3 steps to planning your Thanksgiving dinner
Thanksgiving is just over two weeks away, and many families have already ordered a fresh local turkey, holiday ham or delectable roast from VG Meats (or prepared dishes, if they’d like to treat themselves to a delicious, hassle-free meal). We can almost taste the cranberry sauce and gravy—the holiday weekend will be here before you know it!
If you’re ready to place your Thanksgiving order, please visit our holiday website or contact us. And if you need a little motivation to get organized, here’s a helpful checklist to get the ball rolling. You can also download our FREE holiday guide for more tips and tricks. Thanks for reading and for shopping local—this Thanksgiving and always, we’re grateful for you.
Step 1: Confirm your guest list
Any home cook knows that planning a holiday meal requires a certain amount of math. Start your Thanksgiving planning by making a list of everyone who is invited to dinner. Estimate how many of those people will be able to attend, and then plan on feeding that number of people plus a few extra. You’d rather have leftovers than run out of food, right?
At this stage, it’s best to confirm the date and time of your Thanksgiving gathering. While Thanksgiving Monday falls on October 14th, many families gather on the Sunday or even the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Anything goes, but make sure you’re all on the same page.
Step 2: Design your menu
Next, decide what you’re serving. Some families like a classic roast turkey dinner while others serve a smoked ham or delectable roast. If you are hosting a large gathering, it may be best to offer two proteins—a roasted turkey and a ham that’s been warmed on the BBQ, for example. Our ReadySetRoast turkeys are another great option as they come fully butchered and deboned and require less oven space. And remember, our homestyle prepared options just need to be heated before serving—they’re available in small, medium, large and extra large portions to suit your family’s needs. (And yes, you can say you cooked everything yourself. We won’t tell!)
Here are a few products you may want to consider serving on Thanksgiving:
- Delicious Ontario turkey (see options here)
- A smoked ham (available bone-in or boneless, half or whole sized)
- A delectable roast beef or pork (click to see your options)
- Tender Ontario lamb (available in a rack of lamb, lamb leg and more)
- A show-stopping turducken (chicken stuffed into duck that was stuffed into a turkey)
- Not a fan of traditional holiday meals? Serve a great steak.
And here are a few side dishes to consider adding to your menu:
- Garlic mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes or hasselback potatoes
- Green beans and/or roasted brussels sprouts
- Mashed sweet potatoes or butternut squash
- Harvest salad with prosciutto
- Fresh dinner rolls or sliced baguette
VG Meats is pleased to offer prepared side dishes as well as cooked turkey dinners. And don’t forget the gravy—that’s an important part of any holiday meal!
Step 3: Pre-order your turkey, ham or roast
If you’re ready to order your Thanksgiving favourites, our holiday website is open 24/7. Please fill out this web form, contact us by phone or visit us in person if you’d like to place your order another way—we’d be pleased to assist you.
Thanks for shopping local and supporting regenerative food in your community. The VG Meats team is grateful to be a part of your family’s holiday traditions.
