The Hills Market: Columbus' Premier Specialty Grocer

Thanksgiving is just one big homey meal, but its outsized pressure is a good opportunity for cooks to plan out a meal step by step. This skill is one that transfers into more frequent and everyday weeknight meals.

Most of our menu can be made days if not weeks ahead. Here's how I would do it.

3 to 4 Weeks Ahead

Buy wine
Make and freeze gougères
Make and freeze cranberry sauce
Bake and freeze rolls
Make turkey stock and gravy and freeze
Make sure you have necessary equipment, tableware, and linens, and buy or borrow anything you need.

1 Week Ahead

Make the shopping list
Make a cooking plan
Clean out the refrigerator

5 to 6 Days Ahead

Go grocery shopping
Put the turkey in fridge to thaw
Make and freeze quince sorbet (or just buy a seasonal sorbet)

3 Days Ahead

Make centerpiece or arrange flowers
Iron linens (or just make sure they're clean)
Gather any other table-setting accessories

2 Days Ahead

Make creme brûlée and refrigerate
Make molasses cake and wrap cooled cake tightly
Make shrimp sauce
Make sure serving dishes are clean and handy

1 Day Ahead

Set the table
Chill sparkling wine in the refrigerator
Thaw cranberry sauce in the refrigerator
Thaw frozen shrimp in the refrigerator
Make sage and onion dressing. Refrigerate unbaked and covered with foil.
Make Brussels sprout salad. Refrigerate, with apples and nuts left out
Remove turkey from its wrapping. Remove giblets and pat turkey dry. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and return to the fridge, uncovered on a sheet pan.

Thanksgiving Morning

Put the turkey in the oven
Make the mashed potatoes. Transfer to slow cooker to keep warm.
Prep the hot cranberry cocktail
Take rolls out of the freezer and thaw at room temperature
Toss salad with nuts and apples and set out on the table

1 Hour Before Dinner

Take turkey out of the oven
Bake frozen gougères
Set out shrimp and sauce, along with bubbly and hot gougères, for guests
Bake dressing
Warm rolls
Warm gravy (or make it fresh)
Carve turkey
Transfer food to serving dishes

Source: The Kitchn.com http://www.thekitchn.com/a-makeahead-thanksgiving-dinner-menu-the-schedule-gatherings-from-the-kitchn-196827