks so much, Beth! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Agness of Run Agness Run says

    November 29, 2017 at 10:39 am

    This is probably one of the most detailed and exceptional meal plans I’ve read in a while, Michele. My mouth is watering after seeing your ideas. That cranberry sauce seems like an excellent breakfast idea. 😉

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 29, 2017 at 10:53 am

      Wow, thank you so much Agness!! I did just eat some over oatmeal, and it was fantastic! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Monika Dabrowski says

    November 27, 2017 at 2:49 am

    Sounds like you were well prepared for your Thanksgiving meal, hope it went well:)

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 27, 2017 at 6:46 am

      Thanks, Monika! I’ve got it down pat now, so it went very smoothly! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Midge @ Peachicks' Bakery says

    November 18, 2017 at 4:22 am

    Oooh I do love a to-list & shopping list plan for big occasions! I have already started our christmas one! Have a great thanksgiving all xxx

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 18, 2017 at 7:53 am

      Thank you, Midge! Happy Holidays!

      Reply
  10. Luci says

    November 10, 2017 at 1:28 pm

    Really great list and super helpful. I believe prepping days ahead is key so you want have to go crazy the day before.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 10, 2017 at 1:32 pm

      Thanks, Luci! I so agree! These big dinners would be a nightmare without the work-in-advance strategy.

      Reply
  11. Cynthia says

    November 6, 2017 at 6:00 am

    I’m from Costa Rica so we don’t really celebrate Thanksgiving, although I think it’s a lovely tradition and might have a small dinner for my husband and myself this year. We do have turkey for Christmas and usually is my mom who makes it, to be honest, I had no idea it is so much work!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 6, 2017 at 7:58 am

      Thanks, Cynthia! The strategy works for Christmas Dinner too, of course. Ahhh, Costa Rica: I’ve been twice and just loved it!

      Reply
  12. April says

    November 5, 2017 at 9:14 pm

    Gotta have fresh green beans! I love your dinner plan. I don’t know if I am cooking for Thanksgiving. We may just end up going out to dinner.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 6, 2017 at 8:00 am

      Absolutely fresh! Thanksgiving Dinner is quite the production, so I totally get going out. That would be a nice change after 5 years in a row of making it!

      Reply
  13. Daniela says

    November 5, 2017 at 4:04 pm

    What a great looking Thanksgiving menu! And your method for “brining” the turkey sounds so interesting. I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 5, 2017 at 5:02 pm

      Thank you, Daniela! I hope it turns out great!

      Reply
  14. Azlin Bloor says

    November 5, 2017 at 3:11 pm

    Well, sounds like you’ve got it all covered! You definitely have to add some cranberries one year, I won’t say anything. Promise!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 5, 2017 at 5:08 pm

      Thank you, Azlin! I definitely will. Let’s see if I get fired!

      Reply
  15. Melissa says

    November 5, 2017 at 2:37 pm

    This is fantastic!! It is always better to plan ahead, outline everything you need to do and make, and this makes it so much easier! Canadian Thanksgiving has already passed for this year, but I am going to bookmark for next year!

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 5, 2017 at 5:05 pm

      Thanks, Melissa! I actually do print this off every year: it really helps.

      Reply
  16. Tiffany Alexandria says

    November 5, 2017 at 10:51 am

    This is sooo cool! I’m from Taiwan so I’ve never had a Thanksgiving dinner before! I’ve never cooked turkey but I’ve always wanted to try! this is eye opening 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 5, 2017 at 10:54 am

      Thank you, Tiffany! I hope you enjoy it! I’m not a raving, rah-rah turkey fan, but a few times a year it’s quite nice. It’s also very economical here in the States. 🙂

      Reply
  17. Elena says

    November 5, 2017 at 12:56 am

    What a great helpful post! I love that you’ve included a shopping list to make things easier.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 5, 2017 at 7:06 am

      Thank you, Elena!

      Reply
  18. Stephanie says

    November 4, 2017 at 2:35 pm

    This is such a good idea! I love the way you do your gravy 🙂 And the schedule – amazing!! I definitely took a screenshot of it to use this year 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 4, 2017 at 3:03 pm

      Thank you Stephanie! I hope it’s helpful!

      Reply
  19. Catherine Brown says

    November 3, 2017 at 9:35 am

    Wow, you thought of everything… time-line, recipes, grocery list! CHECK! Bet everyone could use this! Glad to see you use FRESH green beans too. 😉

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 3, 2017 at 9:37 am

      Haha, thank you, Catherine! Yes, the fresh green beans are a must. 🙂

      Reply

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About Michelle

Hi there! I'm Michelle, a former scientist turned food blogger and consultant. Throughout my career, I have run up against the challenge of cooking food in as little time as possible during stressful times. I have learned strategies that help me cook good food without the stress, and I'd like to share them with you! Plus, I draw upon my science background (PhD in Physiology, with lots of lab-rat work in biochemistry and microbiology) to inject my writing with nutritional/ biochemical geekery. Read More…

Complete Work-Ahead Holiday Dinner Meal Plan

A complete guide to pulling off a stress-free holiday dinner. With printable shopping list and game plan. Showing (clockwise from top lef) Ultimate Classic Roast Turkey, Easy Sausage Stuffing, Orange-Ginger-Spice Cranberry Sauce, and Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole.

Pantry Raid: Easy Pantry Recipes

A collage of easy pantry meals. Clockwise from top left, Healthy Dorm Room Microwave Pasta, Vegan Pantry Tomato Soup with Homemade Croutons, Pantry Linguine with Clam Sauce,  and Pantry Vegan Marinara Sauce.

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