Bountiful Thanksgiving Feast

The Turkey & Trimmings

The Sides

The Bread - Choose One

The Pies

Festive Place Cards

• Cut a slit across the top (in front of the stems) of miniature pumpkins. Write the name of each guest on a small card, and place it in the slit of each pumpkin (the stem will help hold it up). Or instead of cutting slits in the pumpkins, secure each card to the pumpkin with a T-shaped pin.
  
  
• Place each place card on a pressed leaf near each place setting.

Fall Harvest Centerpiece

• Scatter colored leaves down the center of your table, and place votive candles in glass containers on leaves.
  
  
• Arrange small and miniature pumpkins and gourds (from roadside stands, garden centers or grocery stores) along with whole nuts and fruits, such as apples and kumquats, down the center of your table.

Dazzling Apple Pie Decorations

• Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the pastry dough before rolling out crusts. Roll the reserved dough 1/8 inch thick, and cut with a small apple-shaped cookie cutter.
  
   
• Just before baking pie, brush the bottoms of the pastry cutouts with egg white, and place them on the top of the pie. Beat an egg, and divide between 2 small bowls. Add a few drops of red food color to one bowl (for the apples) and green food color to the other bowl (for the stems). Paint the colored egg mixtures on the pastry cutouts with a clean small paintbrush.

Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the pastry dough before rolling out crusts. Roll the reserved dough 1/8 inch thick, and cut with a small apple-shaped cookie cutter. 

Dessert Sampler

• Suggest a sampler of pie (half pieces of each kind) to those guests who can't make up their minds!
  
  
• Make dessert a showstopper by serving the pieces pointed in opposite directions atop plates drizzled with caramel sauce. Top the pumpkin pie with a dollop of Vanilla-Cinnamon Cream.

Up to 2 Months Before

• Prepare Squash Cloverleaf Rolls or Double-Quick Dinner Rolls; cool. Wrap in aluminum foil and freeze.

Up to 5 Days Before

• Thaw turkey, using our Poultry Thawing Chart as a guide.

The Day Before

• Prepare the Parmesan Walnuts for Mixed Greens with Parmesan Walnuts.
• Cook bacon for Cheesy Broccoli; drain and crumble. Cover and refrigerate.
• Bake Scrumptious Apple Pie; store loosely covered at room temperature.
• Bake Tempting Pumpkin Pie; cover and refrigerate.

About 6 Hours Before

• Prepare Glazed Roast Turkey with Cranberry Stuffing.
• Peel potatoes for Velvet Mashed Potatoes. Place in Dutch oven and cover with salted water until ready to cook.
• Cut broccoli for Cheesy Broccoli.
• Wash greens for Mixed Greens with Parmesan Walnuts.
• Remove rolls from freezer.

About 35 Minutes Before

• Cook and mash potatoes.

About 20 Minutes Before

• Heat rolls in aluminum foil in 325°F oven until hot.
• Make Foolproof Gravy.
• Toss Mixed Greens with Parmesan Walnuts.
• Prepare Cheesy Broccoli.