After the Thanksgiving Day lunch or dinner is over, you may be responsible for entertaining guests over Thanksgiving weekend. Thanksgiving weekend brunch is a holiday tradition that many people add to their itinerary when visiting family and friends, and if you’re the one hosting the event, you’ll need to make a checklist to keep things on track. Here’s a step-by-step guide to planning your Thanksgiving weekend brunch with ease:
Two Weeks Before Thanksgiving Weekend
– Brainstorm menu ideas and start collecting recipes
– Ask family members attending the Thanksgiving weekend brunch if they want to bring a dish to pass
– Bake any quiches you want to serve at the brunch and freeze them
One Week Before Thanksgiving Weekend
– Buy all of the fresh ingredients you plan to use for Thanksgiving weekend brunch recipes
– Purchase storage containers for leftovers from the Thanksgiving Day feast
– Make room in your fridge or freezer for storing Thanksgiving Day leftovers
Thanksgiving Day
– Cut up and store leftover turkey to be used in omelets and sandwiches during your Thanksgiving weekend brunch
– Store leftover desserts in separate containers for anyone that might want more dessert on the day of your brunch
Day After Thanksgiving
– Change the table linens from the Thanksgiving Day feast
– Prepare or purchase a new centerpiece for your holiday table
– Make fresh cranberry sauce to serve with any leftover turkey from the Thanksgiving Day meal
– Start defrosting the quiche from the freezer by storing it in the fridge
– Prepare any French toast casseroles that you plan to serve on Thanksgiving Brunch
– Make any cheesecakes or carrot cake loaves that will be a part of the Thanksgiving brunch (they need time to set in the fridge)
– Prepare any yeast loaves or yeast cakes such as coffee cake
Day of the Thanksgiving Brunch
– Heat up the quiche in the oven
– Bake the French toast casserole
– Set up an omelet station with leftover turkey and sides
– Garnish desserts
– Warm up holiday breads
– Bake muffins
– Bake your yeast loaves or coffee cake; decorate as needed
– Set the table
– Serve your Thanksgiving brunch!
If you plan on serving more lunch items that are miniature versions of the Thanksgiving Day dinner, you can set up small appetizer trays of all the traditional favorites for tapas-style dining. If guests want to take home some of the leftovers, pack up more storage container with small servings of each menu item as a farewell treat. Any leftover turkey that you don’t use for the brunch can also be refrigerated and stored to make turkey stock for soups and Fall dinner dishes in the upcoming weeks.
