At what time do you start your Thanksgiving dinner ?

[Anonymous]

We eat early--it's a lunch meal (caveat being we are a small family with no nearby extended family so we have a small turkey that cooks quickly.) Then we go for a walk and come home and have pie. I get that when you're hosting 30 people that doesn't work.

I hate having Thanksgiving as a dinner meal. I love having all the food put away and the kitchen cleaned up and not having to worry about it after dinner. I like the everyone just puts together whatever plate of leftovers or turkey sandwich and pie whenever they get hungry in the evening.

[Anonymous]

We like to eat around 4, go for a long walk, clean up, then have leftovers and dessert around 8-9.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We like to eat around 4, go for a long walk, clean up, then have leftovers and dessert around 8-9.

This but everything two hours earlier.

[Anonymous]

Thank you hostess of 35 for describing your set up! That sounds really fun for your families_you and your sister are saints for doing all this!
Making many happy memories for everyone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My side of the family: arrive at noon, eat at 2.
Inlaws: arrive at 5 or 6, eat at 7.

So you have two shifts? Do they not get along?

No I mean, if we're going to my parents house, we eat at 2. If we're going to my SIL's house, we eat late.

Occasionally, my side of the family doesn't get together due to conflicting schedules, so my parents join us at SIL's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We eat early--it's a lunch meal (caveat being we are a small family with no nearby extended family so we have a small turkey that cooks quickly.) Then we go for a walk and come home and have pie. I get that when you're hosting 30 people that doesn't work.

I hate having Thanksgiving as a dinner meal. I love having all the food put away and the kitchen cleaned up and not having to worry about it after dinner. I like the everyone just puts together whatever plate of leftovers or turkey sandwich and pie whenever they get hungry in the evening.

Same here. We have a small family - only 6 or 7. We like to eat lunch around one and then everyone is on their own for leftovers for dinner. We always gave someone traveling and staying overnight so this works well for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We eat early--it's a lunch meal (caveat being we are a small family with no nearby extended family so we have a small turkey that cooks quickly.) Then we go for a walk and come home and have pie. I get that when you're hosting 30 people that doesn't work.

I hate having Thanksgiving as a dinner meal. I love having all the food put away and the kitchen cleaned up and not having to worry about it after dinner. I like the everyone just puts together whatever plate of leftovers or turkey sandwich and pie whenever they get hungry in the evening.

Exactly this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We eat early--it's a lunch meal (caveat being we are a small family with no nearby extended family so we have a small turkey that cooks quickly.) Then we go for a walk and come home and have pie. I get that when you're hosting 30 people that doesn't work.

I hate having Thanksgiving as a dinner meal. I love having all the food put away and the kitchen cleaned up and not having to worry about it after dinner. I like the everyone just puts together whatever plate of leftovers or turkey sandwich and pie whenever they get hungry in the evening.

I shoot for around 3 because I want the kitchen cleaned up and closed after the meal. I don't want people eating dinner and making a mess later in the evening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My side of the family: arrive at noon, eat at 2.
Inlaws: arrive at 5 or 6, eat at 7.

So you have two shifts? Do they not get along?

No I mean, if we're going to my parents house, we eat at 2. If we're going to my SIL's house, we eat late.

Occasionally, my side of the family doesn't get together due to conflicting schedules, so my parents join us at SIL's.

+1 for the timing. My family always did early Thanksgiving dinner (around 2 or 3), which is what I prefer. We usually travel to my husband's side of the family, which arrives around 5 and eats around 6. That feels late for me, plus, it makes it necessary for me to prepare another meal to eat while traveling; otherwise, everyone is hangry by dinner time.

[Anonymous]

1-2pm

[Anonymous]

Family arrives around 3pm. Kids play, people chat, dinner is around 5pm.

[Anonymous]

Appetizers start at noon for people who come to watch football or hang out while i cook. Others come around 3ish for dinner at 4. Some people clean up after, some take a walk, some look at black Friday circulars and my sil usually falls asleep. When all that is done we have dessert. People usually leave around 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We eat early--it's a lunch meal (caveat being we are a small family with no nearby extended family so we have a small turkey that cooks quickly.) Then we go for a walk and come home and have pie. I get that when you're hosting 30 people that doesn't work.

I hate having Thanksgiving as a dinner meal. I love having all the food put away and the kitchen cleaned up and not having to worry about it after dinner. I like the everyone just puts together whatever plate of leftovers or turkey sandwich and pie whenever they get hungry in the evening.

I shoot for around 3 because I want the kitchen cleaned up and closed after the meal. I don't want people eating dinner and making a mess later in the evening.

…you don’t let people eat anything else after a 3 pm late lunch? What is wrong with you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We eat early--it's a lunch meal (caveat being we are a small family with no nearby extended family so we have a small turkey that cooks quickly.) Then we go for a walk and come home and have pie. I get that when you're hosting 30 people that doesn't work.

I hate having Thanksgiving as a dinner meal. I love having all the food put away and the kitchen cleaned up and not having to worry about it after dinner. I like the everyone just puts together whatever plate of leftovers or turkey sandwich and pie whenever they get hungry in the evening.

I shoot for around 3 because I want the kitchen cleaned up and closed after the meal. I don't want people eating dinner and making a mess later in the evening.

Are you the “burger king is just 5 miles down the road” lady?

[Anonymous]

When I host I tell people to come over anytime after 3 and aim to serve dinner between 5-6 (whenever the turkey is ready). I have appetizers out for anybody who arrives starving. I've done it mid-afternoon before but it's not my preference. It feels more festive with some candlelight and I can spend the day prepping everything at a more leisurely pace.