I see no mention of the gravy yet. Thanksgiving is all about the giblet gravy. If the gravy ain’t right, then it’s all ruined. Did I mention I make a kick ass giblet gravy?
Alice you might want to have somebody bring a couple of appetizers. Gotta have some munchies on hand while everybody waits for the main event.
My SO and I usually eat alone on Thanksgiving, but sometimes we have had up to 25-30 people stop by for an “all day buffet”.
Our philosophy is that it takes the exact same energy to make a 29 pound turkey as it does to make an 8 pound turkey. Plus we both love turkey sandwiches, and we have a great recipe for turkey tortellini soup, etc etc and we freeze the leftovers. Not only is it about the same work and time to make, turkey is so cheap around Thanksgiving, you are foolish not to buy the biggest one that will fit in the trunk of your car.
And all the other stuff, for the most part at least, can be prepared the day before and just popped into the oven after the turkey is finished and cooling down. Pies we do the day before, but beware and make at least one extra pie - somehow a pie and a tub of Cool Whip always seem to disappear into thin air before Thanksgiving day arrives. We have no idea how that happens…
I have to second the brining. It’s the best thing ever. My mother was also horrifed when I told her I was soaking the turkey in cold salt water for 8 hours before cooking it. “It’ll taste salty! It’ll be awful!” she said. She was positive it would be awful. I was vindicated when everyone agreed it was the best turkey they’d ever had. Even my nasty old MIL, who always said turkey was “supposed” to be dry ('cause that’s how you knew it was done!), agreed that it was pretty darn tasty. My MIL’s turkey was always so damn dry, it was like trying to choke down a mouthful of sand.
I also have to third (or fourth?) having everyone bring something. Drinks, beer, sodas, side dishes, desserts, stuff like that - makes it much easier on you.
I have to veto both of these ideas - there’s just no way I could go for it. I have a big, honking dishwasher, so the dishes should be no trouble. Also, I’m sure my SIL will be in there like a dirty shirt washing up - she’s just that kind of gal, and who am I to argue? 
You need to delegate the rest of the victuals to the guests.
Make everyone responsible for the salads, buns, veggies and a dessert. You will have been too busy cleaning the place and stuff to worry about the side dishes.
Delegating is what makes the hostess survive the holidays and it makes the guests feel special.
Well, that’s the law…I do all the cooking, someone else does the washing up.
Even if you have a big honking dishwasher, plan on running it at least twice, unless you have multiple sets of cooking and measuring utensils. Plus, the more you do as you cook, the less there will be after you cook.
Biblio, it’s nice showing up the MILs, isn’t it? I love mine to death, but I admit a small part of me enjoys the “Ha ha, I did know what I was doing, didn’t I?”
Being a bit of a shopaholic, I do have quite a few of these items lying around. Usually by the time dinner rolls around, all the cooking dishes are done anyway - I have a smallish kitchen and there’s just not room for dirty dishes to sit around, so by the end of the meal it’s just actually eating stuff that needs washed. Well, and the turkey pan.
We usually have ~18-24 adults and ~12-16 children for Thanksgiving for my family. Most of those are immediate family(siblings and their spouses). I have a big family(mom had eight kids).
We usually have
2 16-24 lb turkeys. Smaller (~16) lb turkey oven-baked and for the past few years the big turkey has been prepated with a cayenne pepper rub then fried in peanut oil.
1 10-12 lb ham.
4-6 large casseroles/side dishes (mac 'n cheese, green bean, corn, potato, baked beans, et al)
2 large banquet size pans of dressing
3-5 appetizers(deviled eggs, cheese balls, etc.)
4 desserts of various types(pies most often, cheesecake is known to have happened as well)
We usually have a fair bit of leftovers that the various families take home at the end of the day. Plus we serve the big meal for lunch and hang around mom’s place the whole day, watching football, hanging out, whatever, so we graze mid-afternoon and have leftovers for dinner.
Enjoy,
Steven
Ok, the pumpkin pies are in the oven, with the pecan pie and the lemon pie shell standing by.
The sweet potatoes go in next for roasting so I’ll be able to finish that today as well.
Full steam ahead!
wOOt! 
Dieting types might appreciate a nice fruit salad. Easy to make, and someone would probably be glad to bring one.
My family usually has 15 to 20 for Thanksgiving (also Passover). Some of us are vegetarians so a 20lb turkey isn’t usually necessary. One of the key points is that we do the majority of cooking/prep wednesday – things like getting out the silver, setting the table, pre-chopping veggies and generally getting the prepwork done. Plus pies – pumpkin, apple and pecan – are also done on Wednesday. Since my whole family works on it together (there’s my mom, my dad, my brother and me), divided by four people it’s not too bad, and anyway we think its fun. Having once done the clean up almost entirely by myself (long story) I would count on 4 dishwasher loads plus handwashing for china or special serving dishes if that applies.
