Thanksgiving Planner - The Final Week

So we had Week 1 of the Thanksgiving Planner, and this post is Week 3 (aka The Final Week)…but what happened to Week 2?! Well, life happens. Besides, the “Week 1” post was enough stuff to keep you busy for two weeks, right? So let’s just jump into the home stretch.

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we'll earn a commission if you click through and a make a purchase.

Heading into this final weekend before Thanksgiving, hopefully you have finalized your guest list, menu, seating and serving plan, and (fingers crossed) made a good dent on your deep cleaning to-do list (or scheduled a house cleaner). What’s left to do then?

1. Follow Up with Guests

• Make sure your guests know what time to arrive (if they aren’t already at your house)

• If you have delegated any dishes to guests:

  • Make sure they are still planning to bring the dish

  • Remind them of the number of guests and any allergies in the group

  • Ask them what type of storage the dish will need (fridge space, room temp, etc.) and what type of last minute preparations will be needed (you don’t want to be scrambling for extra space on the stove if you were expecting the dish to warm up in the oven)

2. Go Shopping

• Ideally, you’ve already put together a detailed shopping list of all the items you’ll need for your menu. If not, jump on it.

• When you have a long list of items to pick up, I find it best to divide your grocery list up by produce, deli, meat, non-perishables, dairy, frozen, and alcohol (it helps your

  • Make a mental note about which items you’ll be picking up at different stores

• Here in St. Louis, I usually hit about three stores in a shopping trip, with a large cooler and ice packs in the car to stash cold foods. It may seem crazy to go to three different stores, but I’ve got the pattern down to a science at this stage. This is my general route:

  • Jay International Foods is first up. They have great pricing on staples like spices, nuts, oil, and salt. Their produce selection varies, but generally I’ll pick up any produce from my list that looks good here - mushrooms and peppers for sure (pricing usually can’t be beat)

  • Next up, Trader Joe’s. Their pricing and selection on cheese and most dairy is amazing. We usually stock up on Kerry Gold Salted Butter here (Costco has similar pricing, but Trader Joe’s is way more convenient). Certain produce like endive, haricot verts (thin, tender green beans), lemons, limes, and arugula are usually all great to pick up here. Also, wine.

  • Dierbergs is usually my last stop, because I can count on them to have everything else left on my shopping list and they offer consistent, high-quality products.

  • Pick up your non-perishable items earlier in the week and produce closer to the big day

While I’ll hope that most of our readers already own re-usable bags for grocery shopping, these bags from BAGGU are our absolute favorites. They easily stuff into a purse or pocket, are machine washable (you are washing your re-usable bags, right?), and very durable. We’ve had some of our bags for over 6 years and they still look new. Best part? Tons of fun patterns. Our alpaca-themed bag gets the most compliments at checkout.

3. Set the Stage

• If you’re borrowing any chairs, tables, or other equipment, try to pick it up the weekend before Thanksgiving - having these items early will make set up easier and ease any anxiety over them not showing up on time

• Hopefully, you’ve already made your plan for seating and table settings, so it’s time to pull together the pieces

  • Iron your tablecloth and napkins (if you feel the need…it’s a rare occurrence for me)

  • Pick up flowers

    • If you’re in St. Louis, check out Harold’s Wholesale Florist. They are an amazing flower market with great pricing and selection (we got all the flowers for our wedding there for about $300 total)

    • When buying very fresh flowers to arrange yourself, make sure to pick them up about 3-4 days in advance, to give them time to open up

  • Make place cards and/or food labels

    • This year, we’ll be using these printables featuring a very dapper turkey for place cards and to label side dishes on a buffet

• At least the night before Thanksgiving, get your chairs and tables into position and pull out any serving dishes or plates that are stashed away

Check out our new Thanksgiving printable, featuring a very fancy turkey in a collared shirt!

4. Food Prep

• Take a look over your menu and decide what can be done in advance

• Based on our menu this year:

  • Most of the appetizers can be fully prepped at least a day early, with a few exceptions

    • Toasts for the Camembert spread will be made on Thanksgiving in the afternoon

    • Roquefort dressing will come together about an hour before serving (but the ingredients can be separately prepped in advance)

    • Piquillo pepper romesco can be made up to a week in advance

    • All veggies for the crudité can be prepared a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge

  • Cranberry sauce can be made 2-3 days in advance

  • The Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes will be done the day before and placed into a slow-cooker to warm up a few hours before dinner (or in the oven for 25-30 minutes before dinner)

  • Leeks (for Leek Bread Pudding) and carrots (for Spicy Sweet Roasted Root Vegetables) can be cleaned and cut up to two days ahead

    • I usually like to clean/cut parsnips and sweet potatoes closer to roasting time

  • Dinner rolls will be baked fresh on Thanksgiving morning

5. Last Minute Clean

• As above, hopefully a deep clean has already happened, but if not, no worries! Life happens. Here’s where to focus your energy:

  • Dishes - Do your best to clean as you cook and stay on top of the dishes. Ideally, when guests arrive you should have an empty dishwasher and sink.

  • Bathrooms - Clean the toilet, sink, and mirrors. Restock toilet paper. Put out fresh hand towels.

  • Vacuum - Run a quick vacuum around areas that guests will be spending the most time in to grab any dust bunnies (perfection is not needed here, hit the high traffic zones)

  • De-clutter - Remove extraneous clutter from surfaces in areas that your guests will be hanging around. If you’re not using a small appliance for Thanksgiving, clear it from the counter. Gather the clutter up in laundry basket or cardboard box and stash it away in a closet, basement, or spare room (aka hide it). There’s no shame in this…most of us do this…your clutter treasure trove will be waiting for you once the guests leave.

6. Thanksgiving Day Logistics

• Set your dinner time and plan backwards based on recipe cook times, making sure to accommodate rest time for your turkey

• Be ready to delegate tasks to your day-of helpers (you do have those, right?)

• Plan an activity for guests hanging around - a puzzle, a game of dominoes, darts, a board game, hanging by a fire pit (weather permitting), etc.

• Plan some activities for kids that will be present - coloring, crafts, LEGOs, a pillow fort and a holiday-themed movie, etc.

• Toast the turkey - Jeff and I have made a custom of a sparkling wine toast once the turkey hits the smoker. We think it’s a good custom.