Thanksgiving Timed Right

Home cooks tell us that the trickiest part of Thanksgiving dinner is timing the cooking so everything served hot. Here's how to organize your day to solve that problem. And guess what? Break-time is built right in.

This timeline assumes that your turkey is completely thawed and brined (although brining is optional), and that you're going to roast it in a 350 degree F oven.

Thanksgiving Timed Right

Using this timeline as a guide, and the Thanksgiving recipes below, you can get Thanksgiving cooked in less than 8 hours.

9:00 AM

Peel, chop, and measure out all the vegetables and fruits you need for the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potato recipes. Submerge the potatoes in water to keep them from turning brown. Cube and toast the bread for the stuffing. Note that for this timeline, the stuffing will be baked in a casserole dish later.

10:30 AM

Assemble the pumpkin pie. You'll bake it in the morning to free up the oven for the turkey later. Get tips for baking pumpkin pie.

11:00 AM

Pull the turkey out of the fridge and prep the turkey for roasting. See how to truss a turkey. Bake the pumpkin pie.

12:00 PM

Take the pie out of the oven and put the turkey in the oven. Break time!

1:00 PM

Assemble your stuffing and green bean casseroles and put them in the refrigerator. They'll go in the oven when the turkey comes out.

1:30 PM

Boil and mash your potatoes; keep them warm in a slow cooker. See how to make mashed potatoes.

2:30 PM

Make the gravy; you'll add extra flavor with pan drippings from the turkey later. Now take a little break.

3:00 PM

Set the table so it looks festive and inviting. See how to set a table.

3:30 PM

Take the turkey out of the oven and put the casseroles in. Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. See how to carve a turkey.

4:00 PM

Turkey is carved, casseroles are done, potatoes and gravy are hot. Dinner is served!

See how it's done in this step-by-step video:

Find more Thanksgiving recipes, including turkey, side dishes, desserts, and vegetarian dishes.

Related:

• Smart Thanksgiving Side Dish Make-Ahead Ideas
• 5 Super-Fast Homemade Cranberry Sauces
• How to Make Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Gravy
• 6 Ways to Make Thanksgiving Dinner Red-Wine Friendly
• Thanksgiving Leftovers: 5 Food-Safety Rules To Live By