7 Mistakes First-Time Hosts Make On Thanksgiving
Hosting Thanksgiving dinner is a big privilege—or a big burden, depending on who you ask. The feeling of accomplishment you get from cooking a full menu and putting up festive decorations is well worth the effort. That’s true even if that means frantically cleaning and standing over the stove for several days.
That being said, becoming a good host takes some practice. And if you’re hosting for the first time this holiday season, there are a few important tips that you might just overlook. The key to a successful Thanksgiving depends on the details.
As someone who grew up in a hosting house for her whole life and has organized several Thanksgiving meals on her own, I’ve learned a lot about what you should—and shouldn’t—do when you host for the holidays. Here are seven mistakes that first-time hosts often make, so you can avoid them.
Not Having Snacks Ready When Guests Arrive
This is arguably the most important hosting tip for Thanksgiving and beyond: always have something out to eat the second the first guest walks through the door. People are coming to your house to celebrate the biggest food holiday of the year. Why deprive them of that joy until dinner is served?
This is a prime opportunity to make a festive appetizer like cranberry brie pull-apart bread or a turkey cheese ball. But if you’re busy with other dishes and don’t have the bandwidth for an elaborate app, you don’t have to overthink it. Throw a couple blocks of cheese on a cutting board. Pour some roasted nuts into a serving dish. Open up a bag of chips. It doesn’t have to be that deep—just have some sort of snack on deck.
Not Prepping Enough Ahead Of Time
Cooking Thanksgiving dinner is a marathon, not a sprint. And the best way to prepare for success is to get as much cooking done as possible before the day of your gathering. Many traditional side dishes, like cranberry sauce, stuffing, and sweet potato casserole, can (and should) be prepared and assembled days before.
You’re going to spend more time on Thanksgiving cleaning your house, decorating, and handling last minute details than you’d expect. To allocate enough time and energy towards last minute hosting responsibilities, do as much cooking preparation as you possibly can beforehand.
Not Having A Batched Cocktail
Thanksgiving isn’t just about eating. It’s smart to keep a couple bottles of wine on hand for dinner (experts suggest one to one and a half bottles per person). But it’s also worth offering at least one cocktail option—ideally one that can be batched.
A beautiful festive cocktail made to order sounds good in theory, but imagine having to manage bartender duties on top of running the kitchen. I’ve been guilty of this mistake before and I will never do it again. Instead, try a big-batch recipe that can be prepared ahead of time like our apple cider margaritas. Guests can serve themselves and leave you alone so you can focus more on the food.
Going Overboard On Table Decor
Part of the fun of hosting is putting up festive decorations. Themed linens, autumnal candles, and fall florals all work together to make your space cozy and inviting during the holidays. And if you like decorating as much as I do, you might be tempted to go all out. But, I implore you to hold back—especially when it comes to your dinner table.
There are many important components that need to be there—like plates, wine glasses, water glasses, silverware, and serving dishes. You shouldn't be wasting valuable real estate to make your table look like a department store display. And an important fact to consider: tall taper candles and floral arrangements block the view across the table and make it harder for guests to celebrate together. Instead, opt for a nice tablecloth, some tea lights, and a couple flowers in small vases. Leave the decorative pine cones and gourds alone.
Not Delegating Enough
Fellow control freaks to the front: you may be afraid to delegate some of the responsibilities that come with hosting, but you need to face your fears. A Thanksgiving meal is virtually impossible to execute on your own. You need to set up a brigade to take on some of the tasks.
Ask some guests to bring some dishes from home. Delegate some of the more involved cooking tasks—like mashing potatoes or carving turkey—to your friends that you trust the most in the kitchen. At the very least, assign other people to dish duty (which should start long before the meal is over, BTW). It takes a village to pull off Thanksgiving dinner, so accept all the help you can get.
Not Making Enough Food
Whether you're hosting an intimate gathering or a massive feast, your best bet is to make extra food. Few things bring a party to a grinding halt like a lack of food—especially if it's a fan-favorite side like mashed potatoes. We suggest making enough so guests can go in for seconds.
There are worse fates than ending up with leftovers. Why not give some away to guests as a parting gift? Or better yet, keep them all and reward yourself for hosting by transforming them into something new.
Not Having Fun
Thanksgiving hosting duties can get stressful. Some of these mistakes can make your day more difficult, but not having a good time is guaranteed way to ruin your holiday. Don't let yourself dwell in the stress.
Did one of your dishes not turn out as planned? Have to adjust for surprise guests? These things don't have to derail your dinner if you won't let them.
Give yourself some grace. Step back and take a break from cooking for a minute, enjoy a drink, and hang out with your loved ones. No party is going to be perfect, so you might as well embrace the chaos and let yourself have some fun.
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