Happy Thanksgiving!
Planning Thanksgiving does not have to feel overwhelming. We pulled together our favorite recipes, hosting tips, and a simple prep schedule to help you plan the meal, spread out the work, and enjoy more time with your family.
Use this post to build your menu, plan what to make ahead, and keep Thanksgiving Day running smoothly. You can also save our 2026 Thanksgiving Guide to your phone so the menu ideas, schedule, and tips are easy to find when you need them.
Thanksgiving is one of our favorite days to gather with family, eat good food, and spend time together, but there is a lot to coordinate before everyone sits down at the table.
After hosting plenty of holiday meals over the years, we have learned that the biggest help is having a plan. This guide walks you through what to make, what to prep ahead, and when to get everything started so Thanksgiving Day feels more manageable and you can actually enjoy it too.
Be sure to check our FREE Thanksgiving Menu Planner printable as well.
What you’ll find below:
- 2026 Printable Guide. Save the main menu ideas, prep schedule, and hosting reminders right to your phone.
- Kristyn’s Hosting Tips. Our go-to ways to stay organized, use the oven wisely, and make Thanksgiving Day easier.
- Thanksgiving Prep Schedule. A simple timeline that spreads the work across several days instead of saving everything for Thursday.
- Build Your Thanksgiving Menu. Pick your appetizers, bread, sides, main dish, desserts, and drink from our family favorite recipes.
- Helpful Thanksgiving Tutorials. Extra kitchen tips for turkey, rolls, potatoes, gravy, and other holiday basics.
Get the Thanksgiving Guide
Keep your Thanksgiving plan in one easy place with our 2026 printable guide. Save it to your phone or print a copy for the kitchen so you can quickly check your menu and schedule as you cook.
Kristyn’s Thanksgiving Hosting Tips
- Plan the Menu Early. Choose your main dish, sides, bread, desserts, and drinks at least 1-2 weeks ahead so you know exactly what you are making before you shop.
- Shop in Stages. Buy pantry and freezer items early, then pick up produce, dairy, and other fresh ingredients a few days before Thanksgiving.
- Prep What You Can. Chop vegetables, measure ingredients, shred cheese, and make sauces on Wednesday so there is less to do Thursday morning.
- Make Dishes Ahead. Cranberry sauce, pies, desserts, and many casseroles can be made or assembled before Thanksgiving Day.
- Write Down Your Oven Schedule. Work backward from the time you want to eat and write down when the turkey, casseroles, rolls, and other dishes need to go in the oven.
- Use the Turkey Rest Time. While the turkey rests, warm casseroles, bake rolls, and finish anything that needs a hotter oven.
- Ask for Help. Let family bring a dish, fill drinks, set the table, or help clean up. You do not have to do everything yourself.
- Set the Table the Night Before. Put out plates, silverware, glasses, serving dishes, and trivets on Wednesday so they are ready to go.
- Clean as You Cook. Keep the dishwasher moving and wash mixing bowls and prep tools as you finish with them.
- Keep the Day Simple. A good meal does not need twenty different dishes. Make the recipes your family loves most and leave room to enjoy everyone at the table.
What Can I Make Ahead?
One of the easiest ways to make Thanksgiving Day run more smoothly is to get as much done ahead of time as you can. We have learned over the years that even a little prep on Tuesday and Wednesday makes a big difference.
Great Make-Ahead Choices
- Pies + Desserts. Many pies, bars, cheesecakes, and other desserts can be made 1 to 2 days ahead so dessert is completely taken care of before Thanksgiving morning.
- Cranberry Sauce. This is one of the easiest dishes to make ahead and refrigerate until dinner.
- Casseroles. Many Thanksgiving casseroles can be assembled the day before, covered, and refrigerated until they are ready to bake.
- Vegetables. Wash, peel, and chop vegetables ahead of time, then store them in the refrigerator so they are ready to cook.
- Shredded Cheese. Grate cheese a day or two ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Rolls. Depending on the recipe, rolls can often be baked ahead or the dough can be prepared early so there is less to do on Thanksgiving Day.
