Thanksgiving Prep Countdown

A guideline to the art of backtiming.

You’ve barely recovered from Halloween, and suddenly you look up to see Thanksgiving looming large. If you’ll allow me to go into culinary coach mode, the best defense at this moment is a good offense.

Hosting a big family dinner is a big job; but for a dedicated, organized cook and baker, Thanksgiving is a chance to really show what you can do. The trick to having everything made on time without undue stress is a process called backtiming. You look at the menu, see which items can (and should—some recipes taste better when their flavors have had some time to meld) be made in advance, and spread the work over the days before the big event. With each item that’s prepared or piece of equipment put in place, you get a sense of accomplishment and steady progress toward your wonderful meal.

The first list is for the time right after Halloween. Pick these items off when you get the chance and you’ll have a great headstart.

Once your vision for the day is finalized, the timeline for the week becomes pivotal. Every step you execute gets you closer to a relaxed (!) celebration.

Okay, you’ve done the hard work, now to execute and bring it all to fruition!

I hope you’re able to spend the day enjoying the ones you love, and that you all have happy bellies and LOTS of good leftovers. Let me know if this was helpful to you, or if you have any strategies I haven’t thought of! Happy Thanksgiving.