Checking it Twice

Your Fool‍-‍proof Holiday Meal Planner

There are plenty of last‍-‍minute components to every holiday meal. This is exactly why it pays to prepare as much in advance as you can. Of course, some tasks lend themselves to advance prep (chopping veggies) while others are best left for the day of (mashing potatoes). We’ve taken the guesswork out of advance prep with this two‍-‍day checklist‍—‍a simple, step‍-‍by‍-‍step guide to what to do, and when to do it.

Two Days Before

• Make and refrigerate cranberry sauce.
• Make and refrigerate glaze for turkey.
• If your turkey is frozen, put it in your fridge to thaw.
• Make the cookie dough and refrigerate it.

One Day Before

• Bake sweet potato or pumpkin pies and refrigerate.
• Making fresh vegetable side dishes? Prep and refrigerate them now.
• Prepare, combine and refrigerate the ingredients for your stuffing. (Don’t bake.)
• If you are making bread or rolls, do it today. Store at room temperature.

Morning Of

• Bring stuffing to room temperature.

Four Hours Before Mealtime

• Put turkey into roast.

One Hour Before Mealtime

• Bake the stuffing.
• Bring cranberry sauce and pies to room temperature.
• Finish the gravy.
• Put potatoes on to boil for mashed potatoes.

30 Minutes Before Mealtime

• Cook vegetable side dishes.
• Mash potatoes.

Just Before Mealtime

• Carve the turkey!

Dinner At‍-‍A‍-‍Glance: How much is enough?

Use this handy chart when you’re trying to decide how much food to prepare for your feast.