Also, we don’t eat Thanksgiving at some crazy-ass hour like 4pm. We have it at dinnertime, 7pm or so.
The hardest part is managing oven time. Try to subsitute some tradional side dishes that need the oven, with something simlar that doesn’t. (Example: green bean casserole needs the oven, but fresh green beans pan fried with garlic doesn’t and only takes about two minute to make).
Have fun!
Ahh, you’ll be fine. I feed about 30 every December for our Dope-The-Halls. Dave does the turkey and I do everything else.
We bought a 10-pounder the other day. It’s thawing now. Yay for two Thanksgivings!
Chairs. You need 12 chairs and a flat surface in front of those 12 chairs. Beg, borrow or steal 2 or 3 (depending on your real table size) card tables from friends, relatives, neighbors and passing strangers. Don’t expect people to sit on the couch, trying to eat gravy-covered anything off of your coffee table.
Or schedule the carpet cleaner for Friday, and plan on hearing snickers about how “all the food was lovely but . . .” until the end of time.
And, no matter what, relax. "Remember when alice_in_wonderland had Thanksgiving and . . . " is just another entry in the family legends. It won’t actually matter afterwards, so just try not to make it more important than it really is. If you tank it, there will be a new funny story in Family Collective Consciousness. It won’t be the end of the world.
Yes, unfortunately, this is the voice of experience. At the ripe old age of 19, I had 36 people (including 9 new, bitchy inlaws), three 22lb. organic free-range bleeping turkeys, one 14 lb ham, many MANY un-delegated side dishes, etc etc etc ad nauseum, and 8 chairs.
You’ll be fine! Really!
No worries about sitting space - my dining room suite seats 12 quite easily. I’m going to have a kid table, which my brother is supplying (he’s also supplying a couple of the kids), so I’ll be good on that front.
All the pies are now done. 2 pumpkin, 1 lemon, 1 pecan
The sweet potato pie is done
The potatoes are peeled, choped, and in the pot with water and salt so tommorow I just have to turn them on.
The gelled salad is chilling in the fridge.
So, tomorrow I only have to worry about the turkey and the stuffing. No problemo.
I’m having one friend bring a salad, my brother is bringing homemade cranberry sauce, and a veg of some sort, another friend is bringing roasted parsnips (I’ve never tasted a parsnip because my mom hates them so much), and maybe a desert, but I’m not sure that we’ll need it.
I’m thinking about making a carrot cassarole just in case…
Oh - I meant to add, this:
is not an option.
This is not actually the largest number of people I’ve ever had for dinner at my house, and a turkey is a lot less complicated than what I would usually prepare.
I’m just sort of enjoying the contrast, because last year for thanksgiving my dog and I split a hungry man TV dinner - he ate the turkey, I ate everything else.
Hmm. I’d say ‘good luck’, but you don’t seem to need it. My ‘preparation’ consisted of cleaning out a cooler so I can try that salt water thing ivylass linked to (and finish defrosting the turkey).
My parents are out of town, and it’ll be my first try at this; I’ve got a 6.1kg (~13lbs) turkey, potatos, frozen vegetables, and store-bought pies. It helps that my standards are low, too. So long as at least one other person shows up, and nobody gets food poisoning, I’ll be happy. 
My brother gets off work at 9 tomorrow though, so that should give me enough extra time. BTW, he works at the local grocery store, and will be getting (well deserved IMHO) double pay tomorrow. Anyone who figures they can get a turkey, pumpkin pie, or a can of cranberry jelly tomorrow? HAHAHA! :wally
The turkey is finishing thawing in a sink of icewater, the stuffing is standing by, and the place isn’t a total disaster…
T-7.5h and counting…
Wait, I’m lost. Isn’t Thanksgiving in November? It’s still October. At least, I think it’s still October.
Anywho, what’s always good is when you cook the ham, sprinkle brown sugar on the top and put mustard on. I swear, it’ll make it taste so much better.
Yay for T-day!
We regularly have 20-odd (and I do mean odd! LOL) people for one of the two big holiday dinners. I usually cook a pre T-Day dinner or two to brush up and tinker with the recipes and then cook 2 turkeys so there are more turkey legs and a shorter cooking time. I do alot of the prep in advance and frequently ask for dishes from guests. Guests often do like to contribute and some have special dishes that fall into other peoples’ “must have” categories. For example my sister is famous for “Auntie Jane’s Famous Carrot Sticks” which is actually an art work of a veggie plate. I also ask the bachelor types who can’t cook to bring flowers (provided the wish to bring something which is not required at all)!
Yay for T-Day!!
Canadian Thanksgiving is in October and coincides with the U.S. Columbus Day holiday… I’m sure a CanaDoper can stop by and explain more about it.
GT