Getting ready for Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be stressful. When my family asked me how I did it without losing hair or shedding a tear last year this is what I told them: just plan ahead! Prep all you can ahead of time and the day of the feast will be a breeze! 2 Weeks in Advance Get your turkey! We ordered a fresh turkey from a local butcher and he held it refrigerated for us until 3 days before Thanksgiving so we could go directly into a brine when it got home with us. 1 Week in Advance Make a menu and shopping list. Take inventory of your pans, do you need to buy another casserole dish? Do you need to buy a turkey roaster? Did you buy your Mason Dixie Savory Herb Biscuits? Make sure you have everything you’ll need so you can shop early and far away from the raucous stores. The Weekend Before Clean out your fridge! If you’ve been putting it off now is the time to pull out all of those leftovers and condiments that have been taking up space and need to be tossed to make room for all of your Thanksgiving goodies. 3-5 Days in Advance Thaw your turkey! No one wants to spend hours roasting a bird to find it’s raw in the middle because it never thawed properly. Give your bird 1 full day per four pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. 2 Days in Advance Prep pie dough, bread for stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, your casseroles with canned ingredients, place in airtight containers, and stack in your refrigerator. 1 Day in Advance Trim and peel all fresh veggies; store in air-tight containers in the refrigerator with damp paper towels to prevent drying out. Make your pies and any desserts you can hold at room temperature; wrap with plastic wrap and allow to wait patiently on the counter. The Big Day 3-5 hours before Bring turkey to room temperature and prep any ingredients you use to roast with the turkey. 2 hours before Stage your casserole and serving dishes; bring vegetables up to room temp on the counter. Assemble stuffing and any casseroles and set on the counter. 1 hour before Set out drinks and snacks for your guests so that when they arrive, they can get started while you finish up. 45 minutes before Allow turkey to rest 45 minutes; bake your casseroles, make your gravy, assemble any salads or cold side dishes. 20-30 minutes before Bake your Mason Dixie Savory Herb Biscuits! It’s time to give thanks! You too can have a frustration-free Thanksgiving. Give our countdown a shot and let us know how your holiday table turned out!