- Potato Dishes. Some mashed potato and potato casserole recipes can be prepared ahead and reheated before dinner.
Before making a recipe ahead, check the individual recipe instructions for the best storage and reheating method. Some dishes are even better after a little time in the fridge, while others are best finished right before serving.
2026 Thanksgiving Prep Schedule
Weekend Before, November 21 to 22
- Finalize the menu and guest count.
- Check serving dishes, pans, foil, storage containers, and turkey tools.
- Shop for pantry, freezer, and shelf-stable ingredients.
- Make anything that freezes well.
Tuesday, November 24
- Finish grocery shopping for fresh ingredients.
- Make cranberry sauce and any desserts that hold well.
- Check the turkey thawing schedule and make sure it is on track based on its size and recipe instructions.
Wednesday, November 25
- Assemble casseroles and refrigerate.
- Prep vegetables and measure ingredients.
- Make pies, desserts, and sauces.
- Set the table and set out serving dishes.
- Double-check the cooking schedule for Thursday.
Thanksgiving Morning, November 26
- Make or finish rolls.
- Prepare the turkey and get it cooking based on the planned serving time.
- Take make-ahead casseroles out of the refrigerator as needed before baking.
- Chill drinks and finish cold dishes.
About 1 Hour Before Dinner
- Bake or reheat casseroles and side dishes.
- Finish potatoes, gravy, and vegetables.
- Let the turkey rest before carving.
About 30 Minutes Before Dinner
- Warm rolls.
- Finish drinks.
- Transfer food to serving dishes.
Gather everyone and enjoy Thanksgiving!
Build Your Thanksgiving Menu
Building your Thanksgiving menu is easy when you do it one category at a time. Pick a few appetizers, one bread, your favorite sides and main dish, then finish with desserts and a drink. Mix and match the recipes below to build a Thanksgiving dinner that works for your family.
Be sure to check our FREE Thanksgiving Menu Planner printable as well.
Thanksgiving Menu Builder
PICK 1 TO 2 APPETIZERS
PICK 1 BREAD
Quick Dinner Rolls
1 hr 13 mins
Homemade Dinner Rolls
2 hrs 40 mins
PICK 3 TO 4 SIDES
Easy Green Bean Casserole
30 mins
Funeral Potatoes
1 hr 5 mins
Mashed Potato Casserole
55 mins
Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
1 hr 45 mins
Best Homemade Mac and Cheese
40 mins
PICK 1 MAIN DISH
PICK 2 DESSERTS
PICK 1 DRINK
More Thanksgiving Sides
Sweet Potato Casserole
1 hr 5 mins
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
1 hr 5 mins
Easy Corn Casserole
50 mins
Twice Baked Potato Casserole
1 hr 5 mins
More Thanksgiving Desserts Desserts
How Much Food Do I Need?
Figuring out how much food to make can be one of the trickiest parts of planning Thanksgiving, especially when you are feeding a bigger group.
As a general rule, plan for plenty of the dishes your family loves most and a little less of anything that is just an extra. We would rather have leftover mashed potatoes and pie than run out halfway through dinner!
A few things to think about before finalizing your menu:
- Turkey. Plan based on the number of guests and whether you want leftovers.
- Sides. Choose a few family favorites instead of making every side you can think of.
- Rolls. Plan at least 1 to 2 rolls per person, especially if your family loves bread.
- Desserts. Two or three dessert choices are usually plenty for most gatherings.
- Leftovers. If Thanksgiving leftovers are part of the tradition at your house, make a little extra of the turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and rolls.
Once you know your guest count, write it at the top of your menu so you can check each recipe’s serving size before you shop.
More Thanksgiving Help
KITCHEN TIPS
Enjoy the Day!
At the end of the day, Thanksgiving is really about being together. The food is a big part of it, but the memories usually come from the people around the table, the conversations in the kitchen, and all the little moments in between.
Pick the recipes your family loves, do as much as you can ahead of time, and do not worry about making everything perfect. Some of our favorite Thanksgiving memories have come from the years when things did not go exactly as planned.
We hope this guide helps make your Thanksgiving a little easier and gives you more time to enjoy the people you are celebrating with. Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!
