Here we are nine days until Thanksgiving. Instead of getting all worked up over the big day, let’s talk today about organizing and planning the cooking schedule.

One of the best organizational tips I was given for my third year of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, was to sit down and construct a cooking plan. The first couple of years I did not do this, and I spent the better part of the day slaving over the stove. I was frustrated because I couldn’t spend time with my guests, and angry because I had to cook all day. Thanks to my family, they showed me how to plan so that I did not have to be in the kitchen all day.

The Ocean Spray website also has some great tips for planning and organizing your cooking schedule:

Week of November 22: Ready, Set, Cook!
• Make room in your refrigerator. You’ll need it.
• Shop for perishables that can stay fresh for a few days such as cream, fresh
vegetables, etc. Remember your list!
• If using a frozen turkey, calculate thawing time based on the size turkey you have.
Allow 5 hours for every pound. For example, a 15-pound turkey will take 3 days
and 3 hours to defrost in the refrigerator. This is the safest thawing method – don’t
consider any others.
• Determine how long to cook the turkey:
o For an unstuffed turkey, allow 15-18 minutes per pound.
o For a stuffed, thawed turkey, allow 18-24 minutes per pound.
• Once you know when the turkey should go in the oven, make a timetable for when
the other dishes must be started, or their ingredients combined or prepared.
• If you are using fresh or frozen cranberries for relishes and sauces, no need to
wait for the last minute. Prepare them several days in advance, cover and
refrigerate – the flavors will develop and mingle as they sit.
• Make dressing or stuffing 1 or 2 days early, cover and refrigerate.

I have a dry erase board that I use the day of my cooking day. The dishes that have to be cooked on that day are written down in the order I want to cook them and what time I need to put them in the oven. This has become one handy dandy Thanksgiving tool!

I found a couple of articles from Organizing Your Way that have some great tips on planning and scheduling. You can check them out HERE and HERE.

Do you have a cooking schedule? How do you handle getting all your dishes done in a timely manner?