Whether you’re serving a Chateaubriand, a prime rib roast or a good ol’ fashioned turkey this Thanksgiving, there is so much Thanksgiving prep you can do ahead of time to make the day run smoothly.

1. Make a list of all the ingredients you’ll need and shop way ahead of time to avoid the last-minute rush at the supermarket.
2. Prepare side dishes beforehand, refrigerate them and just pop them in the oven the day of the big feast.
3. Wash special china now so you’re not scrambling to set the table while you’re worrying about the meal.
4. Prepare desserts, too, and keep them cold until Thanksgiving Day. Then, when you’re ready for them, just bake!
5. Or you can even order desserts and let someone else do the baking!

Think through all of the details that can add up to lots of time on Thanksgiving Day itself. Anything you can do ahead of time – do it!

I like to break out my spiral ham a couple of days before as kind of a teaser. No reason we can’t enjoy it even before the big day.

Have fun planning this holiday meal. The prep and anticipation is half the fun!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

If you’re like me, you struggle year after year to land on precisely the right gift for everyone on your list.

It’s pretty difficult.

But one thing I’ve found that EVERYONE appreciates?

Good food!

It’s one of the few things we all have in common. We all have to eat.

And a beautiful meal is so memorable. Isn’t that what we’re looking for at holiday time anyway? Incredible memories?

I’m giving things like gift-boxed steaks and holiday meal combos this year. Can you imagine receiving a prime rib roast and smoked ham from someone? Wouldn’t that make your day, your week, your SEASON?

Plus, it’s a pay-it-forward kind of gift. Your recipient then gets to cook those steak gifts for someone else – and that person will surely thank you, too!

‘Tis the season for eating!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

So I’ve already told you that I MUST have a turkey on my Thanksgiving menu.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be other options. I like to have a spiral sliced ham on board, too, so I can make future breakfasts and lunches with it.

Have YOU ever been daring and served something a bit less traditional for Thanksgiving? Perhaps a gorgeous Chateaubriand or a prime rib roast?

That’s not to say that those amazing meals are not classics in their own right, they’re just not strictly by the book like a Thanksgiving turkey.

They’re edgy. Daring. Different.

And I like that.

What will you be serving this Thanksgiving? Traditional or living on the edge? Tell me!

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.