What Hosting Two Thanksgiving Dinners Every Year Has Taught Me
Hosting Thanksgiving can feel overwhelming. Between planning the menu, juggling oven space, and making sure everything is ready at the same time, it's easy to spend more time worrying than enjoying the holiday. What Hosting Two Thanksgiving Dinners Every Year Has Taught Me is that a memorable Thanksgiving isn't about making more recipes or creating the perfect table. It's about having a plan that lets you enjoy the people around it.
Every year, I host two Thanksgiving dinners. The first is Canadian Thanksgiving in October with our family. A month later, we do it all again for American Thanksgiving, when our friends come over to eat, spend the afternoon together, and watch football (I may not watch much of the game myself, but I love having everyone together.) After years of planning, cooking, and hosting both, I've learned a few lessons that have completely changed the way I approach Thanksgiving.
Jump to:
- What Hosting Two Thanksgiving Dinners Has Taught Me
- Planning Is the Secret
- I Used to Think Everything Had to Be Perfect
- Side Dishes
- My Best Thanksgiving Advice? Start Earlier Than You Think
- You Don't Have to Figure It Out Alone
- Ready to Plan Your Thanksgiving?
- One Last Thought
- Dessert Ideas
- Thanksgiving Hosting FAQs
What Hosting Two Thanksgiving Dinners Has Taught Me
After years of hosting Thanksgiving twice every fall, I've realized something.
The things that stressed me out the most were rarely the things my guests remembered.
No one has ever commented that dinner was ten minutes late.
No one has noticed if one side dish wasn't piping hot.
And no one has gone home talking about whether my table decorations matched perfectly.
What they do remember is sitting around the table together, going back for seconds, and spending time with the people they love.
Planning Is the Secret
If there's one thing hosting two Thanksgiving dinners every year has taught me, it's that the more I plan ahead, the less I have to think about on Thanksgiving Day.
I start about five days before by planning the menu and grocery list, then make anything I can a couple of days ahead. From there, I work backward from dinner time and map out exactly when everything needs to be cooked or reheated.
And I mean exactly. I set alarms for almost everything, and I've even covered my counter in craft paper so I can set out prepped dishes and write their cooking instructions right beside them. It might sound a little over the top, but my goal is simple: get Thanksgiving Day running as close to autopilot as possible so I can enjoy it, too.
Yes, my Thanksgiving alarms are a whole thing. You can see how I use them in my next blog post (coming soon)!
I Used to Think Everything Had to Be Perfect
There was a time when I thought hosting Thanksgiving meant making everything from scratch, serving every dish at the perfect temperature, and having everything on the table exactly on time.
It was exhausting.
I spent so much time thinking about what I still had to do that I missed some of the moments that actually mattered.
The funny thing is, my guests never noticed the things I worried about most. They remembered the conversations around the table, going back for seconds, and simply being together.
That's when I realized a great Thanksgiving isn't about perfection. It's about the memories you make.
Side Dishes
My Best Thanksgiving Advice? Start Earlier Than You Think
One of the best things I've learned is not to save everything for Thanksgiving Day. I look at my entire menu and ask, What can I get done ahead?
Sides, desserts, appetizers, sauces and even drinks can often be made or prepped early. A few non-negotiables I always make in advance are my Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce, Butternut Squash Soup, and my famous Apple Pie. Every little thing I cross off the list ahead of time is one less thing competing for my attention when everyone arrives.
You Don't Have to Figure It Out Alone
After years of hosting two Thanksgiving dinners every fall, I've realized that most people aren't looking for more things to make. They're looking for a plan that helps them pull everything together.
That's why I started sharing more than just Thanksgiving recipes here on My Rad Kitchen. I want to share the planning, shortcuts, and little things I've learned along the way. That way, you can spend less time worrying about dinner and more time enjoying the people around your table.
Ready to Plan Your Thanksgiving?
If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, I'd love to help make it a little easier. My free Stress-Free Thanksgiving email series walks you through the planning one step at a time. You'll get practical hosting tips, make-ahead ideas, and recipes to help you build your menu.
Join my free 5-day Stress-Free Thanksgiving series.
One Last Thought
At the end of the day, Thanksgiving isn't about a perfectly browned turkey. It's not about whether every dish hit the table at exactly the right time, either.
It's about opening your home, sharing a meal, and spending time with the people you love. The food brings everyone to the table, but the time you spend together is what they'll remember.
Happy Thanksgiving, from my kitchen to yours.
Thanksgiving Hosting FAQs
I usually start planning Thanksgiving about five days ahead. That's when I decide what I'm making and put together my grocery list. I like to make any make-ahead recipes a couple of days before Thanksgiving so they're ready without sitting too long. Once I know what's ready and what I still need to make on Thanksgiving Day, I map out my cooking schedule and set my alarms.
Putting the turkey in way too early! I think a lot of people assume a turkey needs to cook all day, but an unstuffed, fully thawed turkey can cook much faster than you might expect. I use the weight of my turkey to work backward from when we want to eat. My Herb Butter Turkey recipe walks you through exactly how I roast ours.
I plan out exactly when everything needs to go into the oven or onto the stovetop, then set alarms so I don't have to keep track of it all in my head. I also cover part of my counter with craft paper and set my prepped dishes on top, writing the cooking instructions right beside them. So if a casserole needs to go into a 350F oven at 4:00, I write that right on the counter and set an alarm.
I do the same thing with stovetop dishes. If I'm steaming broccoli, for example, I'll have the pot, water, steamer basket, and broccoli ready to go. I even keep my oven on once cooking starts. That way, I never realize at the last minute that something needs to go in and the oven still needs to preheat. The goal is to make Thanksgiving Day as close to autopilot as possible.
Quite a bit! You can make or prep many Thanksgiving sides, desserts, appetizers, sauces, and even drinks ahead of time. I usually look at my entire menu and figure out what I can tackle a day or two early. That leaves me with far less to make from scratch on Thanksgiving Day.
Yes! I host Canadian Thanksgiving with our family in October, then a few weeks later we host American Thanksgiving with friends. The second one has become all about good food, spending the day together, and football. Full disclosure, I'm there for the food and friends more than the football.
