21 Steps to Get Ready to Host Thanksgiving Dinner

Are you hosting Thanksgiving this year? If the thought makes your stomach do a little flip, you’re not alone. Many hosts wait until the last minute to prepare for hosting Thanksgiving, which leads to stress, forgotten ingredients, and way too much time away from their guests. The good news? It doesn’t have to be that way. When you know exactly how to get ready to host Thanksgiving—step by step—the entire experience becomes enjoyable rather than exhausting.

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner is one of those beautiful traditions that brings everyone together—but let’s be honest, it can also feel like a massive undertaking! If you’re the lucky one hosting the celebration this year, you’re probably wondering where to even start. The secret to a successful Thanksgiving isn’t perfection; it’s preparation.

I’ve broken down everything you need into 21 manageable steps that will help you plan, prep, and pull off a memorable Thanksgiving dinner with confidence.

Whether you are hosting friends, neighbors, family members, or co-workers, you want everyone to enjoy the experience and the meal. And you don’t want to wear yourself out and be exhausted on the big day.

Whether this is your first time hosting Thanksgiving or your 20th, you want to be prepared.

You have to give yourself plenty of time to complete all the tasks necessary. Putting together such a big feast on the biggest eating day of the year should be fun, enjoyable, and satisfying.

Are you hosting a large crowd, just your whole family, or a few friends? Regardless, there are many moving parts to hosting Thanksgiving.

These 21 things (steps, tips) to do to get ready for Thanksgiving will help you be a calm, collected, and celebrated hostess.

A few weeks ago, I shared 23 Things to Declutter before the Holidays. Assuming that you took my advice, these 21 steps pick up where that post leaves off.

I always do as much as possible ahead of Thanksgiving. That includes setting the table, making dishes ahead and freezing them, if possible.

I tried to arrange these 21 Thanksgiving tasks in semi-chronological order.

Would you like these steps as a FREE PRINTABLE LIST? See the end of the post.

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1 – Plan your Thanksgiving Menu 

It’s never too early to write down your Thanksgiving menu from “soup to nuts”. Gather all the recipes you plan to prepare. Depending on how many people you will be hosting, adjust the recipes to the appropriate serving sizes.

NOTE: After you have completed your grocery shopping, you can start your mise en place (prepping your recipes). The more you can do ahead, the happier you will be.

If you are in need of some menu suggestions for Thanksgiving dinner, here are some great ideas:

• 21 Tasty and Easy Thanksgiving Appetizers
• 17 Mouthwatering Thanksgiving Side Dishes
• 15 Must-Try Delicious Thanksgiving Desserts

If you want pumpkin flavor on your menu, check out my seven personal favorite pumpkin recipes.

2 – Make your Guest List

This may seem strange, but you only have a certain amount of space. You may not be able to host the entire family or all your friends. People you might like to include may already have travel or dinner plans.

The earlier you make a list, the earlier you can make plans. Same, too, for your potential guests. You can also make adjustments as you have people accept or decline your invitation.

3 – Inventory Your Cookware and Kitchen Tools

Do you have all the utensils and tools that you will need to prepare your Thanksgiving menu? Thanksgiving preparation requires more equipment than a regular dinner.

Here are my must-have Thanksgiving kitchen tools:

• roasting pan – with rack
• instant-read thermometer – the digital ones are really nice

• baking dishes

this Idea.

• whisk – for the gravy
• tongs
• aluminum foil
• carving knife and fork
• basting brush
• extra food storage containers

You can either purchase them or borrow them from friends and family who are not hosting this year.

4 – Order Your Turkey and Ham

Some years, there can be a shortage of turkeys or hams. Even restaurants have to adjust their menus to accommodate this problem. Our local Central Market sent out a Thanksgiving brochure at the beginning of October, encouraging people to order early. We ordered our turkey and spiral-cut ham.

Read these essential posts about preparing your turkey:

• How to Brine a Turkey and Why
• 10 Safety Tips for Preparing Your Turkey

5 – Make Your Grocery List

Once you know how many guests to expect, you should review all your recipes and make your grocery list. For easier shopping, arrange items by dry goods, dairy, and refrigerated items. Don’t forget extra butter, oils, salt, pepper, flour, eggs, and dinner rolls.

BIG TIP: When you are ready to start recipe prep, gather the ingredients for each recipe on a sheet pan. Measure and prepare individual ingredients. This is called mise en place and makes food preparation faster and more efficient.

6 – Check If You Have Enough Table Space and Chairs

You may be hosting more people than usual for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving requires knives and forks, so it is not the meal to have guest eat off their laps; it’s definitely a sit-down dinner.

If you are hosting more people than can be seated comfortably at your dining room table, then now is the time to plan where to put them:

• Set up a table in the living room, game room, or even the kids’ playroom.
• If the weather will be nice, set up tables outside on the patio.
• If your garage is neat and clean enough, set up tables there. I’m not kidding.

TIP: If you need extra tables or chairs, then order rentals to be delivered at least two days before Thanksgiving. That way, you will have time to set all the tables.

7 – Check Your Table Linens

You will need tablecloths or placemats and napkins. Do they need to be laundered, sent to the dry cleaners, or ironed? Don’t wait until the last minute for this task.

TIP: Rather than use your vintage or treasured linens, you might want to order bulk polyester napkins online.

8 – Check Your Silverware

Count the number of place settings to accommodate the number of guests. It’s O.K. to mix and match if needed. If you are going to use sterling, do the place settings need to be polished? 

9 – Count Dinnerware, Serving Pieces, and Glassware 

Do you have enough dinner plates, bread and butter, salad or dessert plates?

