How Sweet Eats Thanksgiving Week Is Here! 2020 Thanksgiving Kitchen Essentials Guide.

I am so, so excited to bring you the annual HowSweetEats Thanksgiving series! Along with my best Thanksgiving kitchen tools.

The theme of this year’s Thanksgiving? The CLASSICS.

Give me all the best of the best. 2020 is a trainwreck and I want all the nostalgic, comforting flavors. I don’t want chives and garlic in my mashed potatoes or cherries in my stuffing. I want good old classic favorites (with the exception of dessert? Haha!) that give me the perfect Thanksgiving plate – and that’s what I’m bringing you this week. All the best.

As usual, you’ll find a new recipe everything single day, finishing with the full menu and a timeline of how and when to prepare everything. A guide to Thanksgiving week, so it’s not stressful to the max.

AND!

I know this year looks so different than the rest.

So many people will be celebrating the holiday in different ways. As of right now, we are having Thanksgiving with our parents since we all live close to each other. Now that could change at any moment, but even if it does, I still plan on cooking a Thanksgiving dinner and I will deliver it to our families! Whether it’s with your family in your household or out of your house, your quarantine pod, yourself or a virtual T Day party – I hear you. I get it.

For the recipes to come, I’ll be giving you notes in the recipe card on cutting the recipe in half or tips to stretch the recipe and use leftovers. At the end of this series, I’m also going to provide you with a few different meals that AREN’T Thanksgiving food, but ARE delicious and swoon worthy, in case you want to cook something special but in no way roast a turkey. I’ve got you!

But first! Let’s kick things off with perhaps the most important part: Thanksgiving kitchen essentials! Because these are, well… essential to prepping a big meal. And you don’t want to be searching for something minutes before (or, um, after) you need it. So I present to you…

My Thanksgiving Kitchen Essentials

While practically EVERYTHING gets used in my kitchen on Thanksgiving (and the week prior!), these are the ones that I can’t live without. The meal has to happen with these things! The below are all the items that I use in my kitchen – so they are personally tested by me!

• Mackenzie Childs Roasting Pan. This is my favorite piece on Thanksgiving. It is so beautiful and I absolutely love it. It also works fabulously as a roasting pan, and then I place it on my stovetop and make my gravy in it too.
• Stainless Steel Roasting Pan. If the bold and bright pan above is not your think, this is the second roasting pan I use that is also wonderful. It is very high quality at a great price – I find the quality is just as great as All Clad, which is much more expensive.
• Mixing Bowls. For a multitude of reasons!
• Kitchen Shears. Can’t really prep the turkey without these.
• Sharp Knives. This is a must when cooking any large meal. Global makes my favorite, and you can buy a block or in singles.
• Cheese Cloth. For my butter wine drenched turkey. I have a new twist on this recipe coming next week. Order yours now!
• Kitchen Twine. Must have for trussing. I always have this in my kitchen.
• Basting Brush. I have multiples of these.
• Turkey Baster. This is my favorite one!
• Meat Thermometer. Also a favorite.
• Turkey Lifters. When I bought these a few years ago, it was life changing. These help so much.
• Electric Carving Knife. This makes carving one (or in my case, two!) turkeys so much easier and quicker. I know this is a controversial item, but Eddie carves the turkey and a regular carving knife set would take him forever.
• Carving Board. My favorite carving board that is beautiful.
• Large Platter. To serve all that turkey!
• Fat Separator Cup. Love this for gravy!
• Shaker Bottle. Also a must have to make perfect gravy.
• Whisk. Again, gravy! I suggest having two on hand.
• Gravy Boat. It has to have somewhere to go! I’m partial to this one with a warming base.
• Measuring Cups.
• Measuring Spoons.
• Microplane. Mostly for grating nutmeg or citrus.
• Stock Pot. For boiling potatoes making turkey stock, one of my favorites. This is another piece I use as decor in my kitchen. If you don’t want the bold print, this stainless one is great.
• Baking Sheets. These are my absolute favorite. Target has a similar one.
• Multiple saucepans. For things like melting butter to making cranberry sauce.
• Multiple casserole dishes. The matte white Staub ones are my favorite. I also suggest having a square one.
• Hand mixer. I use this for my mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes! I find that you have much more control over whipping with this. If you whip too much, the potatoes can become gluey. For beginnings or infrequent cooks, a hand mixer is the way to go.
• Potato Masher. I prefer this over a ricer, but a ricer will give you silky soft potatoes!
• Large strainer. For all of those potatoes.
• Mandoline. This is perfect if you want to make scalloped potatoes, but is also great for slicing many fruits and veggies.
• Vegetable Peeler. My favorite one!
• Heavy duty pot holders. Because that turkey is heavy and HOT.
• Pie Plate. This is my go to pie plate. Can also double as a serving dish.
• Rolling Pin. The only one I use.
• Drink Dispenser for sangria or punch. I use at least one or two of these on holidays. I have this MacKenzie-Childs one and it only comes out to play on special occasions. This may not be as imperative this year since small gatherings are encouraged, but I’m leaving it on the list for years to come!

[note: there are some affiliate links above. this post is in no one way sponsored!]

I’ll be sure to add to this list if anything comes up!