Hearst - Lets talk turkey -- and all the trimmings: 100 delicious holiday recipes, tips, and ideas from Americas top magazines

For most people, the idea of pulling together a big holiday dinner is the very definition of stress. You have to cook foods you make only once a year (or never!), unearth the good china, polish the silver, and get the house ready for company, quite often a crowd. Plus the whole dinner hinges on serving a delicious, golden brown turkey. If that goes wrong, youre sunk, right?

Relax. Yes, cooking a holiday meal is a challenge. But it is totally doable, especially when you have the expertise of the editors of Americas top magazines at your fingertips. In this collection, youll find easy delicious recipes that are guaranteed to make your dinner extraordinary. If you want the classics, weve got them. Looking for surprising new takes on turkey and sides? Weve got those, too. Plus there are all kinds of tips to make sure the day goes right, from planning your menu and guest list to ideas for stunning (and simple) centerpieces and a step-by-step guide to carving the bird. And if something does go wrong? No worries. Weve got solutions for the most common snafus. So get ready to make the holiday dinner your friends and family will remember for years to come. Its so much easier than you think!

From grocery shopping to carving tips to ideas for setting a welcoming table, the following pages will help make your meal memorableand (reasonably) stress-free.

The ultimate turkey dinner to-do list

From Good Housekeeping

Week 1

• Create your guest list; check to make sure everyones comingand whether anyones planning to bring a friend.
• Select the menu: Keep in mind how much oven, stovetop, and microwave space you have available, and what each recipe entails. (If youre attempting a dish for the first time, give it a test run beforehand.)
• Write out or print your grocery list so you can keep it handy over the next few weeks for minor tweaks.
• Agree on dishes company can bring if they offer. (Then cross those items off your shopping list.)
• Check your spices: Toss any that are past their prime; add to your list.
• Look for sales and stock up on staplespaper goods, candies, beverages, inexpensive toys to entertain kids.
• Assess your cooking equipment, china, cutlery, and serving dishes. Is the vegetable peeler dull? Are the pot holders frayed? Plan to buy or borrow what youll need.
• Survey your surfaces. Any really visible stains on the carpet or dining room chairs? Either schedule time to clean them soon or call in a pro.

Week 2

• Place all orders for catered trays or pies. Figure out whether you should go with a fresh turkey (which youll need to order now) or a frozen one.
• Enlist the spouse or kids to wash platters and polish silver now so theyll be free to run errands or take out the trash the night before or morning of the big day. Once silver is clean, wrap it in tissue and then place in airtight plastic bags to keep it tarnish-free.
• Clean the house thoroughly so you can focus on other projects for the next couple of weeks. Put the oven through a self-cleaning cycle. Do a cobweb check by flicking on the lights or chandelier in the dining room.

Week 3

• Pull out the table linens you plan to use and the hand towels for the bathroom. Are they faded? Developing mysterious spots? Wash accordingly. If theyre too far gone (or the thought of scrubbing stains makes you want to scream), buy some stain-resistant tablecloths and inexpensive towels.
• Sharpen knivesand not just the turkey carver. All your kitchen work will go more smoothly.
• Stock up on wine. Choose one red and one white, and buy multiple bottles of each.
• Clean out the fridge. Its pricey real estate this time of year; youll need every square inch.
• Prepare piecrusts and freeze until next week.
• Pick up some plastic containers; theyll hold prepared items before the meal and leftovers afterwardand they make good doggie bags for guests. Also get extra foil and plastic wrap, kitchen twine, trash bags, paper towels, toilet paper (if you havent already found this stuff on sale). Consider buying nonperishable grocery items now, too, to shorten the inevitable marathon shopping trip next week.
• Charge up your hand-vac (or just locate your broom and dustpan)so youre ready to cope with those unavoidable spills.

Week 4

• Iron linens that need it and lay them out, if possible, so they dont re-wrinkle.
• Grocery-shop a couple of days before the holidaydont wait until the day before.
• Make or buy plenty of ice.
• Set out your serving dishes and utensils and define their use with sticky notes (e.g., Brussels sprouts here).
• Move your frozen bird to the fridge to thaw (check label for guidelines).
• Start cooking the day beforeeither make dishes completely and store for reheating (think pies, casseroles), or partially prep foods (like vegetables) that need to be finished the day of. Thaw frozen make-aheads, like that piecrust you made last week.
• Set the table (or better yet, ask family to do it) the night before. For festive ideas, see .
• Chill the white wine.

Day of

• Stuff the turkey, if you like, and get it roasting; make the potatoes, then veggies.
• Whip the cream for dessert; chill.
• Transfer your turkey to a platter. See our .
• Make the gravy with drippings; reheat potatoes in the microwave.
• Serve, sit down, and dig in. (But remember to warm the pies after dinners through.)

From Good Housekeeping

Cooking for a crowd can be complicatedhow much stuffing will 20 people eat? Solution: Simply consult these at-a-glance guidelines for 11 Thanksgiving basics, showing the minimum amount youll need to buy whether youre entertaining 8 or 24 or various numbers in between.