All of a sudden, hosting 28 for Thanksgiving!

[Anonymous]

This year, my MIL has a minor surgery a few weeks before Thanksgiving, and was worried about hosting, so I volunteered to host my ILs and the other family who usually attends at my MIL's gathering, which is about 14-18, depending on a few moving parts.

Well, apparently extended family got wind of this and decided they'd love to come to our house for a change, and called to ask, etc. All of a sudden my head count is 28!

My house will technically fit all these people, but not at real tables, though I think I can borrow a card table or two from my local aunt. I've hosted several holidays, but never for this many.

DCUM crazy planners and elite hosts/hostesses, please help! Give me your best tips! I know I can cater/purchase some items, and will, but I love Thanksgiving and really want most things to be homemade.

[Anonymous]

Ask for contributions..make one part of the family in charge of pies, one part of the family in charge of appetizers etc. No one expects you to cover the whole thing for 28 people (I hope)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask for contributions..make one part of the family in charge of pies, one part of the family in charge of appetizers etc. No one expects you to cover the whole thing for 28 people (I hope)

This. However, I would just cater the actual dinner part. Get stuff that can be reheated at the same temp.

[Anonymous]

Get a reasonable-sized turkey (18 pounds) and pinch-hit with a full Honeybaked ham. Very few people eat the "plan for a pound of turkey per guest" proportion, especially with kids around. Most people would take a bit of turkey and a bit of ham as their meat serving, then would dig into the sides.

Supplement with a pre-cooked turkey breast if you're worried/want a bit of leftover turkey.

[Anonymous]

Make the turkey, get a ham, make the mashed potatoes. Provide a decent amount of wine, sparkling water, and something non-alcoholic like sparkling apple juice. if others ask what they can bring, you can name any other beverages you want to have around.

Many other things can be delegated (pan of stuffing, mac and cheese, cranberry sauce, appetizers, pies) or purchased.

[Anonymous]

You can usually rent tables and chairs and anything else you need for not too much from your local event rental place (it that feels easier). Personally, I would want to make the mains and a number of sides, but I think the pp has a good idea to ask guests to bring desserts, in anyone makes a specialty dish-ask them to bring it-both helpful and flattering, if you do rent or borrow items ask a local guest if they can get the stuff and bring it to your house the day before thanksgiving. I think it sounds fun!

[Anonymous]

You need to rent tables and chairs. I did that last year, and it was surprisingly cheap and convenient. Last year I also priced out renting dishes and linens, and that was also surprisingly affordable, although I opted not to do it because I didn't have space in my house to store the crates (and I figured that washing dishes was one thing I could count on guests to help with).

You also need to accept that you WILL NOT be cooking even 50% of the food, not unless you get an extra fridge and take several days off of work and have an extra oven. Hosting even for "just" 16 takes an enormous amount of time and fridge space. I barely pulled that off with taking 2 extra days off of work. Agree with PPs that you should have other people pitch in with dishes. You can get catered stuff, but even THAT has to be stored somewhere and needs time/space in the oven for reheating.

Also, if money is an issue at all, this is going to be expensive. When I hosted last year, the expense actually worked out because normally we travel for Thanksgiving, so the cost of the train tickets was a wash.

As for the menu - just make the absolute traditionals: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy. Don't bother with anything extra. I did, and I regretted it because people really just want the basics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask for contributions..make one part of the family in charge of pies, one part of the family in charge of appetizers etc. No one expects you to cover the whole thing for 28 people (I hope)

Agree. I would be super-frank with delegating tasks, and make clear that it's not "oh it would be nice if you bring a pie" but instead "this thing has grown to monster size and if you expect me to do it, you need to pitch in."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get a reasonable-sized turkey (18 pounds) and pinch-hit with a full Honeybaked ham. Very few people eat the "plan for a pound of turkey per guest" proportion, especially with kids around. Most people would take a bit of turkey and a bit of ham as their meat serving, then would dig into the sides.

Supplement with a pre-cooked turkey breast if you're worried/want a bit of leftover turkey.

Op absolutely will need more than one turkey even with a large ham. We will be reading about you in the post thanksgiving day gripes if you don't provide adequate protein.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a reasonable-sized turkey (18 pounds) and pinch-hit with a full Honeybaked ham. Very few people eat the "plan for a pound of turkey per guest" proportion, especially with kids around. Most people would take a bit of turkey and a bit of ham as their meat serving, then would dig into the sides.

Supplement with a pre-cooked turkey breast if you're worried/want a bit of leftover turkey.

