The Ultimate Thanksgiving Menu / Prep Schedule

The big day is in a little over 1 week and we’re all almost prepared with an arsenal of recipes that will get rave reviews from everyone! So, let’s pull everything together for the most epic Thanksgiving Menu and then talk prep and making things ahead of time!

Here’s the full Thanksgiving Menu:

Thanksgiving Cheese Board

Herb Roasted Turkey

Homemade Gravy

Zesty Cranberry Sauce

Fall Farmers Market Salad

Wild Mushroom Stuffing

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

Spicy Garlic Green Beans

Charred Carrots with Herbs

Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese

Creamed Kale

Apple Crisp

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow Meringue

I mean, is that not the most glorious Thanksgiving menus you’ve ever seen!! Gobble Gobble! Thomas and I are going to have leftovers for DAYS.

 

Here’s my basic schedule / prep plan for my Thanksgiving Menu:

Sunday:

• Clean out the fridge
• Stock up on beer and wine
• Make a grocery list
• Shop for all the ingredients
• If you buy a frozen turkey – make sure to put it in the fridge to start thawing out
• Reorganize fridge with all the ingredients

Monday:

• Make the cranberry sauce and refrigerate until Thursday
• Brine the turkey if you’re using my brine recipes
• Make the compound butter for the Turkey
• Make the vinaigrette for the Fall Farmers Market Salad
• Prep carrots for the Charred Carrots with Herbs, wash, trim and clean and refrigerate.

Tuesday

• Make the basil mint topping for the Charred Carrots with Herbs / refrigerate until Thursday
• Cut the bread into cubes for the Wild Mushroom Stuffing – let sit on the counter overnight to harden.

Wednesday:

• Make the herb mixture for the Wild Mushroom Stuffing / refrigerate until tomorrow
• Prep ingredients for the Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
• Prep ingredients for the Spicy Garlic Green Beans
• Make the Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes but don’t add the chives until tomorrow.
• Make the cheesecake portion of the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow Meringue from start to finish. Let cool entirely and the place in the fridge overnight.
• Make the the marshmallow meringue for the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow Meringue. Don’t top the cheesecake with the meringue yet, instead keep it in the fridge until Thursday. Place the meringue in the fridge, covered until Thursday.
• Make the Cheesy Creamed Kale and let cool, store in an airtight container
• Set the table

Thursday:

Early Morning / 8am-ish

• Arrange all the ingredients for the Fall Farmers Market Salad in a large salad bowl and cover with a damp paper towel and refrigerate. Remove from the fridge just before feasting time and drizzle the vinaigrette on before serving.
• Make the Mac and Cheese but don’t bake yet
• Top the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Marshmallow Meringue with the marshmallow meringue topping and torch. Set aside until dessert
• Make the Apple Crisp but hold off on baking.
• Assemble the Thanksgiving Cheese Board and cover with a towel. Leave at room temperature.
• Prep the Herb Roasted Turkey and start roasting

Before the Feast

• Finish making the Sautéed Brussels Sprouts, Spicy Garlic Green Beans and the Charred Carrots with Herbs which can be topped with the basil mint mixture
• Combine the prepped bread and herb mixture for the Wild Mushroom Stuffing and finish following the recipe instructions.
• Reheat the Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes in a 350 degree oven until warm or in a slow cooker. Add the chives before serving.
• Bake off the Mac and Cheese
• Carve the Herb Roasted Turkey, reserve the drippings for gravy and place on an over-proof platter – pop back into a 200 degree oven to keep warm before serving.
• Make the Homemade Gravy
• KICK BACK AND RELAX!
• Bake the Apple Crisp just as you’re sitting down to dinner – it will take about an hour so your house will smell like dessert by the time dinner is over.

Have any last minute questions about Thanksgiving, the prep schedule, my Thanksgiving Menu or prep timing…?? Shout them out in the comments below and I’ll respond ASAP!

PS – are you thinking of putting this on your Thanksgiving menu? Check out the full What’s Gaby Cooking menu here along with the master prep schedule to keep things organized and on track!

And if you need more Thanksgiving Ideas check out this roundup of 80+ Thanksgiving Recipes and Ideas

Photography by Matt Armendariz / Styling by Adam Pearson / Prop styling by Stephanie Hanes / Light Fixture by Serena and Lily/  Recipes by What’s Gaby Cooking