Basters Up! Your Complete Guide to Absolutely Nail Thanksgiving

On your mark, get set, give thanks!

After last year’s pared-down celebrations, many of us are feeling eager to pull out all the stops on Thanksgiving 2021. Bring on all things Turkey Day: The turkey trots! The soups! The stuffings! The pies! Uncle Ed’s political diatribes we didn’t have to hear last year! (OK, maybe not all things…)

That said, it’s understandable if you’re feeling a bit rusty on your hosting skills. Jumping back into not just socializing but having an entire group of people at your home may seem like a prescription for stress, not celebration.

Wanna get back into T-Day hosting shape? A scheduled, step-by-step strategy is your best bet. That’s why we’ve broken down the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving into small, easy-to-tackle tasks that’ll turn you into the host with the most.

So grab your baster and lace up those apron strings. You’ve got the eye of the ~~tiger~~ turkey.

Week 1: Shaping your vision for T-Day

To start week one, a word of encouragement: Thanksgiving is still almost 4 weeks away. You’ve got plenty of time to plan a celebration that’ll go down in the books as memorable AF (in a good way, not a remember-that-time-the-turkey-caught-on-fire way).

Week one of your Turkey Day training plan is all about setting high level goals.

Set a budget

You definitely won’t be giving thanks after a lavish dinner that puts you in the red right before Christmas. So consider: How much makes sense to shell out, all told, for the big day? You may prefer to come up with an overall figure or work it out per person. From there, it’s helpful to subdivide your total into categories, like food, drinks, and decor.

If your budget is on the smaller side, that’s OK — maybe it just means you provide the turkey and a place to gather, while your guests pitch in with everything else.

Thanksgiving on a budget: 5 ways to cut costs

Spices can be pricey and can add up when you’re buying a dozen different ones to flavor all your dishes. Check the bulk bins at your local health-food store. Or ask a friend if you can snag 1/4 teaspoon of their ground cloves so you don’t have to splurge on a whole bottle. Maybe even do a spice swap!
If you’re cooking for a small squad, you don’t need to invest in a whole turkey. Try a turkey breast, which is every bit as delicious but easier on your wallet.
When it comes to table decor, walk outside and forage for leaves, greenery, pine cones, and other things you can snag for free to create a festive table. Fresh herbs make great accents, too — if you’ve got leftover rosemary or sage, place a sprig on each plate.
Tap into free printables online to create place cards, menus, and more.
Instead of spending a bundle on fresh flower arrangements that will wilt in a week, invest in dried flowers that you can reuse year after year.

Make a guest list

Is this a family affair? A Friendsgiving? A mix of the two? For many of us, the pandemic year was a chance to reflect on who we really want to spend time with… and who we don’t. So, unless you’ve been handed an obligatory premade list (thanks, Mom), give some thought to who you’d genuinely like to see at the celebration.

Meanwhile, there’s the question of how many people you actually have space for. Inviting everyone from your Meemaw to your mail carrier is a nice gesture, but if it means they’ll be sitting in a dark corner with a plate balanced on their lap, it’s time to cull the guest list.

Choose a theme

No, a theme isn’t strictly necessary (and Thanksgiving is basically a theme in itself). But crafting your decor and even your menu around a common thread adds a signature touch. This fall holiday encompasses tons of elements you could easily pull out as a theme: autumn leaves, pumpkins, or cornucopias, perhaps?

If you’d like to put an even more meaningful spin on things, embrace your personal cultural heritage with a (fill-in-the-culture)-themed Thanksgiving. Or choose a single color, a travel destination, or a favorite fall activity as the essence of the party.

Delightful Thanksgiving decor

Plan a menu

There’s no denying that Thanksgiving is all about the food — so what are you gonna serve? First up, settle the question of whether you’re providing the turkey (or another main course if you’re not a meat eater or would just rather do something different).

From there, determine additional dinner essentials. At the bare minimum, you’ll likely want a starch, a vegetable, and a dessert — but there are no hard-and-fast rules about what “counts” as Thanksgiving fare. (You can use your theme as a guide for which menu items should make an appearance.)

Finally, once you’ve made a basic road map, decide who’s bringing what. Is Aunt Carol famous for her cornbread stuffing? Let her go for it! Know one of your friends can’t cook their way out of a paper bag? Put ’em on wine duty.

Thanksgiving menu inspo

Send invitations

Week one is just about a wrap! Now that you’ve taken care of basic business, it’s time to invite some actual people. Depending on your style (and the relationships you have with your guests), this can, of course, be as simple as a text, phone call, or email.

Where to find digital invitations

On the other hand, who doesn’t like getting real mail? For a more formal touch, send out paper invitations that correspond to your theme. And don’t forget to include what you’d like each person to bring. Thanksgiving is the one time you can feel free to be a little bossy about food assignments.