Thanksgiving Dinner Made Easy

To me Thanksgiving is all about traditional recipes that my family has cooked for generations. From the 20-pound turkey right down to the perfect pumpkin pie, it’s all about sharing our family history spelled out in food.

I love making Thanksgiving dinner for my family and friends. I love the entire process—the planning, shopping, prepping, cooking, the whole shebang—but remember, I do this for a living.

If the thought of cooking the big feast makes you want to move out of the country and disown your family for the month of October—ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I want to buy, store, clean, stuff, roast, and carve a turkey?
• Do I want to be making endless vegetable side dishes the day of the event?
• Do I want to be making pumpkin pies at 6 am so the turkey can go in by 11?
• Do I want to be so tired that by the end of the dinner, I just want everyone to go home?
• Do I even want to attempt the meal at all?

If you answered no to any of these questions then you’re likely ready for this easy, stress-reduced Thanksgiving menu!

Stress-reduced Thanksgiving menu

• Hors d’oeuvres—a platter of veggies with dip, mixed olives
• Autumn Salad
• Chicken with Mango and Apricots
• Organic long grain brown rice
• Your favourite green vegetable
• Riesling or chardonnay, if serving wine
• Baked Pumpkin Custard
• Tea and coffee

Game plan

At least three days before:

• grocery shop to ensure that the mango and pears are ripe by Thanksgiving dinner.

One day before:

• make salad dressing, store in fridge
• prep vegetables for the veggie platter, store in fridge q make dessert, store in fridge
• put wine in fridge
• set table

Day of:

• prep any vegetable that you are serving
• start cooking rice 30 minutes before putting on the Chicken with Mango and Apricots
• put out veggie platter and olives 5 minutes before company arrives
• put Chicken with Mango and Apricots in the oven
• plate and serve Autumn Salad
• when the chicken is cooked and the sauce is thickening, cook vegetables
• pour wine
• serve main course
• serve dessert