Thanksgiving Meal Prep

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Iron Mountain Refrigeration Equipment

• Thanksgiving Meal Prep Pleasant Prairie

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Thanksgiving Meal Prep

• It's time to get ready for Thanksgiving!
  Thanksgiving is a time where you can have friends
  and family over for a fantastic meal and spend
  time together. It's hard to believe how this
  tradition has evolved since it first started in
  1621 when pilgrims brought food with them on the
  Mayflower to give thanks for surviving their
  first year in America. Make sure that your
  thanksgiving meal prep goes well by following
  these tips while cooking up some tasty dishes

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1. Make a list

• First of all, we recommend making an extensive
  meal plan and grocery list. It will help you stay
  organized and on top of your game throughout the
  process. It will also help with shopping and
  sticking to your budget! You can break it up by
  course (appetizers, side dishes, pies
  desserts), or make one long list with everything
  on it! Two days before Thanksgiving, start
  cooking by prepping all the ingredients for each
  meal. Store them in separate containers until
  it's time to cook on Thanksgiving day!

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2. Get the quantities right

• Make sure you have enough ingredients for your
  guests. You don't want to run out of something
  and leave people hungry!

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3. Plan out recipes

• Now that you have your shopping done and your
  kitchen is ready for cooking lets think about
  what recipes to use when? We suggest looking at
  some Thanksgiving menu planning ideas found
  online and picking three different entree options
  to prepare - turkey, chicken breast/white meat,
  beef tenderloin. If vegan guests are in
  attendance this year, then roasted vegetables
  would be perfect as an entree option.

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4. Set a schedule

• Once you have all of your recipes picked out,
  it's time to look at how much time each takes and
  determine what you will be prepared for first.
  Might your turkey take the most extended amount
  of cook/prep time - maybe two hours? So if that's
  going into the oven around 11 am, then start
  working on side dishes early morning (around
  six). With the right recipe, if there are quick
  easy sides like green beans or mashed potatoes,
  these can go from scratch to the table in about
  twenty minutes!

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5. Organize yourself

• The kitchen should be well-stocked before getting
  started. You don't want to run out of parchment
  paper mid-way through cooking dinner rolls! Make
  sure you have everything laid out ahead of time
  to avoid stress and wasted food.

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6. Start Early

• Side dishes and desserts should be started in the
  early morning. It's recommended to start with
  things that take longer, such as roasting a
  turkey or making pie crusts from scratch.
• For example, if your turkey will take a few hours
  to cook, you should preheat the oven. If it's
  something else that takes longer, such as making
  homemade mashed potatoes or green beans with
  almonds, start cooking them early, so they are
  ready when it's time for dinner!

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7. Stock Your Pantry

• Start early by stocking up on all your
  ingredients in advance. It will save you a lot of
  time and money during the busy holiday season,
  not to mention it will make cooking much more
  effortless!

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8. Allergens

• Watch out for allergens at this special dinner,
  usually filled with many foods that people are
  allergic to! Be sure to keep those individuals
  safe by not using peanuts or shellfish and
  checking labels carefully before serving anything
  else. You may even want to make a separate dish
  just for them to enjoy everything without
  worrying about an allergic reaction!

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9. Get The Table Ready

• If you're hosting this year, then make sure your
  dinner table is ready to go. Gather all the
  needed utensils, plates, napkins, and cups ahead
  of time, so there's no last-minute scrambling
  around looking for things!
• You can even try adding some fall decor, such as
  pumpkins or leaves, which will set the mood
  before everyone arrives at your door.

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10. Don't forget the wine

• A Thanksgiving meal isn't complete without some
  wine! Think about what you are making and pick
  out two or three bottles of different types to
  enjoy during the day. Wine is great with almost
  everything, so it will be sure to keep things
  festive throughout dinner!

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11. Keep calm carry on

• While preparing any big holiday meal, the
  critical thing to remember is that everyone needs
  time to relax, especially yourself. If your
  guests want to help in the kitchen, let them
  assist, but don't get stressed if they can. It's
  all about enjoying good food and company.

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12. Keep it tidy

• Keep your house clean while people come over for
  dinner because it can be a madhouse! Make sure
  you have a plan to clean up as quickly as
  possible afterward, but with everyone still
  enjoying themselves. This way everything will be
  nice and tidy before the next day comes!

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13. Dont forget your guests

• On Thanksgiving, don't spend too much time
  cooking. While you have to cook the meal
  perfectly with all your friends and family
  watching closely, it also takes away from
  spending quality time with them!

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14. Rest

• Make sure you get enough sleep the night before
  Thanksgiving so that you aren't groggy and slow
  when cooking!

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15. Take a break

• Once everyone has had their fill of turkey pie,
  it's time to go for a walk! You can even plan on
  ending your day with some friendly football or
  movie watching.

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16. Work together

• A vital part of Thanksgiving meal prep is the
  clean-up phase, which you should all do together
  as well. If there are dishes, pots, and pans that
  need washing, then assign them out but make sure
  everyone pitches in so things don't take forever!
  Afterward, sit back, relax over coffee or tea and
  enjoy each other's company until you have to say
  goodbye for another year, if not sooner.

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17. Variety

• Finally, if possible, try making something
  different than what you usually make for
  Thanksgiving now and then. That way, everyone
  doesn't get sick of eating things like
  cranberries or pumpkin pie each year!

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Final Words

• By now, I think you understand how important it
  is to prepare for this memorable holiday. No
  matter your tradition, make sure that you follow
  these helpful tips to make the most out of this
  Thanksgiving Meal Prep.