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Counting Down to Thanksgiving Day

November 20, 2018 by Marilena Leavitt 5 Comments

Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving day is almost here. In just three days we will be gathering around the table to give thanks for our many blessings and enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends.

No matter how small or how big your holiday gathering is going to be, whether you are hosting for the first time or you have been doing this for years, one thing is certain:  we can all benefit from some planning so we are not overwhelmed and can better enjoy our Thanksgiving day!  So, I am sharing my own planner to help you minimize the stress and maximize your time with loved ones.

Three days before Thanksgiving:

  1. Finalize the dish planning, make a detailed shopping list, and do all your shopping. If you have not already done so, buy your turkey. More info about turkeys here.
  2. Make a dry brine for the turkey. Ever since I tried this way of brining a few years back, I have never gone back to use any other method.  Dry brining is a mess-free, fool-proof way of infusing incredible flavor into the bird and it always results in a very moist turkey!  Check out my popular post on how to dry brine and roast your turkey.

Two days before Thanksgiving:

  1. Prepare the pie dough, then wrap and store it in the refrigerator for the next day.
  2. Make Ina Garten’s “make-ahead” gravy with sage and store it in the refrigerator until Thanksgiving.
    Turkey Gravy

One day before Thanksgiving:

  1. Reorganize your refrigerator, making sure you have lots of extra free space. You will need it!
  2. Make your favorite recipe for cranberry relish and refrigerate.
  3. Trim and wash all your vegetables and greens. Store them wrapped in paper towels and then in zip-topped bags in the refrigerator.
  4. Prep all garnishes and toppings.
  5. Assemble your favorite stuffing, cover, and refrigerate to bake on Thanksgiving day.
  6. Bake your bread rolls or biscuits and store to reheat later.
  7. Bake the pies and store in a cool place.

On Thanksgiving Day:

  1. Early in the morning, preheat the oven. Remove the turkey and the turkey stock from the refrigerator.
  2. Chill white and sparkling wines.
  3. Bake the side dishes that can be re-warmed later.
  4. Roast the turkey and cook the stove top side dishes.
  5. When the turkey is done, and while it is still resting, finish the gravy and reheat the bread rolls.
  6. Turn the oven off and place the pies in the oven. By the time you get to the dessert, they will be at the perfect temperature to enjoy with some ice cream or whipped cream.

Here are a few suggestions for Side Dishes:

Make-ahead Parmesan Mashed Potatoesmake ahead parmesan mashed potatoes

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash

Maple Roasted Acorn Squash

Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots

Green beans with shallots

Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Orange Vinaigrette Roasted Rainbow Carrots

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes

Sherry Sweet PotatoesSweet potatoes with Sherry

Harvest Salad with Persimmons and Pomegranates

Ultimate Harvest Salad

Favorite Thanksgiving Bread Rolls

Soft Parker House Rolls:

buttery bread rolls

 

Easy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits 

buttermilk drop biscuits

Favorite Thanksgiving Dessert

Every year we make two pies. Usually we will have an apple pie, a cranberry apple walnut, or, a pear and almond pie, as one of the two. The second pie, however, is always the same and it appears without fail every year on our Thanksgiving table. I cannot imagine Thanksgiving without this delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie!

Best Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Wishing you all a Happy, Happy Thanksgiving!

To all of you who have been following my blog since its beginning and to the many new readers too:

I am very grateful that you have signed up to receive my weekly posts and for following along with my culinary adventures. I am very thankful that you take your time to read my posts, try my recipes, and leave your comments!gather with a grateful heart

 

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Filed Under: Recipe Roundups Tagged With: thanksgiving count down, Thanksgiving Day, Thanksgiving planning, thanksgiving recipe roundup, Thanksgiving recipes, Thanksgiving sides

Previous Post: « Maple Roasted Acorn Squash with Feta and Pine Nuts
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Comments

  1. Vickey Mellady says

    December 3, 2018 at 2:25 AM

    I love your site, it has nice articles, Thank you!

    Reply
    • Marilena Leavitt says

      December 3, 2018 at 8:54 AM

      Thank you Vickey, so glad you like my posts!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Planning a Successful Thanksgiving ? - Marilena's Kitchen says:
    November 25, 2019 at 8:00 PM

    […] keep organized on these few days leading to Thanksgiving, here are a few suggestions and my simple Countdown to Thanksgiving that I shared with you last […]

    Reply
  2. The Best Cranberry and Orange Relish - Marilena's Kitchen says:
    November 19, 2020 at 9:08 PM

    […] sticking to it.  To make your Thanksgiving prep simpler, you might want to check out my post about Counting Down to Thanksgiving Day which I hope might help with your planning […]

