No matter how much we try to tell ourselves that Thanksgiving is just a bigger dinner party than usual and a turkey is just a bigger chicken, we all cave in under the pressure occasionally. Whether it's forgetting to eat breakfast, burning the turkey or some other bone-headed mistake (and believe us, we've made them all), a few speed-bumps along the way are inevitable on our favorite eating holiday.
Here, we've listed 10 of the most common mistakes people make on Thanksgiving. If you go in knowing what to avoid, it should be smooth sailing, all gravy (no seriously, gravy is very important).
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1
Not Making A Game Plan
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Even the simplest Thanksgiving menu would be tough to cook in one day. The beauty of the Thanksgiving meal is that most of it reheats like a charm. Make sauces, casseroles, mashed potatoes and really anything you can in advance. Even if it's just one dish a day, you'll feel the relief when everyone is hanging out in the kitchen and you're not blanching green beans, chopping herbs and mashing potatoes.
2
NOT EATING BEFORE YOU START COOKING
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We really cannot stress this enough: eat breakfast. Eat something around lunch. You are going to need your strength to pull that turkey out of the oven, and you are also going to be standing for most of the day. It doesn't have to be elaborate or fancy, but you do need to eat something. Do not pass out in the kitchen -- just eat a snack.
3
Not Making Snacks
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Look, Sam Sifton will disagree with me (he has a rather "Mommy Dearest"-like No Appetizers EVER rule), but appetizers on Thanksgiving are key. This is a day for abundance. Yes, you are about to eat the single biggest meal of the year, but that does not mean that you or one of your guests will not get hangry before that happens. Don't ruin Thanksgiving with hangry jerks.
Get some really easy appetizer recipes paired with cocktails, which are also very important
Get some really easy appetizer recipes paired with cocktails, which are also very important
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5
Not Letting People Help And/Or Bring Things
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If people are coming from their houses, they should definitely bring the side dish they like making the most. If people are coming from anywhere else on earth, they should bring a bottle of wine or whatever else they'd like to drink. People will come into the kitchen and ask to help -- LET THEM. Trying to do everything on your own will end in tears, and there's no reason for it. Most people we know like to have a job at a party, and when a meal feels like a team effort, everything tastes better.
6
Getting Too Fancy/Innovative
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Thanksgiving is a holiday about tradition. That's why we still eat turkey, even though we can all pretty much agree it is kind of a garbage bird. You want to make a Turducken? Knock yourself out, but just don't stray too far from the playbook. You can have a molecular gastronomy-themed dinner party next week. Let's let Thanksgiving be Thanksgiving and your loved ones eat their potatoes.
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7
Expecting That Every Morsel Of Food Everyone Eats Will Be Piping Hot From The Oven
No, no, no, no, no. That is what gravy is for.
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9
Mangling Your Turkey
Once you know what you are doing, carving a turkey is as easy as carving a roast chicken -- it's just a lot bigger.
Check out our step-by-step turkey-carving guide here
Check out our step-by-step turkey-carving guide here
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10
Taking Things Too Seriously
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At the end of the day, it is just dinner with people who probably love you. If you burn the turkey skin, just take it off. If you forget to buy a turkey, order pizza and eat it with gravy. Don't freak out about Thanksgiving and it will taste better, promise.
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Before You Go
