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A checklist for hosting Thanksgiving, with a name on every task
This checklist for hosting Thanksgiving fits on one page: eleven tasks counted back from dinner, from 14 days before to after the meal, each with a Who box for a name. Below them sit a menu with a Who brings it column and a shopping list. A Christmas version comes with it, free in US Letter and A4.
- Sheets
- Two, one page each: Thanksgiving and Christmas
- Paper
- US Letter and A4, portrait, print at 100%
- Versions
- Blank PDF and a fillable PDF you can type into
- Designs
- Minimal, Warm and Color
In short
Write the dinner date at the top and a name next to each task. Each morning, read the When column for today’s rows and tick Done as they finish.
For a bird over 16 pounds, start the thaw earlier than the printed row, by the USDA table below.
The two-week checklist for hosting Thanksgiving
The countdown counts days before dinner, not dates, so this Thanksgiving to do list printable works every year:
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| 14 days before | Confirm the guest list and ask about allergies |
| 14 days before | Plan the menu and agree who brings what |
| 10 days before | Order the turkey or main dish |
| 7 days before | Deep clean the kitchen and clear the fridge |
| 5 days before | Count chairs, plates, and serving dishes |
| 4 days before | Move a frozen turkey to the fridge to thaw |
| 2 days before | Buy fresh produce, dairy, and bread |
| 2 days before | Clean the bathroom and the guest spaces |
| 1 day before | Make pies and sides that keep; set the table |
| Day of | Cook the main dish; set out drinks and ice |
| After dinner | Clear, wash up, and pack leftovers for guests |
Row 12 is blank for a task of your own, with its own When.
Clearing the fridge comes 7 days out, so the turkey has room at 4.
A Thanksgiving host checklist with a Who column
The top hosting checklists on Google list what to do and when, but not who. The subtitle on this sheet sets the rule: “Two weeks to the table. Every task gets a day and a name, so the host isn’t the only one remembering.”
In the example, Grace and Andre host 12 guests on Thursday, November 26. Andre has six rows, Grace has four, they plan the menu together, and the After dinner row says Everyone.
Their row 12 is Andre’s: 3 days before, Pick up folding chairs from Aunt Rose. Four days out, rows 1 to 6 are ticked.
A second name in one Who box: the grocery run now has two owners.
When to move the turkey to the fridge
The USDA allows about 24 hours of fridge thawing for every 4 to 5 pounds, at 40 °F or below. The printed row, 4 days before, fits a 12 to 16 pound bird.
| Turkey weight | Days in the fridge | Start thawing |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 12 lb | 1 to 3 | 3 days before |
| 12 to 16 lb | 3 to 4 | 4 days before |
| 16 to 20 lb | 4 to 5 | 5 days before |
| 20 to 24 lb | 5 to 6 | 6 days before |
For another weight, write the start day in row 12 and cross out the printed one. The start days are our count; a thawed turkey can wait 1 or 2 days in the fridge before cooking.
For row 3, the USDA allows 1 pound of turkey per person; Grace and Andre ordered 16 pounds for 12. The bird is done at 165 °F on a food thermometer.
Sources: USDA FSIS, Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing and Let’s Talk Turkey.
On the fridge door, where the thaw happens.
Menu and shopping list: who brings what, and what to buy when
The Menu has seven lines with a Who brings it box. In the example, four dishes come with guests: Aunt Rose brings the green bean casserole and the sweet potato pie, Jamal the cranberry sauce, Mei the pumpkin pie.
The Shopping list has a check box, an Item and a How much. What keeps, from chicken stock to sparkling cider, is bought early. The fresh items, from butter to heavy cream, wait for the 2 days before run.
The filled-in example, minimal design.
The Christmas hosting checklist: same page, different days
The Christmas sheet keeps the same three sections. Six tasks change, and Day of becomes Christmas Day:
- 14 days before: Confirm who’s coming and who stays overnight
- 10 days before: Order the roast, ham, or main dish
- 5 days before: Make up guest beds and clear space for coats
- 3 days before: Buy drinks, baking supplies, and pantry items
- 2 days before: Clean the bathroom and the entryway
- Christmas Eve: Wrap the last gifts and set the table
In this hosting Christmas dinner checklist example, Hannah and Kwame expect 9 guests on Friday, December 25. Their row 12 is Christmas Eve: Airport pickup: Grandma Ruth, 4:10 pm.
Five days out: guest beds made, row 5 ticked.
Download the free printable Thanksgiving checklist
Pick a design, then the holiday. Each hosting Thanksgiving checklist below is free, with no email, in US Letter and A4.
Questions people ask
What not to forget when hosting Thanksgiving?
Allergies, seats and the thaw: on the sheet they are row 1, the chairs and plates count 5 days out, and the turkey row 4 days out. Ice and leftovers for guests have rows too.
What to bring a host for Thanksgiving dinner?
Ask the host which Menu line has your name in Who brings it, and bring that dish.
How soon should leftovers go in the fridge?
Within 2 hours of cooking, by the USDA, and eat them within 3 to 4 days. The sheet’s last row packs leftovers for guests the same evening.
Is there a Christmas version?
Yes, a holiday hosting checklist for December 25 with the same three sections and Christmas rows, shown above.
Other free printables for a shared home
Save this checklist to Pinterest
Pin it now and the countdown is ready two weeks before the dinner. Thanksgiving and Christmas, each on one page, with a name next to every task.
When the countdown moves to two phones
Alpacto is our own app. A countdown row with a name in Who becomes a task pact there: one thing with a deadline, marked complete by one person and confirmed by the other. Coins stay inside the app and are never money, and accounts start at 13.