Man, oh man, can Thanksgiving be complicated! When my husband and I started dating, we’d pretty much split our day into three parts: his parents, my parents, and the bar. We’d eat too much at both sets of parents’, receive leftovers at both places, then dress up like truckers and digest with our friends from my bartending days (Trucker Night is a Thanksgiving tradition at said venue).
So when my husband and I bought our house, we opted to simplify things for everyone and start hosting at our place. We live in fairly close proximity to both sets of our parents — neither of which enjoys cooking or hosting and one of which doesn’t really eat leftovers — so it seemed like the best solution. It also reduced everyone’s efforts in scheduling and it meant more time home with our dogs (and now, kids.) (And no, we don’t attend Trucker Thanksgiving anymore).
Some people are daunted by the thought of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, but with the help of several crock pots and a little task allocation, it doesn’t have to be that difficult. This year, we’re expecting baby #2 two short weeks before the big day, so I’m glad we’ve been through this enough times to be confident in our ability to not stress over it the week of. Here’s how we break ours down:
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Turkey: Hubs receives a turkey from his work for Thanksgiving every year. As a vegetarian, I’m definitely not cooking it, and as my parents love turkey leftovers, they assume this cooking responsibility and show up with enough to go around in a crockpot. If we were in charge of cooking it, we’d probably cook it overnight and crockpot it in the morning.
Mashed potatoes: We peel and quarter a five pound bag the night before and let them sit in a pot on the stove. In the morning, we boil and mash them when we have a chance, then transfer them to a crock pot.
Stuffing: I cheat with stuffing and use the Pepperidge Farm sage & onion breadcrumbs. A night or two before Thanksgiving I chop a bowl full of veggies to sauce and mix in. Veggies usually include a medium onion, 3-4 stalks of celery, an 8 oz. package of mushrooms, and a green pepper. This is handled along with the mashed potatoes and is transferred to a crock pot.
Sweet potatoes: Historically, I’ve delegated these to my mother-in-law, but this year I think I’m going to make them ahead of time and freeze.
Gravy: I almost always forget about the gravy until the last minute. Last year, I made it ahead of time and froze it; it worked wonderfully. My batch for this year is already prepped.
Soup: Over the years, I’ve toyed with various vegetarian options to eat in lieu of turkey — meat substitutes, zucchini cakes, mushroom caps. But frankly, there are enough other foods available that you don’t need any of them. Last year I started making soup instead. It’s easily made ahead of time and can be served to anyone who’s hungry before dinner’s ready.
Salad: This one is easily delegated out. This year I’ll likely delegate it to my mother-in-law. She makes a pretty good salad.
Cranberries: For me, these make the meal. I always make an extra large batch and send some home with our guests. Again, they can easily be made ahead of time and frozen. I received this recipe from an old co-worker. They’re amazing.
Bread: If I remember correctly, this is the reason why it came down to us using all those crock pots in the first place: Hubs’ family has an obsession with popovers; apparently there’s an unspoken rule that they’re required for all holiday gatherings. I spent years pleading to use another kind of bread to avoid the hot biscuits/cold food scenario, but to no avail. (I’m kind of surprised my eyes aren’t stuck in the back of my head after the number of times I rolled them at this one.) None-the-less, they’ve added value to our holiday because of their peculiar place in my husband’s heart. By the time they’re in the oven, the only thing left to cook is the vegetable.
Vegetable: We generally opt for asparagus sauteed in butter and lemon zest. It’s quick and easily completed on the stove top while the popovers are in the oven. Just wash and cut off the woody ends a day or two ahead of time. Not into asparagus? Try green beans (with butter and nutmeg) or plain old peas and carrots.
Pie: My mom likes to make pumpkin pies, so she usually brings one of those along; the others we just buy from a local diner (typically an apple or blueberry and a French silk).
And that’s it! Eleven items for a four hour gathering. And all of it’s consumed in less than half an hour. (Insert sigh.) Fortunately, all that work means we don’t have to cook for the rest of the long weekend. And as far as beverages go, everyone supplies a couple bottles of wine and a some beer, so that’s covered.
Really, it all works out pretty splendidly. So if you’re stressed about hosting this holiday, clear out your freezer, buy or borrow a few crocks, and get prepping. Always feel free to delegate out a dish or two (or more!)
and don’t forget to have fun!
Wishing you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving!
— Funky Crunchy Mama
