If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, you might have some nerves — especially if it's your first time acting as host. With this in mind, you want to make sure that you avoid some common Thanksgiving prep mistakes — including one that could lead to total disaster. The mistake? Trying out new dishes on the big day.
Hosting Thanksgiving is already full of time-consuming tasks — including cooking a full turkey, preparing a range of dishes, and interacting with guests — so you don't need to make your day even more stressful and complicated by attempting a new recipe . Plus, Thanksgiving is all about tradition — people love eating the same, beloved dishes every year, so there's no need to try to go the extra mile and surprise your guests with a new dish. Stick to simple yet delicious dishes that we all know and love: Buttery mashed potatoes , candied sweet potato casserole , classic herb stuffing , and so on.
The same goes for dessert — no one is going to complain about finding pumpkin pie or apple pie on the table. How to incorporate new and exciting dishes into Thanksgiving dinner (if you must) If you're absolutely determined to find a way to incorporate a new recipe into your Thanksgiving dinner, then there are a few things that you can do to make it happen without overwhelming yourself. For example, you can practice making the new dish ahead of time.
Maybe you want to try out a new take on mashed potatoes, such as brown butter mashed potatoes or bacon and chive .