Thanksgiving Menu and Planner

Cooking and planning Thanksgiving dinner can seem overwhelming, but with a plan and a step-by-step guide, it’s not difficult! Below, I have included everything you need to make Thanksgiving dinner for 6, 10, or 16 people.

Follow the five steps, one at a time, to make your holiday less stressful.

Table of Contents

1. Your Thanksgiving Plan
2. 1. Get Your Planner
3. 2. Review Your Menu
4. Here Is the Thanksgiving Dinner Menu
5. 3. Do Your Shopping
6. 4. Get a Head Start
7. 5. Follow Your Cooking Schedule
8. Decorating and Hosting Tips
9. Hosting Tip
10. Snacks and Thanksgiving Appetizers

Your Thanksgiving Plan

Here’s the plan, step-by-step! Click each step below to jump to that part of your plan.

1. Get your planner
   Print the planner to keep track of your timeline and to-do lists.
2. Review your menu
   Review the recipes and quantities. You can also swap in family favorites.
3. Do your shopping
   Use the grocery list provided for your guest count.
4. Get a head start
   Follow the make-ahead checklist in the days before Thanksgiving.
5. Follow your cooking schedule
   See what to start when and how to get dinner on the table.

1. Get Your Planner

Print this Thanksgiving Planner to plan out your day. It has a schedule for Thanksgiving Day, to-do lists, and space to write down your menu so nothing gets forgotten.

The full menu is below too, this planner helps you track what to do and when. It also makes it easy to hand off a few jobs when someone asks how they can help.

2. Review Your Menu

The planner above is great for writing down times and tasks. Next, decide what you’re serving – it’s easier than it sounds since I have the menu plan below.

1. Figure out how many people you’re serving.
2. Pick your dishes from the menu below. I’ve included the classics, but feel free to swap in family favorites.

Tip: If someone is bringing a dish, mark it down on your planner and adjust your grocery list before shopping.

Here Is the Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

• Choose turkey or ham. Then add stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
• For the sides, this menu includes sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, Brussels sprouts, dinner rolls, and cranberry sauce.
• I often add mac and cheese and/or corn casserole too.

(Don’t forget to jot down your menu on your planner!)

5 from 5 votes

Thanksgiving Turkey (Perfectly Juicy Every Time)

5 from 806 votes

Baked Ham with Brown Sugar Glaze

4.99 from 2280 votes

Easy Stuffing Recipe

4.99 from 1071 votes

The BEST Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Gravy Recipe

Sweet Potato Casserole

Green Bean Casserole

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

30 Minute Dinner Rolls

Cranberry Sauce Recipe

• Turkey or Ham – pick whichever you prefer. You only need one, but you can serve both for a bigger crowd
• Stuffing – my personal favorite Thanksgiving dish
• Homemade Mashed Potatoes (or Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes) – the crock pot can save precious oven space on the big day
• Gravy – prepare this while the turkey rests
• Sweet Potato Casserole – can be prepared ahead of time
• Green Bean Casserole – a classic that is super easy to prepare
• Brussels Sprouts – our favorite, feel free to replace with another veggie of choice
• 30 Minute Dinner Rolls – also make ahead, a day or two before Thanksgiving
• Cranberry Sauce – make months ahead and freeze
• Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie, or Pecan Pie – depending on which you’d prefer to serve
• Whipped Cream – or buy a can of whipped cream if you’d prefer

How Much to Make

You can print out this Thanksgiving Dinner Servings Guide to refer to how many of each recipe to make for your dinner.

• This list shows how many servings one recipe makes, and how many recipes to make for your guests.
• Choose turkey or ham. For the turkey, we’ve listed the recommended size.
• The grocery lists include groceries for the number of recipes listed in the table below.
• If you’d like to add more servings or an extra pie, remember to update your grocery list!

Print the grocery list below for 6, 10, or 16 people. Check off what you already have. Printing it early means you can watch for sales on the items you need.

3. Do Your Shopping

4. Get a Head Start

The key is in the timing! Anything you can do early, do it early. This list starts a month out, but jump in whenever you can.

Here’s what can be done ahead of time:

1 month or more before

• Buy dry goods and bread for the stuffing since it has to be dried.
• Prepare the cranberry sauce and freeze it , you literally cannot tell the difference!
• Prepare pies and freeze
• Prepare the dinner rolls and freeze

3-5 days before

• Thaw the turkey if it’s frozen. This usually takes several days.

