5 Stress-Free Thanksgiving Meal Hacks
There’s something about Thanksgiving that starts the whole season off for most people. Whether you’re hosting family or just connecting on Zoom, if you’re preparing a meal for 2 or 10, these Thanksgiving meal hacks can help you have a stress-free day.
SIMPLIFY THE MENU
There are years when you might feel up to making three main courses, 8 side dishes, and 5 different pies. If this year isn’t that year, one of the best Thanksgiving meal hacks is to just simplify the menu. If you normally do turkey and ham, pick one or the other. And skip the 18-pound turkey – get a smaller turkey or just turkey breasts.
2. ASK FOR HELP
Don’t try to pull it all together yourself. One of the most important Thanksgiving meal hacks is to not do it all yourself. Enlist the help of your kids – even young kids can help slice bananas for the fruit salad or help set the table. Older kids can help with all kinds of dishes, from making a salad or veggie tray to mashing potatoes or making punch.
3. MAKE WHAT YOU CAN AHEAD OF TIME
Certainly the pies can be made ahead of time – and it’s ok to make one or two instead of five or eight. You could even (shhhh) buy the frozen ones, either to supplement what you make or instead of stressing over it.
4. KEEP THE CLEANUP SIMPLE
Instead of breaking out the good china, consider using sturdy disposable plates so that clean up is easier on you and you can spend more time enjoying the day. People are not going to remember what kind of dishes they ate the food on – they’re just going to remember having great food and great company.
5. EMBRACE IMPERFECTION
When we put too much pressure on having the perfect day, any little thing that goes wrong can sour the memory. Instead of trying to achieve perfection, just enjoy each moment that you have with your family, whether they are with you or dropping in via Zoom.
If 2020 has taught us nothing else, it’s to be grateful for every moment. Thanksgiving is the perfect time for letting that gratitude reign.