Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday, to get together with friends, family, and food. Hosting Thanksgiving can be overwhelming, but no stress here are some helpful hacks to make Thanksgiving as easy as possible.

• Prepare a Menu & Stick With It

Start a few weeks in advance by planning out your menu. Print out or write out your recipes you plan on following. Make sure you have all your ingredients before you start prepping and cooking. Stick to your menu! No need to change anything, your guests are going to love what you make!

• Make a Shopping List

Don’t head out to the grocery store unless you have your list in hand. Check your recipes and tally up what you need, make sure you buy enough so you don’t need to head back out Thanksgiving morning.

• Prep the Day Before

Make your Thanksgiving pies the night before, even a month before and freeze them! You can prep your vegetables you plan on cooking with the day before as well and even knock out a dish or two and just easily heat it up before serving to guests. Seriously prep as much as possible beforehand!

• Limit Stove Top

With so many dishes being prepared simultaneously and only four burners at a time, use a slow cooker/crockpot for your mashed potatoes or other similar dishes.

• Wash Your Potatoes in the Dishwasher

Yes, you can wash all of your potatoes in the dishwasher. Place potatoes on the top rack and run the dishwasher through a rinse cycle, just do not add any soap! Think about all the time you’ll save from having to scrub each potato. You may even wanna do this the night before.

• Go for the Smaller Bird

If you are having less than eight guests, go for the smaller bird. They are easier to cook and keep moist.

• Keep Appetizers Simple and Light

Go for light snacks to serve as appetizers such as a cheeseboard. With a cheese board, you can have different varieties of cheese, deli meats, grapes, olives, pieces of bread, and crackers. It’s very simple to do and guests will love the shareability snacks on the board!

• Guests Can Bring Something

If your guests are asking what should they bring? Tell them to bring one of all of the following: ice, drinks, and dessert. Three fewer things for you to worry about!

• Set the Table the Night Before

Get what you need to be washed and ready to go the night before. This will save you time in the morning and keep your mind at ease knowing the adults and the kid’s table are ready to go!

• Free Up the Fridge

A few days before the holiday take some time to clean out the fridge and the freezer. You might end up with some leftovers and need the space to store it. To also save room in the fridge, serve drinks in a cooler!

• Kids

If children will be attending Thanksgiving have activities and holiday movies planned for them. If you have kids yourself make sure they have a light breakfast or lunch before chowing down on the turkey with the rest of the family.

• Give Thanks

Take a moment to thank you, guests, for coming. Be thankful you are available to enjoy a nice hot meal with loved ones around you!

Happy Thanksgiving!