2 days before

• If you haven’t already, bake the dinner rolls (and freeze them to keep fresh—remove them from the freezer on the morning of serving)
• Prepare the cranberry sauce if you haven’t frozen it previously
• Decorate the table if the space allows
• Lay out the recipes and prepare what can be done ahead of time, such as trimming the Brussels sprouts, chopping onions and celery for stuffing, and chopping the sweet potatoes.
• Set out the stuffing bread to dry

1 day before

• Prepare and bake the dessert or pies, or remove them from the freezer if you’ve done this ahead of time
• Remove the cranberry sauce from the freezer
• Brine the turkey if you are using a brine. I don’t usually brine my turkey.
• Plan the serving dishes and utensils (a sticky note in each makes it easier for those helping with serving).
• Option: Prepare the stuffing and refrigerate; you can also do this the day of if you’d like.

On Thanksgiving Day, before cooking

• Remove pies from the fridge so they can come to room temperature
• Cooking the sides – You can put the sides in the oven while the turkey rests
• The potatoes – don’t cut the potatoes in advance or they can oxidize and turn gray
• The turkey – should be cooked on the day of serving if possible
• Gravy – you will whip this up while the turkey rests, using the drippings from the turkey pan

5. Follow Your Cooking Schedule

The big day is here, but it’s going to be a breeze because you have a plan! :) This is the order I cook in, but I would suggest starting with the time you’d like to eat and working backward. Write the times in your planner.

1. The first thing to start cooking is the turkey.
   • A general rule of thumb for an unstuffed turkey is 20 minutes per pound, but you can reference this post about turkey temperatures to ensure you time it correctly, remembering to account for resting time and a little bit of extra time just in case.
2. Once the turkey is in the oven, start the Crock Pot mashed potatoes, because those will take the longest.
3. Next, it’s time to start working on the side dishes: cooking the stuffing ingredients, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and Brussels sprouts.
   • When all the sides are ready to bake, cover them and refrigerate them until you’re ready to bake them.
4. When the turkey is done, tent it with aluminum foil to rest while the sides go in the oven.
   • Use kitchen timers, post it notes, or even phone alarms to ensure everything cooks correctly.
   • The turkey has to rest for up to 30 minutes, and it will take about 10 to 15 minutes to carve. If someone else is carving, this allows 45 minutes to finish the sides.
5. While the sides are in, transfer the turkey to a platter and use the drippings to cook the gravy on the stovetop. Set out the other sides like cranberry sauce and dinner rolls (we have definitely forgotten the cranberry sauce before, so keep it close on the day!)
6. Allow the sides to rest for 5-10 minutes while you carve the turkey. Here’s the easiest way to carve a turkey.

Timing Tips for Thanksgiving Dinner

With the right prep, timing is much easier. Use these tips to get everything on the table at the same time, and plan your day on the Thanksgiving Planner.

• The resting turkey is your busiest time. The turkey rests for about 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the side dishes, and cover anything that’s done with aluminum foil to keep it hot.
• Turkey ready too soon? Cover it with foil and splash it with chicken (or turkey) broth to keep it juicy. A turkey can cook faster or take longer than expected.
• Skip stuffing the turkey. Stuffing inside must reach 165°F, which can dry out the breast and makes timing harder. I prefer to make the stuffing on the side or prepare crock pot stuffing instead.
• Let guests bring a dish. Be specific if you like (“Please bring a vegetable” or “If you could bring Brussels sprouts that would be great!”). Desserts, mashed potatoes, sides, or dinner rolls work well.
• Serving a warm dessert? Put it in the oven (turned off) while everyone eats. Apple pie is usually served warm, but pumpkin or pecan pie can be served at room temperature.

Decorating and Hosting Tips

Decor: I like to sit down and brainstorm some decor ideas for the house and the dinner table. You can find Thanksgiving table decor or decorations to use year after year.

Extra plates: If you don’t have enough plates, it’s okay to mix and match or even buy a Thanksgiving dinner kit; many of the pieces can be washed and reused the following year. I’ve had many holiday dinners served on Thanksgiving plates like these; the food and company were just as wonderful (plus less cleanup!).

Do You Have Enough of Each of These?

Snacks and Thanksgiving Appetizers

Having appetizers ready when guests arrive is a nice way to start your event.

Some of my favorite make-ahead appetizer recipes include:

Classic Cheese Ball Recipe

Jalapeno Poppers

How to Make a Charcuterie Board

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip

That’s it!! Print your planner, choose your menu, and enjoy the holiday and memories you’re creating. If you need help with anything else, leave a comment below!