Hosting Thanksgiving? Avoid These Common Blunders

Thanksgiving weekend is coming--if you’re hosting a meal at your home (especially for the first time) you may be feeling the pressure. Stay calm and avoid these common Thanksgiving mistakes with a little preparation and planning.

Not having a game plan. Before beginning your preparations, make sure you have a detailed plan to tackle the task. Write down your menu and your recipes. What can be cooked in advance? What must be prepared the day of the meal? Will you have enough oven space? Can some dishes be reheated in the microwave or on the stove if need be? Having a schedule for your meal prep and being familiar with your recipes ahead of time will prevent last-minute mishaps and rushing.

Not getting help. Cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal is a big job to undertake alone. Unless you’re a seasoned Thanksgiving host, you may want to recruit some family or friends to pitch in. You can always ask your guests to bring a side or dessert, or invite some close relatives or pals to come over early and help cook.

Undercooking or overcooking the turkey. Roasting a turkey is a slow process, but it can still be easily screwed-up and result in bloody or dry, tasteless meat. Invest in a meat thermometer to ensure your bird is just the right temp before taking it out of the oven.

Not properly carving the bird. Carving your turkey is a skill–if you have someone at your table that specializes in this art, leave it up to him or her to handle. Otherwise, watch a few video tutorials and make sure to thoroughly sharpen your carving knife before attempting to slice up your bird. Always cut meat across the grain to maximize tenderness, and follow the shape of the muscles to avoid wasting meat.

Forgetting to remove the innards. This is often considered a rookie mistake, but it is still pretty common. Hosting a Thanksgiving meal is hectic and stressful, and it is quite easy to forget to remove the plastic bag of giblets from inside your turkey. Leave a note above your oven as a reminder before you slide your bird inside to cook.

Not accommodating your guests' dietary needs. As a gracious and considerate host, it is polite to appease your guests' dietary restrictions to ensure they have as pleasant a meal as everyone else. Verify that none of your guests have food allergies, and if they do, refrain from including any of those ingredients in your dishes. Even if your allergic guests don’t indulge in the offending dish, it’s better to be safe to prevent cross-contamination. If you have vegetarian or gluten-free guests, be sure to include enough options for them as well.