One of the first things I do when planning Thanksgiving is to figure out what my menu is going to be. I usually work on this during the first two weeks of October. Why do I plan this out so early? Different foods go on sale during the next 4-5 weeks before Thanksgiving and by having my menu and my grocery list set in advanced, I can get some of the items on sale, helping out the Thanksgiving budget. Also, having my menu done in advance helps me know what to have guests bring when they ask. I have been doing this system for YEARS and it works. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I love the entertaining part of this holiday. I have been known to invite anyone who doesn’t have a place to go who wants a place. My house is usually packed to the gills but it is one of the best days. Being able to share food with friends and family is one of the best parts of the holiday season.

Print out this FREE Thanksgiving holiday menu planner

Here is a list of what I am planning for my Thanksgiving dinner:

Appetizer(s):
-Peanuts

Main Course:
-Turkey
-Stuffing
-Squash
-Mashed Potatoes
-Sweet Potatoes
-Buttered Peas
-Green Salad
-Cranberry Sauce
-Cranberry Bread
-Pumpkin Bread
-Applesauce

Drinks:
-Sparkling grape juice
-Water
-Coffee (cream/sugar)
-Tea

Dessert:
-Pumpkin Pie
-Apple Pie
-Cheddar cheese

After filling in my menu and what I am going to be serving this year, I start writing down my dishes and their ingredients. This keeps everything in one place.

.

Once I finish writing down all the dishes and their ingredients, I add up how much of each ingredient I need and put it on my grocery shopping list.

When I first started this system, it was written down on scraps of paper and just put in a 3-ring binder.  I finally made these printable sheets to make my life easier. You can get your FREE Thanksgiving printable, too! This is in a simple PDF format so just click on any of the links and you should be able to immediately open the file and print this out for yourself. I know this may seem like quite a bit of work just for a simple Thanksgiving dinner, but trust me, all the time put into planning will allow you to have a stress-free holiday.

FREE Printable Thanksgiving Menu Planner

Thank you for downloading this Thanksgiving menu planner. I hope that it has been a blessing to you and your family!