    Reply
  3. Last Minute Thanksgiving Recipes ? - Marilena's Kitchen says:
    November 20, 2023 at 11:45 PM

    […] keep organized on these few days leading to Thanksgiving, here are a few suggestions and my simple Countdown to Thanksgiving that I shared with you in past […]

    Reply

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Mini filo tartlets with almond custard and fresh b Mini filo tartlets with almond custard and fresh berries 🍓A delightful springtime dessert that is light, seasonal, and elegant at the same time 🌼 Crispy filo layers form the base, with a delicious almond pastry cream custard, fresh strawberries and toasted almonds on top - so delicious! 🍓
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A new recipe in collaboration with my friends at @fillofactory 
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✨You can find this recipe on the blog [marilenaskitchen.com], linked also in bio! ✨
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Braided Mini Greek Sweet Rolls - the smaller versi Braided Mini Greek Sweet Rolls - the smaller versions of the traditional Greek Easter bread (tsoureki), a bread that everyone makes for Easter in Greece! 🧡 It is a brioche-like, slightly sweet, yeasted bread made using eggs, milk, and butter. 🧡 A delicious breakfast bread, the perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of coffee or tea! 🧡☕️ 🫖☕️
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✨ New recipe on the blog, linked in profile and in stories 👩🏻‍🍳✨
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Crisp Spring Salad with a refreshing Greek yogurt Crisp Spring Salad with a refreshing Greek yogurt dressing: seasonal, bright and tender vegetables that pair so well with this delicious, creamy dressing! So, so good! 🥗🥬🥒🌿
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🌿Recipe linked in bio & on the blog: [Marilenaskitchen.com]👩🏻‍🍳🌿
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Crispy spiral filo pie with spinach, artichokes, s Crispy spiral filo pie with spinach, artichokes, shallots, fresh herbs and Feta cheese 🌿🌀 A delicious spring recipe inspired by the classic Greek spanakopita. Wholesome, flavorful vegetarian dish, perfectly crispy and flaky in every bite! 🌿
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🌿This is a new recipe, in collaboration with my friends at @fillofactory 
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🌿 Recipe linked in profile and on my blog [Marilenaskitchen.com] 👩🏻‍🍳
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My favorite orange almond cake, made with almond f My favorite orange almond cake, made with almond flour and semolina flour. 🍊🍊 A super moist, not too sweet “snack cake”, with a great nutty flavor and a pronounced citrus flavor. So, so good, perfect with a cup of coffee and a great treat to have around the house for anytime of the day! 🍊🍊
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✨Recipe linked in profile, and on my blog [Marilenaskitchen.com] ✨
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Creamy Hummus with Crispy Homemade Pita Chips: a d Creamy Hummus with Crispy Homemade Pita Chips: a delicious and healthy recipe, full of good plant-based protein and fiber, a staple in the Mediterranean diet! ✨💯😋
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✨New recipe on my site [marilenaskitchen.com], linked in bio!✨👩🏻‍🍳
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Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and with their skin removed
2-3 cloves garlic
¼ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 TBSP. fresh lemon juice
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of Cayenne pepper (optional)
½ tsp. sea salt
⅓ cup ice-cold water 
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(Full recipe on my site)
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Tiropitakia - traditional Greek filo triangles fil Tiropitakia - traditional Greek filo triangles filled with Feta cheese and a tiny amount of spearmint 💙✨Crispy filo layers and sharp Greek Feta, such a delicious flavor and texture combination! 😋 Nobody can resist this favorite Greek snack! ✨💙🇬🇷
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✨Full recipe on my site [marilenaskitchen.com], linked in bio!✨👩🏻‍🍳
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~ INGREDIENTS:

• ½ lb. Greek feta cheese, crumbled
• ½ lb. ricotta cheese (full fat) or Greek anthotiro (if you can find it)
•1 large egg, beaten
• ¼-½ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
• ½ lb. filo dough, thawed
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, for brushing on the filo 
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✨Recipe linked in profile! 👩🏻‍🍳✨
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Spiced Apple and Cheddar Cheese Filo Treats - a gr Spiced Apple and Cheddar Cheese Filo Treats - a great way to celebrate the beginning of fall baking! 🍂🍎🍁
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🍂A new recipe in collaboration with my friends at @fillofactory 🧡🍂
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A delicious plum puff pastry tart ✨the flavor of A delicious plum puff pastry tart ✨the flavor of cardamom-infused plums is a match-made-in-heaven! ✨ A wonderful combination of sweet and slightly tart plums that pair so well with the deep, earthy flavor of freshly ground cardamom! So, so good! 🧡😋 
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✨ A new recipe in collaboration with my friends at @fillofactory 🧡 
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✨You can find this recipe on the blog [marilenaskitchen.com], linked also in bio! ✨
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