Op absolutely will need more than one turkey even with a large ham. We will be reading about you in the post thanksgiving day gripes if you don't provide adequate protein.

Oh please. An 18-20 pound turkey, a full Honeybaked ham and (as suggested) a supplemental turkey breast is fine for 28 people. OP didn't say if there were kids in that count, but there probably are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a reasonable-sized turkey (18 pounds) and pinch-hit with a full Honeybaked ham. Very few people eat the "plan for a pound of turkey per guest" proportion, especially with kids around. Most people would take a bit of turkey and a bit of ham as their meat serving, then would dig into the sides.

Supplement with a pre-cooked turkey breast if you're worried/want a bit of leftover turkey.

Op absolutely will need more than one turkey even with a large ham. We will be reading about you in the post thanksgiving day gripes if you don't provide adequate protein.

Oh please. An 18-20 pound turkey, a full Honeybaked ham and (as suggested) a supplemental turkey breast is fine for 28 people. OP didn't say if there were kids in that count, but there probably are.

I would just do 2 turkeys and a ham. No reason to risk it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a reasonable-sized turkey (18 pounds) and pinch-hit with a full Honeybaked ham. Very few people eat the "plan for a pound of turkey per guest" proportion, especially with kids around. Most people would take a bit of turkey and a bit of ham as their meat serving, then would dig into the sides.

Supplement with a pre-cooked turkey breast if you're worried/want a bit of leftover turkey.

Op absolutely will need more than one turkey even with a large ham. We will be reading about you in the post thanksgiving day gripes if you don't provide adequate protein.

Oh please. An 18-20 pound turkey, a full Honeybaked ham and (as suggested) a supplemental turkey breast is fine for 28 people. OP didn't say if there were kids in that count, but there probably are.

No, I would cook more protein.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get a reasonable-sized turkey (18 pounds) and pinch-hit with a full Honeybaked ham. Very few people eat the "plan for a pound of turkey per guest" proportion, especially with kids around. Most people would take a bit of turkey and a bit of ham as their meat serving, then would dig into the sides.

Supplement with a pre-cooked turkey breast if you're worried/want a bit of leftover turkey.

Op absolutely will need more than one turkey even with a large ham. We will be reading about you in the post thanksgiving day gripes if you don't provide adequate protein.

Hahaha, I cannot believe PP suggested one 18lb turkey! Get TWO 18lb turkeys, plus a ham. Hope you have several ovens, OP. It is an enormous undertaking, but if you have the right set up, you can do it! Things will go wrong, that’s ok. Have fun with it. Don’t cater. If need be, ask for people to bring side dishes over catering. Also ask them to bring wine.

You will have to have 2x or 3x the amount of food you typically would have for hosting. Instead of one big Pyrex dish of sweet potatoes you will need three, for example. Get a second fridge and start making the dishes a few days in advance.

[Anonymous]

The Honeybaked ham website lists the ham-and-full-turkey combo as serving 16-20 people, and that's only with the listed 11-13 pound turkey included. The Williams Sonoma website lists a pre-brined turkey breast as serving 8-10, a 6-8 pound breast.

The suggestion for a 16-18 pound turkey, a full Honeybaked ham, and a turkey breast WILL feed 28 people, if some of those people are kids.

Y'all are the type who think that EVERY guest will eat the MAXIMUM suggested portion of everything. This is not the case. I happen to know that me, my sister, my MIL and my BIL don't even like turkey; we literally will eat a small piece or two to participate in Thanksgiving. Most people are there for the sides. You take a little turkey, you take a little ham, you go all in on the sides, you save room for pie. That's how it works for most people.

I am willing to bet that there'd still be plenty of that damn ham leftover; those things are huge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Honeybaked ham website lists the ham-and-full-turkey combo as serving 16-20 people, and that's only with the listed 11-13 pound turkey included. The Williams Sonoma website lists a pre-brined turkey breast as serving 8-10, a 6-8 pound breast.

The suggestion for a 16-18 pound turkey, a full Honeybaked ham, and a turkey breast WILL feed 28 people, if some of those people are kids.

Y'all are the type who think that EVERY guest will eat the MAXIMUM suggested portion of everything. This is not the case. I happen to know that me, my sister, my MIL and my BIL don't even like turkey; we literally will eat a small piece or two to participate in Thanksgiving. Most people are there for the sides. You take a little turkey, you take a little ham, you go all in on the sides, you save room for pie. That's how it works for most people.

I am willing to bet that there'd still be plenty of that damn ham leftover; those things are huge.

We cook a 20 lb turkey for 15 people. Big eaters.... even the kids.