TIP: I use my salad plates for appetizers and desserts.

Do you have enough glasses for water, iced tea, or wine? Check serving platters and bowls for the turkey, ham, and side dishes. Again, mixing and matching is a great option. 

TIP: If dishes haven’t been used in a while (last Thanksgiving?), decide if they should be washed are wiped down with a damp towel. Once they have been cleaned, cover dishes and silverware with dishtowels or a clean sheet.

Decide where you will set up the dishes. Will it be a buffet or will serving dishes be placed on the dining table and passed?

10 – Where to Thaw your Turkey?

If you order a frozen turkey, do you have a place to thaw your turkey? When I used to order frozen turkeys, we used our largest ice cooler and placed the turkey in it. We covered it with ice and kept it in the garage.

If you thaw your turkey over several days in the fridge, place it on the lowest shelf and make sure it’s wrapped securely.

These days, we order a fresh turkey from our local Central Market. Although we pick up the turkey just two days ahead, I still use the ice-cooler method to keep it chilled until I start the brining process.

11 – Order or Make Desserts

If you are not a baker, order your pumpkin, apple, or pecan pie early from a favorite bakery. If you are going to bake, give yourself plenty of lead time. Most pies and cakes can be made a couple of days ahead without a problem.

TIP: Take advantage of any part or whole dessert that can be refrigerated or frozen ahead of time.

12 – Are Guests Going to Bring Dishes?

If guests ask to bring dishes to share, accept and suggest what they can bring. Tell them how many servings will be needed.

Keep a list of who is bringing what. You don’t want to end up with green green bean casseroles and no sweet potatoes.

TIP: If someone wants to contribute but doesn’t like to cook or bake, suggest that they bring extra ice, wine, or non-alcoholic beverages.

13 – Decide What Will Be Your “Drink of the Day”

In addition to a seasonal cocktail, be sure to include non-alcoholic options, sodas and bottled water.

Set up a drink station so you don’t have to play bartender. I like to have a big punch bowl full of ice for wine or soft drinks.

One of our favorite Thanksgiving drinks is the Pumpkin Martini, but we also like this lighter Apple Cider Martini.

TIP: Be sure to have the designated bartender “test” a cocktail recipe before serving to guests.

14 – Clean Out the Fridge and the Pantry

You will need every extra inch of space to store the groceries you are buying and dishes that are made and need to be stored. As you prepare dishes, most will need to be refrigerated or frozen. 

15 – Clean Off the Countertops 

Put away any appliances or decorative items that are taking up space. You’ll need as much prep space as possible for serving pieces and finished dishes. When guests bring recipes to share, you will need space for their offerings.

16 – Check the Guest Bathroom 

Make sure you have extra toilet paper (Let’s be real.), tissue, and guest towels. This is a great time to put out pretty paper guest towels.

17 – Set the Thanksgiving Table

I like setting my Thanksgiving dinner table at least a week ahead. Then we can enjoy looking at it for several days. This also really lets you see if you don’t have enough dishes and silverware. (See Numbers 6 and 7 above.)

This is my “practice” Thanksgiving tablescape for this year.

18 – Set Up a Dishwashing Plan

Let’s face it – there are going to be a ton of dirty dishes. Is there a place outside the main kitchen sink area where dirty dishes can be scraped, rinsed, and stacked?

Large plastic tubs are perfect for holding dishes until they can be thoroughly washed and dried.

My Dishwashing Plan

• Put a large trash can in the laundry room for food discards.
• I fill the sink in the laundry room with hot, soapy water for soaking dishes.
• I cover the countertop over our washer and dryer with old towels for drying dishes.

19 – Make a Timeline of Tasks to Complete

Starting on Thanksgiving morning, work backward to include all you need to do.

• Include a cooking schedule – when to put dishes in the oven, baking time, and rest time. Don’t forget to give the turkey time to rest (depending on the size of the bird, 20 – 40 minutes) and time to make the gravy.
• Include a “serving” schedule: when to put out appetizers, salads, main courses, and desserts.
• Check off each task as it is completed.

20 – Thanksgiving Day Entertainment

If there isn’t a football game on TV to keep people entertained before Thanksgiving dinner, have some games, a jigsaw puzzle or a movie available, especially for young kids. Recruit older kids to play with the younger ones – outside if the weather is nice.

I used to love watching the boys play tag football in the front yard.

21 – Relax before The Party Starts

Give yourself time to rest before your company arrives. You don’t want to wear yourself out to the point you can’t enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with those you love.

Thanksgiving Day Tasks

After you’ve completed your 21 steps to get ready to host Thanksgiving dinner, here’s a quick list of things to do before guests arrive; these are also tasks that guests can help do:

• Turn the heat down or the air-conditioning up; with extra people in the house, it can get uncomfortable if the temperature is too high
• Turn the ovens on to the appropriate temperature.
• Take the butter for rolls out of the fridge to come to room temperature. (TIP: Although you should always use unsalted butter for baking and cooking, use salted butter with rolls and bread. It tastes so much better.)
• Put out ice and drinks.
• Fill water glasses.
• Designate someone to say grace. Do you have a Thanksgiving tradition? We have everyone share what they are most thankful for.
• Decide who will carve the turkey.

Don’t forget to sign up for your FREE 21 Steps to Get Ready for Hosting Thanksgiving Checklist. Click the Image below.

I hope that you will PIN this list of 21 steps to get ready to host Thanksgiving dinner. They are very helpful.

I’ll be following my list. I know it will make my life easier and allow me to enjoy the preparation. Most importantly, it will allow me to spend as much time as possible enjoying time with my family.